PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Francesco Chiodo

Publications and source records attributed to Francesco Chiodo.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Hodgkin's disease in the setting of human immunodeficiency virus infection.

The incidence of Hodgkin's disease appears to progressively increase in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, with the relative risk of developing this malignancy rising from the early phase to the advanced stage of HIV disease. Clinical and pathological features of Hodgkin's lymphoma in HIV-positive subjects differ from those of the general population, showing a higher frequency of unfavourable histological subtypes, advanced stage with frequent extranodal involvement at initial diagnosis, and a poor therapeutic outcome. The optimal therapeutic strategy is still controversial, and median overall survival is short, ranging from 12 to 18 months. In this report cases of Hodgkin's disease are described among over 1,000 HIV-infected patients referring to a tertiary care centre during a 6 y study period.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Prospective comparison of first-line nelfinavir therapy versus nelfinavir introduction in rescue antiretroviral regimens.

In order to establish the role of the protease inhibitor nelfinavir in current clinical practice, a prospective 18-month open-label comparison of efficacy and tolerability of nelfinavir was performed among HIV-infected patients who either incorporated nelfinavir in their first-line highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimen (group A, 57 patients), or who added nelfinavir to a rescue antiretroviral regimen (following at least two attempts with protease inhibitor-based HAART) (group B, 67 patients). All evaluable data were analyzed according to the prior and concurrent antiretroviral therapy, including genotypic resistance assays for patients undergoing salvage therapy. A significantly better virologic outcome (as expressed by a > 2 log(10) drop of plasma viremia versus baseline or attainment of undetectable levels), was shown among patients belonging to group A versus group B, where a number of genotypic mutations possibly elicited by previous anti-HIV treatment strongly impaired a potent and sustained nelfinavir activity. On the whole, the immunologic response (as expressed by the mean CD4(+) lymphocyte count versus baseline), substantially paralleled the virologic one in all analyzed subgroups, but a tendency toward a maintained immunologic competence was also observed in the majority of patients experiencing virologic failure. Nelfinavir introduction was sufficiently safe, because a limited percentage of patients suffered from mild-to-moderate, novel, or continuing adverse events, which proved significantly more frequent in the salvage group but did not affect adherence to HAART.

Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active↗
PubMed2003

Ampicillin, gentamicin and teicoplanin as antimicrobial therapy for recurrent Streptococcus agalactiae and Enterococcus faecalis endocarditis in an intravenous drug abuser with HIV infection.

Infective endocarditis associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection occurs almost exclusively in intravenous (i.v.) drug users and usually involves the tricuspid valve, with an increased mortality rate among patients with a severe degree of immunosuppression. The first reported case of recurrent tricuspid endocarditis sustained by Streptococcus agalactiae and Enterococcus faecalis in an i.v. drug addict during HIV infection is presented. Antimicrobial therapy with i.v. ampicillin, gentamicin and teicoplanin led to complete clinical and echocardiographical recovery.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Systemic and discoid lupus erythematosus in HIV-infected patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Although HIV infection is often associated with several rheumatic diseases, the coexistence of this retroviral infection and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is extremely uncommon. Generally, HIV-related immunosuppression improves SLE symptoms, and antiretroviral therapy may lead to an autoimmune disease flare subsequent to the increase of circulating CD4+ cell number. Two HIV-infected female patients with SLE and discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) diagnosed a few months after the highly active antiretroviral therapy initiation, are described. To our knowledge, this is the second case of DLE and the twenty-seventh case of SLE reported to date in association with HIV infection.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Multiple opportunistic AIDS-associated disorders strictly related to immunodeficiency levels, in a girl with congenital HIV infection.

A 16-year-old girl with vertical HIV disease treated since birth suffered from six different AIDS-defining disorders until now. Even during the highly active antiretroviral therapy, multiple AIDS-related opportunistic infections may complicate the course of long-term congenital HIV disease, showing a strict relationship with immunological deterioration, which occurs shortly after virologic failure, due to an extensive genotypic resistance to all available antiretroviral compounds.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2003

Concurrent infectious mononucleosis and measles: a potentially life-threatening association sharing underlying immunodeficiency.

We report lethal interstitial pneumonia in an 18-year-old young man with measles infection following recent infectious mononucleosis. We speculate that the documented T cell immune impairment caused by the concurrent Epstein-Barr and measles viral infections (as expressed by a proportionately low CD4+ lymphocyte count) was responsible for the complicated clinical course and unfavorable outcome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Multiple AIDS-related malignancies just in the era of potent antiretroviral therapy. A rare but intriguing finding.

Two exceedingly rare cases of dual AIDS-associated neoplasms (Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma), occurring in a short time as AIDS-defining diseases of two HIV-infected patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) are reported and discussed in light of evidence from the available literature. A slowly progressive increase in neoplastic complications following the introduction of HAART and the consequent decline of opportunistic infections such as the main AIDS-related disorders has been observed, and combined cancer diseases may be expected in the next few years, due to the persistent dysregulation of the immune system, or a possible involvement of oncoviruses and HIV itself in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated cancer.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2003

[Brain cysticercosis: review and case report].

After thorough biological, epidemiological and clinical analysis as well as diagnosis and therapy of neurocysticercosis, the Authors describe a case they have encountered. Given the increase in the emigration rate from developing countries, the epidemiological nature of this case indicates that brain parasitosis due to helminths requires more attention. As seen in the last 20 years in the United States, these pathologies might increase significantly in Italy in the near future.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Epidemiology and microbiology of cellulitis and bacterial soft tissue infection during HIV disease: a 10-year survey.

BACKGROUND: Cellulitis and soft tissue infection are underestimated complications of HIV disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-seven bacteriologically proven consecutive episodes were identified among 2221 HIV-infected patients hospitalized in a 10-year period, and assessed according to several epidemiological, microbiological and clinical variables. RESULTS: Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently cultured pathogen (50% of 92 isolates), followed by Pseudomonas spp., Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pyogenes; a polymicrobial infection was present in 38.1% of episodes. Drug addiction (p < 0.003) and male gender (p < 0.04) were significantly associated with the occurrence of these complications, which were community-acquired in 83.6% of cases. While a remarkable variation in the severity of underlying immunodeficiency was shown, hematogenous dissemination occurred in 25.4% of episodes, and proved significantly related to a low CD4+ lymphocyte count, and neutropenia. A 21.7% methicillin-resistance rate was shown among S. aureus isolates. All episodes were favorably treated in 5-16 days, in over 60% of cases with associated beta-lactam-aminglycoside antibiotics; a recurrence of staphylococcal cellulitis occurred in four patients only. CONCLUSION: Skin and soft tissue infections are continuing causes of morbidity in HIV-infected patients, even in the highly active antiretroviral therapy era.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2002

A prospective comparison of the two main indications of efavirenz in 2001 highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens: first-line versus salvage use.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of efavirenz introduction in first-line HAART compared with salvage multidrug regimens. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective 15 month comparison of 107 consecutive HIV-infected patients starting efavirenz, according to laboratory and clinical outcome of first-line versus rescue drug use, therapeutic history and association of selected antimicrobial agents: naive patients were compared with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)-experienced patients in the first group, and patients in the second group who had one or more NRTI changed when starting a rescue treatment containing one or more novel protease inhibitors (PIs) were compared with those who did not. RESULTS: Efavirenz was administered with one or more novel NRTIs to 55 patients (27 antiretroviral-naive and 28 patients experienced with NRTIs only), compared with 52 patients who needed a multidrug salvage regimen after two or more failures of a 15-40 month PI-containing regimen. In an intention-to-treat analysis, con-sidering early interruption or an unsatisfactory virological course as a failure, only one patient on salvage therapy completed a favourable 15 month follow-up, compared with 31 patients experiencing first-line efavirenz-based HAART (P < 0.0001). The immunological response was less affected in both intensity and duration in patients undergoing rescue therapy. While no significant outcome difference was detected in the first group between naive and NRTI-experienced patients, among the salvage subjects the change of one or more NRTIs seemed to significantly improve virological and immunological outcome. Viral genotyping detected at least the K103N mutation in 41% of the 78 evaluable patients, despite lack of exposure to efavirenz and related compounds. Salvage patients had a significantly greater frequency of non-nucleoside RTI (NNRTI) resistance compared with the first-line group (P < 0.0001), in proportion to the extent of mutations affecting other drug classes (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: An efavirenz-based initial triple drug HAART proved significantly more effective than efavirenz adjunct to a rescue treatment performed after repeated failures of PI-based regimens. The unsatisfactory response of the salvage group was probably due to diffuse cross-resistance descending from previous therapy, even when NNRTIs were never administered.

Alkynes↗
PubMed2002

Dual Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans fungaemia in an AIDS presenter: a unique disease association in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era.

A case report of a patient who discovered his HIV infection concurrently with an advanced immunodeficiency and a dual Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans fungaemia is discussed with reference to the changing epidemiology and clinical features of HIV infection and AIDS in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era. The tendency to develop multiple concomitant AIDS-defining illnesses at the time of first hospitalisation seems to be an increasing feature in patients who remain unaware of or neglect their HIV disease and who are still at risk of opportunist infections even with the availability of HAART.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2002

A life-long antiretroviral treatment of congenital HIV disease, associated with a mixed fat redistribution syndrome and osteopenia already occurred during pre-pubertal age.

An extraordinarily rare case report of mixed fat redistribution syndrome associated with osteopenia but not with relevant metabolic abnormalities is documented in a prepubertal child with congenital HIV infection treated with antiretroviral therapy since the age of six months, up to the present age of 12 years and two months. The possible relationship with prior and present antiretroviral treatment, and with the most recent literature evidences published in both adults and children with HIV disease are discussed, in order to focus these emerging adverse effects of long-term antiretroviral therapy in the paediatric population, and stimulate further investigation in this field.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

[Systemic lupus erythematosus and HIV infection. A case report and review of the literature].

Although HIV infection is often associated with several rheumatic diseases, the coexistence of this retroviral infection and systemic lupus erythematous is extremely uncommon. Etiopathogenetic relationship between these disorders is very complex and still problematic, so that diagnostic workout, because of their extensive clinical and serological overlap. Generally, HIV-related immunosuppression improves lupus-associated symptoms, and antiretroviral therapy may lead to an autoimmune disease flare, subsequent to the increase of circulating CD4+ cell number. A HIV-infected female patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, occurred few months after the highly active anti-retroviral therapy initiation, is described.

Adult↗