Neurological complications in AIDS patients: the 1-year retrospective study in Chiang Mai University, Thailand

The first case of AIDS patient in the northern part of Thailand was reported in 1987 (Vithayasai et al., 1996), marking the outbreak of an epidemic. In our experience, the neurological involvement in AIDS patients seems to have changed in pattern and incidence during the last 8 years. We have conducted a retrospective study to review the incidence of AIDS-defining diseases in the patients admitted to Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand during the period September 2001 to August 2002. There were 155 AIDS patients admitted during this specified period, 118 of which were male and 37 female, aged between 16 and 60. The incidence of neurological complications was 50.3 per 100 person-years, in which central nervous system involvement account for 46.5 per 100 person-years and peripheral nervous system involvement account for 3.8 per 100 person-years. The incidence of cryptococcal meningitis appeared to be decreasing since 1994 whereas the incidence of cerebral toxoplasmosis appeared to be increasing. The incidence of cryptococcal meningitis, cerebral toxoplasmosis and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection was 18.0, 14.8 and 7.0 per 100 person-years, respectively. Other common non-neurological AIDS-defining illnesses in northern Thailand include pulmonary tuberculosis (15.4 per 100 person-years), extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (9.6 per 100 person-years), and disseminated penicilliosis (12.2 per 100 person-years). In this way and summarizing, in northern Thailand, the three most common neurological involvements before the era of highly active anti-retroviral therapy are cryptococcal meningitis, cerebral toxoplasmosis and CMV infection. The incidence of cryptococcal meningitis appeared to be decreasing whereas the incidence of cerebral toxoplasmosis seemed to be increasing.     

鞘内注射两性霉素B治疗隐球菌性脑膜炎的临床观察

目的观察鞘内注射两性霉素B（amphotericin B，AMB）治疗隐球菌性脑膜炎的疗效和不良反应。方法回顾性分析1995-2006年作者医院治疗的8例隐球菌性脑膜炎患者的临床资料，8例患者均采用同时鞘内注射和静脉注射AMB并联合应用氟康唑或氟胞嘧啶治疗。结果痊愈4例，好转3例，死亡1例；鞘内注射后均有头疼、恶心呕吐及下肢麻痛等症状，并出现短暂性双下肢截瘫2例，尿潴留1例，意识障碍2例。结论反复行腰穿放脑脊液控制颅压并联合鞘内注射AMB治疗隐球菌性脑膜炎疗效肯定，但患者有不同程度不良反应。     

结缔组织病合并隐球菌脑膜炎的临床特点

目的：分析结缔组织病(connective tissue disease,CTD)合并隐球菌脑膜炎的临床特点及预后。方法：回顾 分析2000年1月至2017年1月期间中南大学湘雅医院风湿免疫科诊断的18例CTD合并隐球菌脑膜炎患者的临床资料。 结果：CTD合并隐球菌脑膜炎患者的常见症状为头痛、发热、恶心、呕吐,出现抽搐、意识障碍等严重临床表现的 患者均死亡。Logistic回归分析表明出现意识障碍、外周血淋巴细胞计数下降是造成CTD合并隐脑预后不良的相关因 素(P<0.05)。CTD合并隐球菌脑膜炎的病死率为61.11%,治疗有效率为38.89%。结论：CTD合并隐球菌脑膜炎患者死 亡风险高。出现意识障碍、外周血淋巴细胞计数降低与疾病预后不良相关。     

Toll样受体基因多态性与福建籍非人类免疫缺陷病毒相关隐球菌性脑膜炎易感性的关联分析

目的:探讨Toll样受体(Toll-like receptor,TLR)基因多态性与福建籍非人类免疫缺陷病毒(human immunodeficiency virus,HIV)相关隐球菌性脑膜炎易感性的关联。方法:纳入2016年10月至2019年4月在上海市复旦大学附属华山医院和福建省福州市联勤保障部队第九〇〇医院仓山院区住院治疗的101例福建籍非HIV相关隐球菌性脑膜炎患者为病例组,270名福建籍门诊健康体格检查者为健康对照组。提取患者基因组DNA,采用多重SNaPshot单核苷酸多态性(single nucleotide polymorphism,SNP)分型技术,对既往文献报道的与疾病相关但未得到充分验证的8个TLR SNP位点进行基因分型。分别比较病例组和健康对照组、无易感因素患者组和健康对照组TLR基因多态性的分布差异。统计学分析采用χ²检验或Fisher确切概率法。结果:除TLR1 rs5743563外,TLR1 rs5743604、TLR2 rs3804099、TLR4 rs1927907、TLR6 rs3796508、TLR6 rs5743794、TLR9 rs164637、TLR9 rs3521407个TLR SNP检测位点的等位基因频率分布均符合哈迪-温伯格平衡。病例组与健康对照组比较发现,TLR2 rs3804099位点的T/T基因型[52.5%(53/101)比40.4%(109/270),比值比(odds ratio,OR)=1.63,χ²=4.378,P=0.036]和TLR6 rs5743794位点的G/G基因型[44.6%(45/101)比32.2%(87/270),OR=1.69,χ²=4.877,P=0.027]为隐球菌性脑膜炎的风险基因型;而TLR6 rs3796508的G/G基因型[83.2%(84/101)比92.6%(250/270),OR=0.40,χ²=7.271,P=0.007]和TLR9 rs164637的C/C基因型[96.0%(97/101)比100.0%(270/270),Fisher确切概率法,P=0.005]为隐球菌性脑膜炎的保护性因素。101例患者中有70例无易感因素。无易感因素患者组与健康对照组比较发现,TLR6 rs5743794位点的G/G基因型[52.9%(37/70)比32.2%(87/270),OR=2.36,χ²=10.216,P=0.001]为隐球菌性脑膜炎的风险基因型,TLR6 rs3796508的G/G基因型[81.4%(57/70)比92.6%(250/270),OR=0.35,χ²=7.906,P=0.005]和TLR9 rs164637的C/C基因型[97.1%(68/70)比100.0%(270/270),Fisher确切概率法,P=0.042]为隐球菌性脑膜炎的保护性因素。结论:TLR基因多态性与福建籍非HIV相关隐球菌性脑膜炎的易感性密切关联,提示TLR在隐球菌性脑膜炎的发病过程中可能起到重要作用。     

新型隐球菌脑膜炎38例

目的分析新型隐球菌脑膜炎（隐脑）的临床特点和疗效。方法对38例隐脑进行回顾性分析，所有患者均经病原学检查确诊。结果36例隐脑呈慢性或亚急性起病，初次脑脊液涂片确诊24例，经反复脑脊液涂片及培养确诊14例。38例中有8例未用药，其中2例自动出院，其余6例均死亡。30例行抗真菌治疗，治愈11例，好转7例，转院治疗8例，未愈出院2例，死亡2例。其中两性霉素B联合5-氟胞嘧啶治疗9例，6例治愈，3例好转。结论隐脑常易误诊、漏诊，反复行脑脊液涂片以及同时行真菌培养可提高诊断率。两性霉素B联合5-氟胞嘧啶治疗效果较好。     

Utility of urine and serum lateral flow assays to determine the prevalence and predictors of cryptococcal antigenemia in HIV-positive outpatients beginning antiretroviral therapy in Mwanza,Tanzania

Background

Detection of subclinical cryptococcal disease using cryptococcal antigen screening among HIV-positive individuals presents a potential opportunity for prevention of both clinical disease and death if patients with detectable cryptococcal antigen are identified and treated pre-emptively. Recently developed point-of-care cryptococcal antigen tests may be useful for screening, particularly in resource-limiting settings, but few studies have assessed their utility.

Methodology

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence and factors associated with cryptococcal antigenemia in HIV-positive patients with CD4⁺ T-cell counts ≤200 cells/µL who were initiating ART, and also to evaluate the utility of the point-of-care urine lateral flow assay (LFA) cryptococcal antigen test using two different diluents, compared to gold standard serum antigen testing, as a screening tool. Urine and serum of outpatients initiating antiretroviral therapy at two hospitals in Mwanza were tested for cryptococcal antigen, and demographic and clinical characteristics were obtained using structured questionnaires and patients’ files. Patients with asymptomatic cryptococcal antigenemia received oral fluconazole in accordance with World Health Organization recommendations.

Results

Among 140 patients screened, 10 (7.1%) had asymptomatic cryptococcal antigenemia with a positive serum cryptococcal antigen. Four of these ten patients had CD4 counts between 100 and 200 cells/µL. The prevalence of cryptococcal antigen detected in urine using a standard (older) and a test (newer) diluent were 44 (31.4%) and 19 (13.6%), with Kappa coefficients compared to serum of 0.28 and 0.51 (p<0.001 for both). Compared to the new LFA diluent for urine cryptococcal antigen, the standard diluent had higher sensitivity (100% versus 80%) but lower specificity (74% versus 92%) using serum cryptococcal antigen as a gold standard.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that HIV-positive outpatients with CD4 counts <200 cells/µL, rather than 100, should be screened for asymptomatic cryptococcal antigenemia given its association with mortality if untreated. Agreement of the urine LFA with the serum LFA was not sufficient to recommend routine screening with urine LFA.     

Cryptococcal meningitis accompanying lymphocytic inflammation predominantly in cerebral deep white matter: A possible manifestation of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome

Cryptococcal meningitis is rarely complicated by immune‐mediated leukoencephalopathy, but the precise pathomechanism is uncertain. A 72‐year‐old Japanese man treated with prednisolone for Sweet disease developed a subacute progression of meningitis, which was considered as neuro‐Sweet disease. A treatment by methylprednisolone rapidly improved CSF findings with a remarkable decrease in lymphocyte numbers in the blood, but the patient's consciousness still worsened after the cessation of the treatment. The patient developed cryptococcal meningitis and MRI showed abnormal intensities predominantly in the cerebral deep white matter along with the recovery of lymphocyte numbers in the blood, which resulted in death. A postmortem examination of the brain revealed degenerative lesions, especially at the cerebral white matter and cortex adjacent to the leptomeninges abundantly infiltrated by Cryptococcus neoformans. In the affected cerebral deep white matter, perivascular infiltration of lymphocytes was prominent in coexistence with reactive astrocytes and vascular proliferation, but these findings were not observed in the subcortical and cortical lesions. Cryptococcus neoformans was not present within the brain parenchyma. This is the first report of a case suggesting that cryptococcal meningitis can accompany lymphocytic inflammation predominantly in cerebral deep white matter as a possible manifestation of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome.     

儿童隐球菌性脑膜炎误诊为结核性脑膜炎24例分析

目的 分析儿童隐球菌性脑膜炎临床特点及误诊原因,降低误诊率.方法 回顾性分析24例误诊为结核性脑膜炎的隐球菌性脑膜炎患儿临床资料.结果 24例中男童14例,女童10例,平均年龄(7.5±3.8)岁,主要临床表现为发热(100％)、头痛(87.5％)、呕吐(87.5％).院外误诊15例(62.5％),院内误诊9例(37....     

隐球菌脑膜炎患者外周血单个核细胞中microRNA-31表达及相关免疫分子水平研究

目的 探讨隐球菌脑膜炎患者外周血单个核细胞中micorRNA-31表达情况及与疾病的相关性.方法 收集2007年9月-2012年8月期间,在上海长海医院和上海长征医院确诊的隐球菌脑膜炎患者和同期健康对照各30例,使用密度梯度离心法,分离30例隐球菌脑膜炎患者和30例健康对照外周血单个核细胞（peripheral blood mononuclear cells,PBMCs）,采用实时荧光定量PCR检测microRNA-31（miR-31）的表达,并分析其与患者临床特征（血清中IgG,IgA,IgM）和细胞因子（IL-4,IL-10,IFN-γ,TNF-α）的相关性.结果 与健康对照相比,隐球菌脑膜炎患者PBMCs中miR-31表达（0.856±0.231 vs 0.470±0.242）增高,差异有统计学意义（t=6.320,P＜0.001）且与血清IL-4水平正相关（r=0.644,P＜0.001）,与IgG,IFN-γ负相关（r=0.645, 0.671;P值均＜0.001）.结论 提示miR-31可能通过调节炎症性细胞因子的产生,参与了隐球菌脑膜炎的发病机制,这为进一步研究隐球菌脑膜炎患者的表观遗传学调控提供了新的线索.