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Background Solid-organ transplantation due to end-stage organ disease is increasingly performed in people living with HIV. Despite improved transplant outcomes, management of these patients remains challenging due to higher risk for allograft rejection, infection and drug–drug interactions (DDIs). Complex regimens for multi-drug resistant HIV-viruses may cause DDIs particularly if the regimen contains drugs such as ritonavir or cobicistat. Case presentation Here we report on a case of an HIV-infected renal transplant recipient on long-term immunosuppressive therapy with mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus dosed at 0.5 mg every 11 days due to the co-administration of a darunavir/ritonavir containing antiretroviral regimen. In the presented case the pharmacokinetic booster was switched from ritonavir to cobicistat for treatment simplification. A close monitoring of tacrolimus drug levels was performed in order to prevent possible sub- or supratherapeutic tacrolimus trough levels. A progressive decrease in tacrolimus concentrations was observed after switch requiring shortening of tacrolimus dosing interval. This observation was unexpected considering that cobicistat is devoid of inducing properties. Conclusions This case highlights the fact that the pharmacokinetic boosters ritonavir and cobicistat are not fully interchangeable. Therapeutic drug monitoring of tacrolimus is warranted to maintain levels within the therapeutic range.

We conducted a qualitative interview-based study to examine the perception of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers (HCWs) without patient contact in a tertiary academic care center. We compared these findings to those derived from interviews of HCWs with patient contact from the same institution using the same study design. The following main four themes were identified: (1) As for HCWs with patient contact, transparent communication strongly contributes to employees’ sense of security. (2) Information on personal protective equipment (PPE) usage needs to be stratified according to different educational backgrounds and professions. (3) Consistency of IPC measures was positively perceived yet a desire for constant reminders to counteract the fatigue effect played a more significant role for HCWs without patient contact. (4) As compared to HCWs with patient contact, HCWs without patient contact preferred uniform digital training resources rather than more face-to-face training. This study shows that the needs of HCWs with and without patient contact differ and need to be considered in pandemic management.

Background Hepatitis C virus reinfections in HIV-positive men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) challenge the effectiveness of antiviral treatment. To fight this problem, an adapted sexual risk reduction intervention was implemented within a hepatitis C treatment trial. Following this, the current study had two aims and describes 1) how the program was received by participants; and 2) their responses to the program regarding sexual risk taking. Based on the participants’ input, we hoped to judge the intervention’s potential for scale-up. Methods Seventeen participants who received the sexual risk reduction intervention in addition to hepatitis C treatment were recruited for semi-structured interviews six to 12 months post-intervention. We evaluated the responses via reflexive thematic analysis and applied the concept of sense-making. Results Giving hepatitis C a place and living without it again illustrates how participants received the program and how their experiences were altered by the impact of sense-making. Based on their responses, we allocated participants to three groups: 1. Avoid risks: get rid of hepatitis C for life. For these men, hepatitis C remained a life-threatening disease: they actively modified their risk behavior and felt supported by the intervention in maintaining their behavioral changes. 2. Minimize risks: live as long as possible without hepatitis C. In contrast to group 1, these men saw hepatitis C as a manageable disease. The intervention facilitated reflection on risks and how to develop behavioral changes that suited them individually. 3. Accept risks; live with the risk of hepatitis C. These men perceived behavioral changes as much more difficult than “easy” medical treatment. They expected to either undergo repeated rounds of treatment or stay HCV re-infected. Conclusion These results illustrate the diversity of men’s responses and their decisions regarding sexual risk behavior after participating in a combination of antiviral treatment and a sexual risk reduction intervention. Two major aspects were identified: 1) Teachable moments, particularly at the time of diagnosis/treatment, could offer an opportunity to develop openness for behavioral change; 2) adapting sexual risk reduction interventions to sense-making patterns could help to improve its effectiveness. Support for reducing infection risk and raising awareness of preventative measures are additional benefits. Trial registration Clinical Trial Number: NCT02785666, 30.05.2016.

Background Severe hepatosplenic complications arise in patients with chronic Schistosoma mansoni infection after heavy exposure to disease agents in endemic areas. These complications are rarely reported and, hence, underestimated. Case presentation We report on eight patients with severe morbidity associated with S. mansoni infection in Ituri Province, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The patients were identified during a community-based survey in 2017; one patient was seen at the district hospital. After taking the patients’ history, a clinical examination and an abdominal ultrasonographical examination were performed. S. mansoni infection was diagnosed in fecal (Kato-Katz technique) and urine (point-of-case circulating cathodic antigen test) samples. These eight patients with severe intestinal and hepatosplenic complications were identified from four villages with high S. mansoni infection prevalence and related morbidity. The patients’ ages ranged from 19 to 57 years; four patients were women. Three patients reported hematemesis. Two patients were severely anemic. All patients reported non-specific abdominal symptoms, such as diarrhea (six patients), abdominal pain (seven patients), and blood in the stool (five patients), as well as weight loss (two patients). Abdominal ultrasonography revealed ascites in four patients. All patients had portal hypertension with hepatomegaly (seven patients) or splenomegaly (five patients). Of the six patients with a discernable liver parenchyma pattern, five displayed pattern F and three patient displayed pattern E. Liver parenchyma was not visible for two patients with severe ascites. An S. mansoni infection was confirmed in six patients, with infection intensity ranging from light to heavy. All S. mansoni positive patients were treated with praziquantel (40 mg/kg body weight) and referred to the district hospital for follow-up. One patient with severe ascites died two weeks after we saw her. Due to security and accessibility reasons, the villages could not be visited again and the patients were lost to follow-up. Conclusions Our observations of patients with severe schistosomiasis document the severe degree of endemicity of S. mansoni in the province and suggest an urgent need for adequate schistosomiasis control measures that target vulnerable population groups and address severe complications.

The proportion of asymptomatic carriers of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains elusive and the potential benefit of systematic screening during the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic is controversial. We investigated the proportion of asymptomatic inpatients who were identified by systematic screening for SARS-CoV-2 upon hospital admission. Our analysis revealed that systematic screening of asymptomatic inpatients detects a low total number of SARS-CoV-2 infections (0.1%), questioning the cost–benefit ratio of this intervention. Even when the population-wide prevalence was low, the proportion of asymptomatic carriers remained stable, supporting the need for universal infection prevention and control strategies to avoid onward transmission by undetected SARS-CoV-2-carriers during the pandemic.

Understanding the determinants of broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAb) evolution is crucial for the development of bNAb-based HIV vaccines. Despite emerging information on cofactors that promote bNAb evolution in natural HIV-1 infections, in which the induction of bNAbs is genuinely rare, information on the impact of the infecting virus strain on determining the breadth and specificity of the antibody responses to HIV-1 is lacking. Here we analyse the influence of viral antigens in shaping antibody responses in humans. We call the ability of a virus strain to induce similar antibody responses across different hosts its antibody-imprinting capacity, which from an evolutionary biology perspective corresponds to the viral heritability of the antibody responses. Analysis of 53 measured parameters of HIV-1-binding and neutralizing antibody responses in a cohort of 303 HIV-1 transmission pairs (individuals who harboured highly related HIV-1 strains and were putative direct transmission partners or members of an HIV-1 transmission chain) revealed that the effect of the infecting virus on the outcome of the bNAb response is moderate in magnitude but highly significant. We introduce the concept of bNAb-imprinting viruses and provide evidence for the existence of such viruses in a systematic screening of our cohort. The bNAb-imprinting capacity can be substantial, as indicated by a transmission pair with highly similar HIV-1 antibody responses and strong bNAb activity. Identification of viruses that have bNAb-imprinting capacities and their characterization may thus provide the potential to develop lead immunogens.

Objective HIV-1 rapidly establishes a persistent infection that can be contained under life-long antiretroviral therapy (ART) but not cured. One major viral reservoir is the peripheral lymph node (LN) follicles. Studying the impact of novel HIV-1 treatment and vaccination approaches on cells residing in germinal centers is essential for rapid progress towards HIV-1 prevention and cure. Results We enrolled 9 asymptomatic adult volunteers with a newly diagnosed HIV-1 infection and CD4 T cell counts ≥ 350/ml. The patients underwent venous blood collection and inguinal lymph node excision surgery in parallel. Mononuclear cells were extracted from blood and tissues simultaneously. Participants were followed up regularly for 2 weeks until complete healing of the surgical wounds. All participants completed the lymph node excision surgery without clinical complications. Among the 9 volunteers, one elite controller was identified. The number of mononuclear cells recovered from lymph nodes ranged from 68 to 206 million and correlated positively with lymph node size. This is the first study to show that lymph node biopsy is a safe procedure and can be undertaken with local experts in rural settings. It provides a foundation for detailed immune response investigations during future clinical trials.

Antiretroviral drugs are among the therapeutic agents with the highest potential for drug–drug interactions (DDIs). In the absence of clinical data, DDIs are mainly predicted based on preclinical data and knowledge of the disposition of individual drugs. Predictions can be challenging, especially when antiretroviral drugs induce and inhibit multiple cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes simultaneously. This study predicted the magnitude of the DDI between efavirenz, an inducer of CYP3A4 and inhibitor of CYP2C8, and dual CYP3A4/CYP2C8 substrates (repaglinide, montelukast, pioglitazone, paclitaxel) using a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling approach integrating concurrent effects on CYPs. In vitro data describing the physicochemical properties, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of efavirenz and CYP3A4/CYP2C8 substrates as well as the CYP-inducing and -inhibitory potential of efavirenz were obtained from published literature. The data were integrated in a PBPK model developed using mathematical descriptions of molecular, physiological, and anatomical processes defining pharmacokinetics. Plasma drug–concentration profiles were simulated at steady state in virtual individuals for each drug given alone or in combination with efavirenz. The simulated pharmacokinetic parameters of drugs given alone were compared against existing clinical data. The effect of efavirenz on CYP was compared with published DDI data. The predictions indicate that the overall effect of efavirenz on dual CYP3A4/CYP2C8 substrates is induction of metabolism. The magnitude of induction tends to be less pronounced for dual CYP3A4/CYP2C8 substrates with predominant CYP2C8 metabolism. PBPK modeling constitutes a useful mechanistic approach for the quantitative prediction of DDI involving simultaneous inducing or inhibitory effects on multiple CYPs as often encountered with antiretroviral drugs.

Fieber ist keine Erkrankung, sondern ein Symptom. Die haufigste Ursache ist eine Infektion, aber auch Tumoren, immunologische Erkrankungen oder Medikamente konnen Fieber auslosen. Entsprechend schwierig ist die Differenzialdiagnostik. Entscheidend ist, Patienten mit potenziell lebensbedrohlichen Erkrankungen sofort zu erkennen und die richtigen diagnostischen und therapeutischen Masnahmen einzuleiten. Ein standardisiertes Vorgehen mit sorgfaltig erhobener Anamnese, korperlicher Untersuchung und einem Basislabor ist meist ausreichend, um die richtige Diagnose zu stellen. Der Therapiebeginn richtet sich nach der Behandlungsdringlichkeit. Ein Therapieansprechen in der Initialphase spricht fur die korrekte Erstdiagnose, bei einem Therapieversagen muss diese jedoch infrage gestellt werden.

Zusammenfassung: Ein 54-jähriger Mann stellte sich mit seit 6Wochen bestehender chronischer Diarrhö und einem Gewichtsverlust von 11kg nach Thailandaufenthalt vor. Es lag eine dem Patienten seit 9Jahren bekannte, bisher nicht behandelte und fortgeschrittene HIV-Erkrankung vor. Die Therapie einer im Verlauf diagnostizierten Shigellose und Strongyloidose führte zu keiner Symptombesserung. Nach Koloskopie wurde schließlich eine Zytomegalieviruskolitis diagnostiziert. Unter antiretroviraler Therapie und Therapie mit Valganciclovir kam es schnell zu einer Befundbesserung. Als weitere opportunistische Erkrankung wurde eine multiresistente pulmonale Tuberkulose nachgewiesen.

Zusammenfassung: Die Erstbeurteilung sowie die ersten Abklärungsschritte bei Patienten mit infektiösen Erkrankungen sind wegen der breiten Differenzialdiagnose anspruchsvoll. Der klinische Ersteindruck, die Anamneseerhebung, die gewissenhafte körperliche Untersuchung und das Routinelabor ermöglichen eine vorläufige Diagnose und Therapie. Leitbeschwerden engen die Differenzialdiagnose wesentlich ein. Bei lebensbedrohlichen Erkrankungen wie Sepsis, Endokarditis, bakterieller Meningitis oder schwerer Pneumonie müssen die ersten diagnostischen und therapeutischen Schritte rasch erfolgen: Nach Abnahme bakteriologischer Proben aus Blut, Liquor und/oder Sputum ist eine empirische Antibiotikatherapie rasch zu initiieren; das der Erkrankung mutmaßlich zugrunde liegende bakterielle Erregerspektrum muss dadurch abgedeckt sein. In weniger dringlichen Fällen lohnt sich ein Abklärungsverfahren in mehreren Schritten. In dieser Situation ist es wichtig, die mikrobiologische Diagnose abzuwarten, um eine erreger- und resistenzgerechte Antibiotikatherapie durchführen zu können. Atypische Verläufe müssen eine erneute Diagnostik auslösen, wobei die Diagnose kritisch zu beurteilen und neue Differenzialdiagnosen in Betracht zu ziehen sind

Die Anlage von intravasalen bzw. intraluminalen Kathetern ist ein haufig angewendetes Verfahren beim geriatrischen Patienten. Katheterassoziierte Infektionen zahlen zu den haufigsten nosokomial erworbenen Infektionen, die mit der Anlage intravasaler Gefaszugange, peritonealer Dialysezugange, perkutaner Ernahrungssonden und suprapubischer bzw. transurethraler Harnblasenkatheter einhergehen konnen. Eine wichtige Aufgabe fur Arzte und nichtarztliche Mitarbeiter ist die Vermeidung und deutliche Reduktion dieser Infektionen durch die Kenntnis des korrekten Umgangs mit Kathetern im hauslichen und stationaren Umfeld. Die angemessene Indikationsstellung, aseptische Arbeitsweise, Auswahl des richtigen Materials und optimale Nachsorge sowie die regelmasige Schulung des mit der Katheteranlage oder Nachsorge und Pflege betrauten Personals konnen die Inzidenz der katheterassoziierten Infektionen auf ein Minimum reduzieren. Auf diese Weise werden sowohl das individuelle Leid der Betroffenen als auch die Kosten fur das Gesundheitssystem minimiert.

Zusammenfassung: Eine 38-jährige nierentransplantierte Patientin stellte sich mit Fieber, Husten und Dyspnoe vor. Sie stand unter Immunsuppression mit Mycophenolat und Prednison. Aufgrund der Klinik wurde bei Nachweis pulmonaler Infiltrate die Diagnose einer ambulant erworbenen Pneumonie gestellt und eine antibiotische Therapie begonnen. Bei klinischer Verschlechterung musste die Patientin auf die Intensivstation verlegt werden. Trotz antibiotischer Therapie verbesserte sich der Zustand kaum. Im Verlauf wurde eine bronchoalveoläre Lavage durchgeführt, in der das Parainfluenza-1-Virus nachgewiesen werden konnte. Infektionen mit respiratorischen Viren können bei immunsupprimierten Patienten schwer verlaufen und gehen mit einer hohen Mortalität einher. Humane Parainfluenza-Viren sind die dritthäufigsten Erreger viraler Pneumonien. Molekulargenetische Nachweismethoden ermöglichen eine schnelle und sensitive Diagnostik an respiratorischen Materialien. Da die therapeutischen Möglichkeiten limitiert sind, kommt prophylaktischen Maßnahmen eine besondere Bedeutung zu

Katheterassoziierte Infektionen, die beispielsweise mit der Anlage intravasaler Gefaszugange, peritonealer Dialysezugange und suprapubischer oder transurethraler Harnblasenkatheter einhergehen konnen, gehoren zu den haufigsten nosokomial erworbenen Infektionen. Eine wichtige Aufgabe fur Arzte und nichtarztliche Mitarbeiter ist die Vermeidung und deutliche Reduktion derartiger Infektionen durch die Kenntnis des korrekten Umgangs mit harnableitenden und intravasalen Kathetern im hauslichen und stationaren Umfeld. Eine angemessene Indikationsstellung, aseptische Arbeitsweise, Auswahl des richtigen Materials und optimale Nachsorge sowie die regelmasige Schulung des mit der Katheteranlage oder Nachsorge und Pflege betrauten Personals konnen die Inzidenz der katheterassoziierten Infektionen auf ein Minimum reduzieren. Auf diese Weise werden sowohl das individuelle Leid der Betroffenen als auch die Kosten fur das Gesundheitssystem minimiert.

Background: The preparation, administration and monitoring of intravenous (IV) applications are time consuming and require human resources. We estimated the potential time and cost savings by replacing antibiotics given 3-4 times daily with antibiotics with similar spectrum and efficacy given once daily. Methods: The savings of indirect costs were estimated based on the antibiotic consumption data of a two-year period (i.e. 2007 and 2008), a nurse's mean workload per application and the average nurse's salary in Switzerland. Results: The consumption of IV antibiotics in 2007 and 2008 at the University Hospital of Basel was 29.0 and 32.2 defined daily doses (DDD) per 100 patient days, respectively. Nurses spent an estimated 13,786h on the application of the estimated 82,715 does of IV antibiotics. A total of 56,404 applications or nursing staff time costs of 338,436 Swiss Francs (CHF; 236,669 €), equal to 16% of the overall costs spent on purchasing antibiotics in the year 2008, may have been saved by switching multiple-dose antibiotics to a hypothetical once-daily antibiotic. Including disposable materials, 21% or 456,884 CHF (319,499 €) could be saved annually (purchase costs not taken into account). Conclusion: We found a potential cost saving of 21% of the purchase costs in a 750-bed institution. Hence, indirect costs should be included in the calculation of the total cost for the application of broad-spectrum IV antibiotics. Switching from a 3-4 times daily application to a once-daily antibiotic should be considered if a once-daily antibiotic is deemed equally effective and has a similar spectrum

A 42-year-old obese patient was admitted to our hospital due to dyspnoea and high fever. He was diagnosed with pneumonia, which progressed rapidly, so that he had to be transferred to the intensive care unit for mechanical ventilation. A/H1N1v-infection was diagnosed after no causative agent could be detected initially. The patient's condition improved under oseltamivir, which was administered over ten days.

Induction/consolidation chemotherapy and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for hematological malignancies are associated with treatment-related risks such as infections. The predominant types of infections are blood stream infections (BSIs) and respiratory tract infections. We prospectively compared infectious complications after induction/consolidation chemotherapy versus allogeneic HSCT in a directly comparable setting with both groups being hospitalized on the same ward. From July 2003 until June 2008, 492 hospitalizations of 321 patients took place; 237 chemotherapies and 255 HSCTs were performed. We observed 49 (20.7%) BSIs, 70 (29.5%) pneumonias and 11 (4.6%) probable or proven invasive mould infections in the chemotherapy group. In the HSCT group we detected 70 (27.5%) BSIs, 71 (27.8%) pneumonias and 14 (5.4%) probable or proven invasive mould infections. There was a trend toward more transfers to the intensive care unit (OR 1.61; 95%CI 0.95-2.72; P=0.074) and BSIs (OR 1.45; 95%CI 0.95-2.22; P=0.079) after HSCT; 44 (13.7%) patients died. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in the HSCT group (OR 2.39; 95%CI 1.22-4.68; P=0.010). We conclude that the risk of pneumonia and invasive mould infection is comparable after induction/consolidation chemotherapy and allogeneic HSCT. However, there was a trend for more BSIs and intensive care unit stays and a higher mortality in the latter.

The skin has several physical, chemical and immunological properties which help to protect the internal organs. In addition, there is a physiological colonisation of commensal microbes which help to suppress the expansion of pathogenic germs on the skin. Genetic or acquired immunodeficiency will have an impact to these factors. Drug induced immunodeficiency is common in organ transplanted patients with the aim to prevent organ rejection. HIV infection most commonly leads without therapy to marked immune suppression. Such patients with prolonged immunodeficiency often develop atypical manifestation of mucocutaneous infections. Therefore such patients should be biopsied liberally and besides the conventional histology a part of the biopsied tissue should be used for microbiological cultures. In addition to acute infections of the skin, long-term effects of oncogenic viruses have to be taken in account which can lead to epithelial cancers (HPV), Kaposi sarcomas (HHV8) and lymphomas (EBV). There are mucocutaneous markers for immunosuppression such as oral hairy leukoplakia, which are commonly seen in AIDS patients but may also be observed in otherwise chronically immune suppressed patients. This work gives an overview to the pathophysiology of skin protection and describes typical mucocutaneous infections in immune suppressed patients.

Ein 79-jahriger Patient mit kurativ behandeltem Lungenkarzinom wurde wegen Fieber, Atemnot und Husten zugewiesen. Eine Antibiotikatherapie zur Pneumoniebehandlung brachte keine Besserung, und radiologisch war die Pneumonie progredient. Ein Erreger konnte nicht gefunden werden. Erst unter einer Steroidtherapie bei vermuteter kryptogener Pneumonitis normalisierten sich die Entzundungszeichen und die Symptomatik war rucklaufig. Nach 3-wochiger Kultivierung konnten im Eintrittssputum Mycobacterium avium Complex (MAC) gefunden und eine MAC-Pneumonie diagnostiziert werden.

Zusammenfassung: Pneumonien gehören zu den häufigeren Diagnosen in der Hausarztpraxis und im Spital. Bei der ambulant erworbenen Pneumonie weisen die vertiefte Anamnese bei einem Patienten mit akutem Husten und zusätzlichem fokalen klinischen Lungenbefund, Fieber über mehr als 4Tage sowie Dys- und Tachypnoe auf diese Diagnose hin. Ein wichtiger Entscheid ist, ob ein Patient hospitalisiert werden soll oder nicht. Hierzu erfolgt die Risikoeinschätzung gemäß verschiedener Scores, die den Schweregrad einer Pneumonie einstufen. Im ambulanten Bereich muss a priori keine Erregerdiagnostik durchgeführt werden, wobei bei einem purulenten Sputum die Wertigkeit der Gramfärbung für verschiedene Erreger, vor allem S. pneumoniae, hoch ist. In speziellen Situationen kann der Urinantigentest für Pneumokokken eine zusätzliche diagnostische Hilfe bieten. Wichtig für eine meist empirische Therapie ist die Berücksichtigung des Alters des Patienten, die Epidemiologie hinsichtlich Resistenzmuster sowie das Wissen über die häufigsten Erreger

Background Temporary increases in plasma HIV RNA ('blips') are common in HIV patients on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Blips above 500 copies/mL have been associated with subsequent viral rebound. It is not clear if this relationship still holds when measurements are made using newer more sensitive assays. Methods We selected antiretroviral-naive patients that then recorded one or more episodes of viral suppression on cART with HIV RNA measurements made using more sensitive assays (lower limit of detection below 50 copies/ml). We estimated the association in these episodes between blip magnitude and the time to viral rebound. Results Four thousand ninety-four patients recorded a first episode of viral suppression on cART using more sensitive assays; 1672 patients recorded at least one subsequent suppression episode. Most suppression episodes (87 %) were recorded with TaqMan version 1 or 2 assays. Of the 2035 blips recorded, 84 %, 12 % and 4 % were of low (50–199 copies/mL), medium (200–499 copies/mL) and high (500–999 copies/mL) magnitude respectively. The risk of viral rebound increased as blip magnitude increased with hazard ratios of 1.20 (95 % CI 0.89-1.61), 1.42 (95 % CI 0.96-2.19) and 1.93 (95 % CI 1.24-3.01) for low, medium and high magnitude blips respectively; an increase of hazard ratio 1.09 (95 % CI 1.03 to 1.15) per 100 copies/mL of HIV RNA. Conclusions With the more sensitive assays now commonly used for monitoring patients, blips above 200 copies/mL are increasingly likely to lead to viral rebound and should prompt a discussion about adherence. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-015-1120-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Zusammenfassung: Viele präventive Maßnahmen bei gesunden Erwachsenen werden in zunehmendem Maße durch Evidenz gestützt oder verworfen. Dabei sind v.a. die Beratung bezüglich Tabakabstinenz, indizierte Impfungen und das Screening in Bezug auf Übergewicht, hohen Blutdruck, Hyperlipidämie, Zervixkarzinom, kolorektales Karzinom und Mammakarzinom bewiesenermaßen wichtig und sinnvoll. Nicht empfohlen wird ein Screening für Bronchial-, Pankreas- und Ovarialkarzinom. Ein Screening für Diabetes mellitus beim jüngeren Erwachsenen, Schilddrüsenerkrankungen und Prostatakarzinom wird nicht routinemäßig empfohlen, sollte aber je nach persönlichem Risikoprofil im Sinne eines sog. "Case findings" erwogen werden. Aus ärztlicher Sicht ist es auch wichtig, auf mögliche nicht deklarierte Beweggründe für eine Check-up-Untersuchung einzugehen, um so mögliche "Hidden Agendas" der Konsultationen aufzudecken

Data on genotypic and phenotypic resistance testing of HIV-1 in the routine clinical setting are lacking. In a retrospective single-center study, all patients (n = 102) for whom genotypic resistance typing (GRT) and phenotypic resistance typing (PRT) were performed during the calendar year 2002 were examined. GRT and PRT results were concordant for 79% of the drugs, being highest for nevirapine (92%) and lowest for didanosine (57%). Concordance of results for protease inhibitors was lowest for lopinavir (78%) and highest for indinavir (88%). Discordant results for lamivudine were observed in 16% of patients; 90% of these results corresponded to high-level resistance by PRT and susceptibility by GRT. Overall, HIV loads were lower and CD4+ cell counts higher after therapy following resistance testing, but a significant association with the number of active drugs as predicted by GRT or PRT could not be identified. In a subgroup of 43 patients with virological failure under antiretroviral therapy and sufficient follow-up data, HIV loads were significantly lower after 3 and 6 months. More patients with HIV loads

Schwere Pilzinfektionen treten in den letzten Jahren beispielsweise aufgrund der besseren und intensiveren Therapie von Malignomen oder auch nach Transplantationen vermehrt auf. Dabei stehen die Candidainfektion und die invasive Aspergillose im Vordergrund. Beide Pilzinfektionen, die in der Vergangenheit eine schlechte Prognose hatten, konnen durch neuere Substanzen wie Lipidformulierungen von Amphotericin B, mit Triazolen wie Fluconazol und Voriconazol sowie mit Echinocandinen wie Caspofungin deutlich besser behandelt werden. Entsprechend hat sich die Prognose dieser Infektionen verbessert. Gerade bei passagerer, schwerer Immunsuppression, z. B. bei stammzelltransplantierten Patienten infolge akuter Leukamie, verbessert sich damit auch die Prognose der Grundkrankheit entscheidend. Die Diagnose von schweren Pilzinfektionen ist aufgrund der haufig fehlenden klinischen Zeichen schwierig. Deshalb muss je nach Grundkrankheit und klinischer Situation eine empirische Therapie begonnen werden. Dies ist insbesondere bei uber 3–7 Tage dauernder Neutropenie zu beachten. Fur den Internisten ist aufgrund der praktisch immer vorhandenen Grundkrankheit und der Schwere der Pilzinfektion sowie der Toxizitat der Substanzen die Einbeziehung eines Spezialisten empfehlenswert.

In order to determine the impact that highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has on inpatients with HIV infection, HIV-infected patients hospitalized from 1994 to 1999 at the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Basel, Switzerland, were investigated. During the observation period, 578 HIV-related hospitalizations occurred, and 502 charts from 262 different patients were available for evaluation. Analyses showed significant reductions in hospital mortality (from 13.2% to 6.5%) and length of stay for HIV-related admissions (from 16 to 11 days) in the post-HAART period, and the percentage of AIDS-related admissions decreased from 54.5% to 47.6%. However, the admission of HIV-infected patients to the intensive care unit increased from 6.3% to 11.8%, which could indicate that treating physicians have greater confidence in the outcome of HIV-infected patients due to better therapeutic options. Since the advent of HAART, the yearly number of admissions related to HIV dropped by 49% and HAART was administered often during hospital stay. By the end of the study period, death due to multiple HIV-associated diseases and wasting had disappeared.

The objective of this study was to investigate the spectrum and frequency of rare AIDS-defining diseases in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study. AIDS-defining diseases contributing less than 1% to the absolute number of all recorded AIDS-defining diseases in at least one of five periods (1988-1990, 1991-1992, 1993-1994, 1995-1996, 1997) were defined as being rare. A total of 9110 HIV-infected subjects were included in this study. Over the entire 9-year period, the following rare diseases were diagnosed: progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (n = 138), disseminated cryptococcosis (n = 67), visceral herpes simplex disease (n = 66), primary cerebral lymphoma (n = 65), indeterminate cerebral lesion (n = 50), cryptococcal meningitis (n = 34), Mycobacterium kansasii disease (n = 32), recurrent Salmonella septicemia (n = 22), intestinal isosporiasis (n = 21), candidiasis of the trachea, bronchi and lungs (n = 19), toxoplasma retinitis (n = 16), disseminated toxoplasmosis (n = 8), invasive cervical carcinoma (n = 8), extrapulmonary Pneumocystis disease (n = 5), disseminated histoplasmosis (n = 1) and disseminated coccidioidomycosis (n = 1). Rare diseases accounted for 7.3% of all AIDS-defining diseases over the entire 9-year period. Physicians should be aware of the likelihood of a broad spectrum of AIDS-defining diseases in HIV-infected patients.

Most hemophiliacs who are coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) have high serum levels of HCV RNA. To study the impact of multiple hepatitis virus infections, we evaluated all eight chronic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) from a previously studied cohort of 99 hemophiliacs with chronic HIV and HCV infections. Stored serum or plasma samples were tested for antibody to hepatitis D virus (anti-HDV) by ELISA; qualitatively for HCV RNA, HBV DNA, and HDV RNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR); and quantitively for HIV RNA, HCV RNA, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA by a quantitative branched DNA signal amplification assay. HCV RNA was detected in only one of five patients with HDV infections on a cross-sectional study, and this individual had low levels (3.5 x 10(5) genome eq/ml) of HCV RNA. In contrast, all three without HDV infections had high levels (1.5 x 10(7) genome eq/ml) of HCV RNA. HIV RNA was present in all eight patients. There was no correlation between the level of HIV RNA and the presence of hepatitis viruses. Three of the eight patients (38%) died of liver failure and another has hypersplenism with hypoprothrombinemia. We conclude that HDV infection appears to suppress HCV replication and that liver failure is common in adult HIV-infected hemophiliacs with chronic HCV and HBV infections. These findings have implications for the therapy of HCV-infected hemophiliacs who are HBsAg positive.

We studied 28 patients with chronic delta hepatitis for the presence of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) RNA in serum. The hot start polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, in which the reaction begins at 60-80 degrees C, showed a higher sensitivity than conventional PCR reaction. Additionally, the presence of hepatitis B (HBV) and C virus (HCV) infections were determined by PCR. HDV RNA was detected in 26 patients (93%), HBV DNA in 22 (79%), and HCV RNA in only one. Detection of HDV RNA correlated very well with detection of hepatitis delta antigen by immunostaining in the liver. In six patients HDV RNA was detectable despite the absence of HBV DNA in serum, suggesting that high levels of HBV are not required for HDV replication. Of 29 control patients with chronic hepatitis B without antibody to HDV, none had detectable HDV RNA, while all had HBV DNA in serum. Detection of HDV RNA with PCR proved highly sensitive and specific, demonstrating that virtually all patients with chronic HDV infection had ongoing viral replication.