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Epidemiological studies have identified an inverse association between cancer and dementia. Underlying methodological biases have been postulated, yet no studies have systematically investigated the potential for each source of bias within a single dataset. We used the UK Biobank to compare estimates for the cancer-dementia association using different analytical specifications designed to sequentially address multiple sources of bias, including competing risk of death, selective survival, confounding bias, and diagnostic bias. We included 140,959 UK Biobank participants aged ≥ 55 without dementia before enrollment and with linked primary care data. We used cancer registry data to identify cancer cases prevalent before UK Biobank enrollment and incident cancer diagnosed after enrollment. We used Cox models to evaluate associations of prevalent and incident cancer with all-cause dementia, Alzheimers disease (AD), and vascular dementia. We used time-varying models to evaluate diagnostic bias. Over a median follow-up of 12.3 years, 3,310 dementia cases were diagnosed. All-site incident cancer was positively associated with all-cause dementia incidence (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.02-1.29), but prevalent cancer was not (HR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.92-1.17). Results were similar for vascular dementia. AD was not associated with prevalent or incident cancer. Dementia diagnosis was substantially elevated in the first year after cancer diagnosis (HR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.42-2.36), after which the association attenuated to null, suggesting diagnostic bias. Following a cancer diagnosis, health care utilization or cognitive consequences of diagnosis or treatment may increase chance of receiving a dementia diagnosis, creating potential diagnostic bias in electronic health records-based studies.

Alcohol use is especially problematic for people living with HIV (PLWH) and was likely to be impacted by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and its restrictions. In a study of PLWH with latent tuberculosis infection, we measured unhealthy alcohol use with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C), phosphatidylethanol (PEth) and bar attendance. We analyzed data collected before and after COVID-19 restrictions, and used Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) logistic regression models to evaluate changes in unhealthy alcohol use. While bar attendance declined from 57.0% before to 38.3% after the restrictions started, multivariable analysis controlling for bar use showed a significant increase in unhealthy alcohol use; the adjusted odds ratio for unhealthy drinking before versus after the restrictions started was 1.37 (95% CI: 0.89-2.12) which increased to 1.64 (95% CI: 1.08-2.50) when bar attendance was added to the model. Decline in bar attendance did not decrease unhealthy alcohol use.

BackgroundCOVID-19-related lockdowns and other public health measures may have differentially affected the quality of life (QOL) of older people with and without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in rural Uganda.MethodsThe Quality of Life and Aging with HIV in Rural Uganda study enrolled people with and without HIV aged over 49 from October 2020 to October 2021. We collected data on COVID-19-related stressors (behavior changes, concerns, interruptions in health care, income, and food) and the participants' QOL. We used linear regression to estimate the associations between COVID-19-related stressors and QOL, adjusting for demographic characteristics, mental and physical health, and time before vs after the lockdown during the second COVID-19 wave in Uganda. Interaction between HIV and COVID-19-related stressors evaluated effect modification.ResultsWe analyzed complete data from 562 participants. Mean age was 58 (standard deviation (SD) = 7); 265 (47%) participants were female, 386 (69%) were married, 279 (50%) had HIV, and 400 (71%) were farmers. Those making ≥5 COVID-19-related behavior changes compared to those making ≤2 had worse general QOL (estimated linear regression coefficient (b) = - 4.77; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -6.61, -2.94) and health-related QOL (b = -4.60; 95% CI = -8.69, -0.51). Having access to sufficient food after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (b = 3.10, 95% CI = 1.54, 4.66) and being interviewed after the start of the second lockdown (b = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.30, 4.28) were associated with better general QOL. Having HIV was associated with better health-related QOL (b = 5.67, 95% CI = 2.91,8.42). HIV was not associated with, nor did it modify the association of COVID-19-related stressors with general QOL.ConclusionsIn the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in an HIV-endemic, low-resource setting, there was reduced QOL among older Ugandans making multiple COVID-19 related behavioral changes. Nonetheless, good QOL during the second COVID-19 wave may suggest resilience among older Ugandans.

Identifying factors associated with alcohol use changes during pregnancy is important for developing interventions for people with HIV (PWH). Pregnant PWH (n = 202) initiating antiretroviral therapy in Uganda and South Africa completed two assessments, 6 months apart (T1, T2). Categories were derived based on AUDIT-C scores: "no use" (AUDIT-C = 0 at T1 and T2), "new use" (AUDIT-C = 0 at T1, >0 at T2), "quit" (AUDIT-C > 0 at T1, =0 at T2), and "continued use" (AUDIT-C > 0, T1 and T2). Factors associated with these categories were assessed. Most participants had "no use" (68%), followed by "continued use" (12%), "quit" (11%), and "new use" (9%). Cohabitating with a partner was associated with lower relative risk of "continued use." Borderline significant associations between food insecurity and higher risk of "new use" and between stigma and reduced likelihood of "quitting" also emerged. Alcohol use interventions that address partnership, food security, and stigma could benefit pregnant and postpartum PWH.

A 68-year-old male with a history of end-stage renal disease and latent tuberculosis on isoniazid (INH), and no psychiatric history presented with a five-day history of anorexia, fatigue, and nausea. Physical exam in the emergency department was notable for somnolence, right upper extremity tremor, and diffuse abdominal pain. Initial workup revealed an anion gap metabolic acidosis with elevated lactate, prompting admission to the general ward for empiric IV antibiotics for suspected bacteremia from his permacath. Within a few hours of admission, he became increasingly encephalopathic and had two episodes of copious hematemesis. Repeat studies revealed a cholestatic pattern of liver injury and new-onset coagulopathy. With an overall clinical picture consistent with fulminant hepatic failure, our pharmacy team initiated a comprehensive pill count of all his medications, which established that he had been inadvertently taking up to six times the recommended dose of INH. With INH discontinuation and supportive therapy, he improved and was discharged on hospital day eight. Our experience provides lessons in the timely recognition and management of this rarely reported toxidrome in the United States.

Community health workers (CHWs) are a vital part of the health infrastructure in Uganda and in many other low- and middle-income countries. While the need for CHWs is clear, it is less clear how they should dispense health products to maximize the health benefits to their community. In this study, we assess the cost-effectiveness of several competing CHW distribution strategies in the context of treatment for child diarrhoea. We used data from a four-armed cluster-randomized controlled trial to assess the cost-effectiveness of (1) free distribution of oral rehydration salts (ORS) via home deliveries prior to diarrhoea onset (free delivery arm), (2) free distribution via vouchers where households retrieved the treatment from a central location (voucher arm), (3) a door-to-door sales model (home sales arm) and (4) a control arm where CHWs carried out their activities as normal. We assessed the cost-effectiveness from the implementors perspective and a societal perspective in terms of cost per case treated with ORS and cost per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted. Free delivery was the most effective strategy and the cheapest from a societal perspective. Although implementor costs were highest in this arm, cost savings comes from households using fewer resources to seek treatment outside the home (transport, doctor fees and treatment costs). From the implementors perspective, free delivery costs $2.19 per additional case treated and $56 per DALY averted relative to the control. Free delivery was also extremely cost-effective relative to home sales and vouchers, but there was a large degree of uncertainty around the comparison with vouchers. Free distribution of ORS by CHWs prior to diarrhoea onset is extremely cost-effective compared to other CHW distribution models. Implementers of CHW programmes should consider free home delivery of ORS.

House construction is rapidly modernizing across Africa but the potential benefits for human health are poorly understood. We hypothesised that improvements to housing would be associated with reductions in malaria, acute respiratory infection (ARI) and gastrointestinal illness in an area of low malaria endemicity in Uganda. Data were analysed from a cohort study of male and female child and adult residents (n = 531) of 80 randomly-selected households in Nagongera sub-county, followed for 24 months (October 4, 2017 to October 31, 2019). Houses were classified as modern (brick walls, metal roof and closed eaves) or traditional (all other homes). Light trap collections of mosquitoes were done every two weeks in all sleeping rooms. Every four weeks, we measured malaria infection (using microscopy and qPCR to detect malaria parasites), incidence of malaria, ARI and gastrointestinal illness. We collected 15,780 adult female Anopheles over 7,631 nights. We collected 13,277 blood samples of which 10.2% (1,347) were positive for malaria parasites. Over 958 person years we diagnosed 38 episodes of uncomplicated malaria (incidence 0.04 episodes per person-year at risk), 2,553 episodes of ARI (incidence 2.7 episodes per person-year) and 387 episodes of gastrointestinal illness (incidence 0.4 episodes per person-year). Modern houses were associated with a 53% lower human biting rate compared to traditional houses (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] 0.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32-0.67, p

BackgroundLong lasting insecticide-treated bednets (LLINs) are the most widely used tool for preventing malaria. There has been a plateau in progress in the highest burden African countries since 2015, leading to questions about the effectiveness of LLINs. In this study, remote LLIN use monitors were deployed in a cohort in Eastern Uganda to explore how LLIN use interacts with mosquito exposure.MethodsThe SmartNet study included 20 households from May to October 2019. SmartNet devices recorded, every 15 min, whether an LLIN was unfurled or folded up. Unannounced visits were used to assess SmartNet accuracy. Risk factors associated with poor LLIN use were assessed using generalized linear equations. Female Anopheles exposure was estimated by combining hourly probabilities of exposure from human landing catches and measures of density from biweekly CDC light traps in participants rooms. Mosquito exposure averted by LLINs was quantified using SmartNet measurements and age-related differences were estimated using generalized linear equations, adjusting for relevant covariates and household clustering.Results96 individuals contributed 5,640 SmartNet observation nights. In 126 unannounced visits, SmartNet had an area under the curve of 0.869 in classifying whether the LLIN was up or down. The rate of non-use was 13.5% of nights (95% CI: 12.6-14.3%). Compared to children under 5, non-use was 1.8 times higher (95% CI: 1.6-2.1; p < 0.001) in children 5-15 years and 2.6 times higher (95% CI: 2.2-3.1; p < 0.001) in participants aged 15- 30 years. LLIN use averted 50.3% of female Anopheles mosquito exposure (95% CI: 40.0-60.0%), with decreasing point estimates of efficacy across age groups: from 61.7% (95% CI: 42.6-80.7%) in children under 5 years to 48.0% (95% CI: 29.1-66.8%) in adults over 30.ConclusionsObjective monitors are accurate and can feasibly be deployed to obtain data about LLIN use. LLINs provided protection from only 50% of female Anopheles mosquito exposure in this cohort and protection was dependent upon age. In assessing the role of LLINs in malaria prevention it is crucial to consider the dynamics between mosquito exposure and LLIN use behaviors.

BackgroundTwo phase 3 clinical trials showed that use of a monthly vaginal ring containing 25 mg dapivirine was well tolerated and reduced HIV-1 incidence in women by approximately 30% compared with placebo. We aimed to evaluate use and safety of the dapivirine vaginal ring (DVR) in open-label settings with high background rates of HIV-1 infection, an important step for future implementation.MethodsWe did a phase 3B open-label extension trial of the DVR (MTN-025/HIV Open-label Prevention Extension [HOPE]). Women who were HIV-1-negative and had participated in the MTN-020/ASPIRE phase 3 trial were offered 12 months of access to the DVR at 14 clinical research centres in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. At each visit (monthly for 3 months, then once every 3 months), women chose whether or not to accept the offer of the ring. Used, returned rings were tested for residual amounts of dapivirine as a surrogate marker for adherence. HIV-1 serological testing was done at each visit. Dapivirine amounts in returned rings and HIV-1 incidence were compared with data from the ASPIRE trial, and safety was assessed. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02858037.FindingsBetween July 16, 2016, and Oct 10, 2018, of 1756 women assessed for eligibility, 1456 were enrolled and participated in the study. Median age was 31 years (IQR 27-37). At baseline, 1342 (92·2%) women chose to take the DVR; ring acceptance was more than 79% at each visit up until 12 months and 936 (73·2%) of 1279 chose to take the ring at all visits. 12 530 (89·3%) of 14 034 returned rings had residual dapivirine amounts consistent with some use during the previous month (>0·9 mg released) and the mean dapivirine amount released was greater than in the ASPIRE trial (by 0·21 mg; p

Indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticide-treated bednets (LLINs) are common tools for reducing malaria transmission. We studied a cohort in Uganda with universal access to LLINs after 5 years of sustained IRS to explore LLIN adherence when malaria transmission has been greatly reduced. Eighty households and 526 individuals in Nagongera, Uganda were followed from October 2017 -October 2019. Every two weeks, mosquitoes were collected from sleeping rooms and LLIN adherence the prior night assessed. Episodes of malaria were diagnosed using passive surveillance. Risk factors for LLIN non-adherence were evaluated using multi-level mixed logistic regression. An age-matched case-control design was used to measure the association between LLIN non-adherence and malaria. Across all time periods, and particularly in the last 6 months, non-adherence was higher among both children

BACKGROUND:Alcohol use is common among people living with HIV and particularly harmful during pregnancy. However, objective data on alcohol use in pregnant women living with HIV (WLWH) are lacking. In areas with high levels of alcohol use generally, such as South Africa and Uganda, these data are needed to inform interventions. METHODS:Pregnant and nonpregnant, antiretroviral therapy-naive WLWH were recruited from outpatient clinics in South Africa and Uganda. Women provided self-report data on previous three-month alcohol use and potential mental health correlates of alcohol use (depression and stigma). Blood samples were used to measure phosphatidylethanol (PEth), an objective biomarker of recent alcohol intake. We analyzed any alcohol use (ie, any self-reported use or PEth-positive [≥8 ng/mL]) and under-reporting of alcohol use (ie, no self-reported use with concurrent PEth-positive). RESULTS:Among pregnant WLWH (n = 163, median age was 26 [interquartile range: 23-29], median gestational age was 20 weeks [interquartile range: 16-26]), 40% were using alcohol and 16% under-reported alcohol use. Neither any alcohol use nor under-reporting of alcohol use differed significantly between pregnant and nonpregnant women or by country (P > 0.05). Greater depression (but not greater stigma) was significantly associated with any alcohol use (adjusted odds ratio = 1.41, 95% confidence interval: [1.01 to 1.99]; P = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS:Alcohol use was prevalent and under-reported among pregnant WLWH in South Africa and Uganda, similar to nonpregnant participants, and associated with depression. General health care and antenatal clinic settings present opportunities to provide integrated alcohol-based counseling and depression treatment.

Chronic inflammation predicts complications in persons with human immunodeficiency virus infection. We compared D-dimer, soluble CD14, and interleukin 6 levels before and 12 months after antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, among individuals starting ART during earlier-stage (CD4 T-cell count >350/µL) or late-stage disease (CD4 T-cell count .05), owing to loss from observation and greater declines in biomarkers in late-stage initiators (P < .001). Earlier initiation of ART is associated with decreased inflammation, but levels seem to converge between earlier and later initiators surviving to 12 months.

Background Over half a million children die each year of diarrheal illness, although nearly all deaths could be prevented with oral rehydration salts (ORS). The literature on ORS documents both impressive health benefits and persistent underuse. At the same time, little is known about why ORS is underused and what can be done to increase use. We hypothesized that price and inconvenience are important barriers to ORS use and tested whether eliminating financial and access constraints increases ORS coverage. Methods and findings In July of 2016, we recruited 118 community health workers (CHWs; representing 10,384 households) in Central and Eastern Uganda to participate in the study. Study villages were predominantly peri-urban, and most caretakers had no more than primary school education. In March of 2017, we randomized CHWs to one of four methods of ORS distribution: (1) free delivery of ORS prior to illness (free and convenient); (2) home sales of ORS prior to illness (convenient only); (3) free ORS upon retrieval using voucher (free only); and (4) status quo CHW distribution, where ORS is sold and not delivered (control). CHWs offered zinc supplements in addition to ORS in all treatment arms (free in groups 1 and 3 and for sale in group 2), following international treatment guidelines. We used household surveys to measure ORS (primary outcome) and ORS + zinc use 4 weeks after the interventions began (between April and May 2017). We assessed impact using an intention-to-treat (ITT) framework. During follow-up, we identified 2,363 child cases of diarrhea within 4 weeks of the survey (584 in free and convenient [25.6% of households], 527 in convenient only [26.1% of households], 648 in free only [26.8% of households], and 597 in control [28.5% of households]). The share of cases treated with ORS was 77% (448/584) in the free and convenient group, 64% (340/527) in the convenient only group, 74% (447/648) in the free only group, and 56% (335/597) in the control group. After adjusting for potential confounders, instructing CHWs to provide free and convenient distribution increased ORS coverage by 19 percentage points relative to the control group (95% CI 13–26; P < 0.001), 12 percentage points relative to convenient only (95% CI 6–18; P < 0.001), and 2 percentage points (not significant) relative to free only (95% CI −4 to 8; P = 0.38). Effect sizes were similar, but more pronounced, for the use of both ORS and zinc. Limitations include short follow-up period, self-reported outcomes, and limited generalizability. Conclusions Most caretakers of children with diarrhea in low-income countries seek care in the private sector where they are required to pay for ORS. However, our results suggest that price is an important barrier to ORS use and that switching to free distribution by CHWs substantially increases ORS coverage. Switching to free distribution is low-cost, easily scalable, and could substantially reduce child mortality. Convenience was not important in this context.

IntroductionMen who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS resulting from risky sexual behaviors. Social and contextual factors are known to mediate risk behaviors, but there is limited information about the prevalence of risky sexual practices of Rwandan MSM and the concomitant socio-contextual determinants making it difficult to assess implications for preventing HIV/STI transmission in this key population.MethodsUsing exploratory qualitative design, we obtained socio-contextual information regarding prevalence of risky sexual behavior and assessed implications for HIV/ STIs transmission and preventive measures taken by MSM to improve sexual health and wellbeing. Thirty MSM were recruited to participate in in-depth interviews using respondent-driven sampling from LGBT associations in Kigali. Data were analyzed using standard qualitative data analysis procedures.ResultsRespondents' were between 18-40 years old; all completed primary education and are mostly low-socioeconomic status. Risky sexual practices were common, but differed by peculiar individual and contextual factors. Older MSM often reported occasional sexual relations with women to avoid suspicion and social stigma. Younger MSM's risky sexual practices are mostly transactional and mediated by the need for social acceptance and support. Knowledge of STIs was poor, but prevalence, especially of HPV was high. The options for improving sexual wellbeing are limited and mostly clandestine.ConclusionRisky sexual behavior of Rwandan MSM has major implications for HIV/STI transmission. An environment of intense social stigma and social isolation makes it difficult to obtain information or services to improve sexual health. Effective interventions that address individual and contextual determinants of risk and access to health services are urgently needed to limit the consequence of MSM as a bridge for HIV transmission to the general population.

In HIV-infected drinkers, alcohol types more likely to cause inflammation could plausibly increase the risk of HIV disease progression. We therefore assessed the association between alcohol type and plasma HIV RNA level (HIV viral load) among HIV-infected drinkers not on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Russia and Uganda. We analyzed the data of participants from cohorts in Russia and Uganda and assessed their HIV viral load at enrollment by the alcohol type predominantly consumed. We defined predominant alcohol type as the alcohol type contributing >50% of total alcohol consumption in the 1 month (Russia) or 3 months (Uganda) prior to enrollment. Using multiple linear regression, we compared log10 HIV viral load by predominant alcohol type, controlling for age, gender, socioeconomic status, total number of standard drinks, frequency of drinking ≥6 drinks/occasion, and in Russia, history of injection drug use. Most participants (99.2% of 261 in Russia and 98.9% of 352 in Uganda) predominantly drank one alcohol type. In Russia, we did not find evidence for differences in viral load levels between drinkers of fortified wine (n = 5) or hard liquor (n = 49), compared to drinkers of beer/low-ethanol-content cocktails (n = 163); however, wine/high-ethanol-content cocktail drinkers (n = 42) had higher mean log10 viral load than beer/low-ethanol-content cocktail drinkers (β = 0.38, 95% CI 0.07-0.69; p = 0.02). In Uganda, we did not find evidence for differences in viral load levels between drinkers of locally-brewed beer (n = 41), commercially-distilled spirits (n = 38), or locally-distilled spirits (n = 43), compared to drinkers of commercially-made beer (n = 218); however, wine drinkers (n = 8) had lower mean log10 HIV viral load (β = -0.65, 95% CI -1.36 to 0.07, p = 0.08), although this did not reach statistical significance. Among HIV-infected drinkers not yet on ART in Russia and Uganda, we observed an association between the alcohol type predominantly consumed and the HIV viral load level in the Russia sample. These exploratory results suggest that, in addition to total number of drinks and drinking patterns, alcohol type might be a dimension of alcohol use that merits examination in studies of HIV and alcohol related outcomes.

The Global Plan Towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections Among Children by 2015 and Keeping Their Mothers Alive (Global Plan), which was launched in 2011, set a series of ambitious targets, including a reduction of new HIV infections among children by 90% by 2015 (from a baseline year of 2009) and AIDS-related maternal mortality by 50% by 2015. To reach these targets, the Global Plan called for unprecedented investments in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), innovative new approaches to service delivery, immense collective effort on the programmatic and policy fronts, and importantly, a renewed focus on data collection and use. We provide an overview of major achievements in monitoring and evaluation across Global Plan countries and highlight key challenges and innovative country-driven solutions using PMTCT program data. Specifically, we describe the following: (1) Ugandas development and use of a weekly reporting system for PMTCT using short message service technology that facilitates real-time monitoring and programmatic adjustments throughout the transition to a treat all approach for pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV (Option B+); (2) Ugandas work to eliminate parallel reporting systems while strengthening the national electronic district health information system; and (3) how routine PMTCT program data in Nigeria can be used to estimate HIV prevalence at the local level and address a critical gap in local descriptive epidemiologic data to better target limited resources. We also identify several ongoing challenges in data collection, analysis, and use, and we suggest potential solutions.

ObjectivesWe sought to describe blood pressure (BP) changes after antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and evaluate the association of markers of inflammation with incident hypertension in a cohort of HIV-infected individuals in Uganda.MethodsWe used mixed effects linear regression to model changes in systolic BP over time among a cohort of HIV-infected individuals initiating ART in Uganda. After exclusion of participants with preexisting hypertension, we identified participants with normal BP throughout follow-up (controls) and those with elevated BP on ≥3 consecutive visits (cases). Before ART initiation, participants had testing for interleukin 6, kynurenine/tryptophan ratio, lipopolysaccharide, soluble CD14, soluble CD163, and D-dimer and those with viral suppression at 6 months during ART had repeat tests. We fit logistic regression models to estimate associations between biomarkers and risk of incident hypertension.ResultsIn the entire cohort, systolic BP increased by 9.6 mm Hg/yr (95% CI: 7.3 to 11.8) in the first 6 months of ART, then plateaued. Traditional factors: male gender (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.76, 95% CI: 1.34 to 5.68), age (AOR 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.13), overweight (AOR 4.48, 95% CI: 1.83 to 10.97), and a CD4 count

The brewing of alcohol in Ugandan households is common, yet little is known about its relationship with alcohol consumption in HIV-infected individuals. We performed a cross-sectional analysis to assess the association between household brewing and unhealthy alcohol consumption among 387 HIV-infected adults in a prospective study examining the association between alcohol consumption and HIV-disease progression. Household brewing was defined as participants reporting that they or a household member home-brewed alcohol. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between household brewing and unhealthy alcohol consumption, defined as phosphatidylethanol (PEth) level ≥50 ng/ml or AUDIT-C (modified to measure the prior 3 months) positive. Sixty-six (17.0 %) participants reported household brewing. Household brewers had higher odds of unhealthy alcohol consumption (AOR 2.27, 95 % CI 1.26-4.12). Among HIV-infected individuals, household brewing was associated with unhealthy alcohol consumption. Interventions to reduce alcohol consumption in this population could target household brewers.

BackgroundIn Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), HIV-infected patients may underreport alcohol consumption. We compared self-reports of drinking to phosphatidylethanol (PEth), an alcohol biomarker. In particular, we assessed beverage-type-adjusted fractional graduated frequency (FGF) and quantity frequency (QF) measures of grams of alcohol, novel nonvolume measures, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C).MethodsWe analyzed cohort entry data from the Biomarker Research of Ethanol Among Those with HIV cohort study (2011 to 2013). Participants were HIV-infected past-year drinkers, newly enrolled into care. Self-report measures included FGF and QF grams of alcohol, the AUDIT-C, number of drinking days, and novel adaptations of FGF and QF methods to expenditures on alcohol, time spent drinking, and symptoms of intoxication. PEth levels were measured from dried blood spots. We calculated Spearman's rank correlation coefficients of self-reports with PEth and bias-corrected bootstrap 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for pairwise differences between coefficients.ResultsA total of 209 subjects (57% men) were included. Median age was 30; interquartile range (IQR) 25 to 38. FGF grams of alcohol over the past 90 days (median 592, IQR 43 to 2,137) were higher than QF grams (375, IQR 33 to 1,776), p < 0.001. However, both measures were moderately correlated with PEth: ρ = 0.58, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.66 for FGF grams and 0.54, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.63 for QF grams (95% CI for difference -0.017 to 0.099, not statistically significant). AUDIT-C, time drinking, and a scale of symptoms of intoxication were similarly correlated with PEth (ρ = 0.35 to 0.57).ConclusionsHIV-infected drinkers in SSA likely underreport both any alcohol consumption and amounts consumed, suggesting the need to use more objective measures like biomarkers when measuring drinking in this population. Although the FGF method may more accurately estimate drinking than QF methods, the AUDIT-C and other nonvolume measures may provide simpler alternatives.

Background: Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) have offered hope for rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). However, their efficiency with smear-negative samples has not been widely studied in low income settings. Here, we evaluated in-house PCR assay for diagnosis of smear-negative TB using Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) culture as the baseline test. Two hundred and five pulmonary TB (PTB) suspects with smear-negative sputum samples, admitted on a short stay emergency ward at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, were enrolled. Two smear-negative sputum samples were obtained from each PTB suspect and processed simultaneously for identification of MTBC using in-house PCR and LJ culture. Results: Seventy two PTB suspects (35%, 72/205) were LJ culture positive while 128 (62.4%, 128/205) were PCR-positive. The sensitivity and specificity of in-house PCR for diagnosis of smear-negative PTB were 75% (95% CI 62.6-85.0) and 35.9% (95% CI 27.2-45.3), respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 39% (95% CI 30.4-48.2) and 72.4% (95% CI 59.1-83.3), respectively, while the positive and negative likelihood ratios were 1.17 (95% CI 0.96-1.42) and 0.70 (95% CI 0.43-1.14), respectively. One hundred and seventeen LJ culture-negative suspects (75 PCR-positive and 42 PCR-negative) were enrolled for follow-up at 2months. Of the PCR-positive suspects, 45 (60%, 45/75) were still alive, of whom 29 (64.4%, 29/45) returned for the follow-up visit; 15 (20%, 15/75) suspects died while another 15 (20%, 15/75) were lost to follow-up. Of the 42 PCR-negative suspects, 22 (52.4%, 22/42) were still alive, of whom 16 (72.7%, 16/22) returned for follow-up; 11 (26.2%, 11/42) died while nine (21.4%, 9/42) were lost to follow-up. Overall, more PCR-positive suspects were diagnosed with PTB during follow-up visits but the difference was not statistically significant (27.6%, 8/29 vs. 25%, 4/16, p=0.9239). Furthermore, mortality was higher for the PCR-negative suspects but the difference was also not statistically significant (26.2% vs. 20% p=0.7094). Conclusion: In-house PCR correlates poorly with LJ culture for diagnosis of smear-negative PTB. Therefore, in-house PCR may not be adopted as an alternative to LJ culture. © 2012 Nakiyingi et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.