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Carmen Quereda

Publications and source records attributed to Carmen Quereda.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Different cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B genotype distribution in serum and cerebrospinal fluid specimens determined by a novel multiplex nested PCR.

A novel and highly sensitive multiplex nested PCR assay has been developed for the simultaneous glycoprotein B (gB) typing of four gB genotypes of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) directly from clinical specimens. Specifically, a pair of primers to conserved regions of all gB genotypes within the gB gene (gB and gpUL55) was used for primary amplification. A mixture of nested primers to specific and conserved regions of each gB genotype was used for a secondary PCR amplification, yielding amplicons of different sizes for each gB genotype that could easily be differentiated by agarose gel electrophoresis. A total of 40 of 44 serum specimens and 26 of 26 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples, which had previously tested positive for CMV in 66 of 70 AIDS patients with different CMV disease conditions, were gB genotyped by this novel assay. Significant differences in glycoprotein B genotype distribution between serum and CSF specimens were found (P = 0.001). gB genotype 3 (gB3) and gB2 were the most prevalent genotypes in sera (42.5%) and CSF (38.5%), respectively. A different distribution was also observed when only patients with CMV retinitis were studied (P = 0.005), suggesting a gB2 neuron tropism. Neither CMV disease nor any particular clinical manifestation of CMV disease was associated with gB genotypes (P > 0.05). A high incidence of mixed infection with the gB1 and gB3 genotypes (27.5%) was detected in serum specimens, indicating that reinfection and reactivation are common traits in advanced AIDS patients.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Prognosis and clinical evaluation of infection caused by Rhodococcus equi in HIV-infected patients: a multicenter study of 67 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical characteristics and the factors that influenced the prognosis of patients with HIV and infection caused by Rhodococcus equi. DESIGN: Observational, multicenter study in 29 Spanish general hospitals. SETTING: These hospitals comprised a total of 20,250 beds for acute patients and served a population of 9,716,880 inhabitants. PATIENTS: All patients with HIV and diagnosed R equi infection until September 1998. RESULTS: During the study period, 19,374 cases of AIDS were diagnosed. Sixty-seven patients were included (55 male patients; mean +/- SD age, 31.7 +/- 5.8 years). At the time of diagnosis of R equi infection, the mean CD4+ lymphocyte count was 35/ micro L (range, 1 to 183/ micro L) and the stage of HIV infection was A3 in 10.4% of patients, B3 in 31.3%, C3 in 56.7%, and unknown in 1.5%. R equi was most commonly isolated in sputum (52.2%), blood cultures (50.7%), and samples from bronchoscopy (31.3%). Chest radiographic findings were abnormal in 65 patients (97%). Infiltrates were observed in all of them, with cavitations in 45 patients. The most active antibiotics against the strains isolated were vancomycin, amikacin, rifampicin, imipenem, ciprofloxacin, and erythromycin. After a mean follow-up of 10.7 +/- 12.8 months, 23 patients (34.3%) died due to causes related to R equi infection and 6 other patients showed evidence of progression of the infection. The absence of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was independently associated with mortality related to R equi infection (relative risk, 53.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.7 to 1,699). Survival of patients treated with HAART was much higher than that of patients who did not receive this therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Infection by R equi is an infrequent, opportunistic complication of HIV infection and occurs during advanced stages of immunodepression. In these patients, it leads to a severe illness that usually causes a bacteremic, cavitary pneumonia, although HAART can improve the prognosis.

Actinomycetales Infections↗

Risk factors for development of tuberculosis after isoniazid chemoprophylaxis in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.

The long-term benefit of isoniazid chemoprophylaxis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients and risk factors for isoniazid failure were studied in 131 HIV-infected patients who received >9 months of isoniazid preventive therapy. During a median follow-up of 43 months, 8 patients developed tuberculosis (TB) (6%; 0.61 cases per 100 patient-years). Only the persistence of risk factors for exposure to TB was statistically associated with development of disease (relative hazard, 3.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.56-17; P<.001). Our data suggest reinfection as the main cause of TB after isoniazid prophylaxis.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

[Prevalences of hepatitis virus coinfection and indications for chronic hepatitis C virus treatment and liver transplantation in Spanish HIV-infected patients. The GESIDA 29/02 and FIPSE 12185/01 Multicenter Study].

INTRODUCTION: The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of HIV and hepatitis virus coinfection in the Spanish population and to determine the percentage of patients who are candidates for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment and liver transplantation within this population. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in 2002 in two Spanish populations of HIV-infected patients: 1,260 patients from 39 centers throughout Spain (P1) and 1,560 patients from three tertiary teaching hospitals in Madrid (P2). RESULTS: The following hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HCV serological prevalence were found in the P1 and P2 groups, respectively: HAV-IgG antibodies: 74% and 78%; HBsAg1: 4.9% and 4.8%; HBsAg-, anti-HBc1, anti-HBs1: 39% and 39%; HBsAg-, anti-HBc1, anti-HBs-: 25% and 31%; HBsAg-, anti-HBc-, anti-HBs1: 7% and 8%; HBsAg-, anti-HBc-, anti-HBs-: 22% and 16%. Anti-HCV1: 61% and 65%, respectively. Of the patients with positive HCV serology, 88.8% and 84.6% of each group were positive for HCV-RNA by polymerase chain reaction. Multiple coinfections with hepatitis viruses were found in 3.2% and 2.8%, respectively; of these, 70% and 78% had coinfection with HBV, HCV and HDV. Liver cirrhosis was found in 5.8% and 9.6% of the patients coinfected with HIV and HCV, respectively. Liver transplant was indicated in approximately one out of every six coinfected patients with liver cirrhosis. The 43 and 37% of the HCV coinfected patients were good candidates for anti-HCV treatment, but only 14% and 15% of patients had initiated it. CONCLUSIONS: A high percentage of HIV-infected patients in Spain were coinfected with hepatitis viruses, especially HCV. The number of possible candidates for liver transplantation is rising and could increase in the next few years. In the future, greater efforts to treat HIV-and hepatitis virus-coinfected patients will be required.

Adult↗

[GESIDA/GESITRA-SEIMC, PNS and ONT consensus document on solid organ transplant (SOT) in HIV-infected patients in Spain (March, 2005)].

Solid organ transplant may be the only therapeutic alternative in some HIV-infected patients. Experience in North America and Europe during the last five years shows that survival at three years after an organ transplant is similar to that observed in HIV-negative patients. The criteria agreed upon to select HIV patients for transplant are: no opportunistic infections (except tuberculosis, oesophageal candidiasis or P. jiroveci -previously carinii- pneumonia), CD4 lymphocyte count above 200 cells/.L (100 cells/.L in the case of liver transplant) and an HIV viral load which is undetectable or suppressible with antiretroviral therapy. Another criterion is a two-year abstinence from heroin and cocaine, although the patient may be in a methadone programme. The main problems in the post-transplant period are pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions between antiretorivirals and immunosuppressors, rejection and the management of relapse of HCV infection, which is one of the main causes of post-liver transplant mortality. Up to now, experience with pegylated interferon and ribavirin is scarce in this population. The English version of the manuscript is available at http://www.gesidaseimc.com.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Higher virological effectiveness of NNRTI-based antiretroviral regimens containing nevirapine or efavirenz compared to a triple NRTI regimen as initial therapy in HIV-1-infected adults.

PURPOSE: To compare outcomes of nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) nevirapine or efavirenz versus abacavir-based regimens with a backbone of zidovudine and lamivudine as initial therapy of treatment-naive adults with HIV-1 infection in routine clinical care. METHOD: All patients starting their first antiretroviral therapy with any of the studied regimens from January 1999 to December 2002 were included in the analysis. Rates of viral suppression (HIV-RNA below 50 copies/mL) and discontinuation of any component of the regimen were compared at 48 weeks. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients started with one of the two NNRTI-based regimens and 49 started with the triple nucleoside regimen (3-NRTI). After 48 weeks, more patients in the NNRTI regimens (76.5%) than in the 3-NRTI (51.1%) regimen achieved a HIV-1 RNA level below the limit of detection (<1.7 log10 copies/mL; p = .008). Time to change the antiretroviral regimen was shorter with 3-NRTI (median [range]: 234 [139-329] days) than with NNRTI (346 [0-756] days) (p = .0901). More withdrawals related to drug toxicity or intolerance occurred with the 3-NRTI-based regimen. CONCLUSION: In a routine clinical care setting, initial antiretroviral treatment with an NNRTI (nevirapine or efavirenz) plus zidovudine and lamivudine was virologically superior and safer than a 3-NRTI therapy (abacavir with the same NRTI backbone).

Adult↗

Management of chronic viral hepatitis in HIV-infected patients: Spanish Consensus Conference. October 2000.

Co-infection by human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B and C viruses is quite common because they share similar routes of transmission. The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy has significantly improved the life expectancy of HIV-infected patients in the last few years. However, chronic viral hepatitis represents an emerging cause of morbidity and mortality in this population, either as a result of end-stage liver disease or as a consequence of hepatotoxicity induced by antiretroviral drugs. The main goal of the Consensus Conference was to establish specific recommendations for the management of chronic viral hepatitis B and C in HIV-infected patients. The role of orthotopic liver transplantation for co-infected individuals with end-stage liver disease was also assessed.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Differences in durability of treatment with initial PI-based regimens.

The durability of virologic response to antiretroviral therapy is dependent on the potency, tolerability, and adherence level of the regimen. In a prospective, nonrandomized cohort study, we compared the treatment outcome of a nelfinavir-based highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimen with that of an indinavir-based regimen, over 1 year of routine clinical practice. Information was derived from 134 treatment-naïve HIV-1-infected patients initiated on triple therapy with either nelfinavir (n = 44) or indinavir (n = 90). The proportions of patients achieving a virological response were similar between treatment groups (>1 log(10) reduction in HIV RNA at 3 months in 95% of patients taking nelfinavir and 88% taking indinavir; HIV RNA <50 copies/mL after 1 year in 79% and 69% of patients, respectively). Predicting factors for 1-year virological suppression were initial virological response (p =.02) and adherence >90% (p =.0001). Over 90% adherence was achieved in 70% of patients taking nelfinavir compared with 41% of those taking indinavir (p =.01). The probability of remaining on the initial protease inhibitor (PI) after 12 months was 77% in the nelfinavir group and 66% in the indinavir group, with the median time to changing treatment being 519 days and 462 days, respectively. Gastric intolerance and nephritic colic were the most common reasons for changing therapy in the indinavir group. In the clinical setting, HAART based on initial nelfinavir and indinavir therapy was associated with similarly good virological and immunological suppression at 1 year, however, nelfinavir-based treatment was associated with a longer durability, probably due to a better adherence and tolerance pattern.

Adult↗