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Introduction: Auditory processing disorders can negatively affect academic performance in children. They can result from a number of aetiologies, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Although studies in paediatrics are limited, research suggests that HIV-infected children display poorer auditory processing skills than uninfected children. Methods: The aims of this study were to scan the peer-reviewed literature on auditory processing skills in HIV-infected children, to describe how auditory processing was tested, how auditory processing skills were reported, and to identify gaps in current evidence. This systematic scoping review was conducted using a modified version of Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. Key words comprised ‘HIV’, ‘auditory processing’, ‘hearing’ and ‘child’. Electronic databases were searched for relevant articles published from 1 January 2000 to 30 April 2018, and reference lists of included studies were pearled. Two researchers reviewed the articles and extracted data on sample descriptors, auditory processing testing procedures, and auditory processing skills. A third author collated the results and resolved discrepancies. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association description of auditory processing skills framed the analysis. Results: Five articles were included in this review (three from Brazil, one each from Mexico and Tanzania). Samples, and methods of testing were heterogeneous. Three studies reported on localization abilities, while gap detection thresholds, performance on dichotic tasks and speech discrimination scores were reported in one article each. No one study tested all areas of auditory processing skills and there was limited information about the auditory processing skills required for learning. Conclusion: This review highlighted the current sparse evidence-base for auditory processing in HIV-infected children. It identified the need to standardise testing procedures, measures of auditory processing skills, and sample selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade a growing HIV/AIDS epidemic with increased incidence and AIDS-related mortality has been reported in Northern Brazil from which molecular data are scarce. Also, apparently healthy, adult blood donors, recently diagnosed with HIV-1 represent important sentinel populations for molecular studies. This cross-sectional study describes HIV-1 subtypes in blood donors from three reference public blood centers located in three States in Northern Brazil. HIV-1 pol sequencing (protease/PR, reverse transcriptase/RT) was performed on plasma samples of HIV-1 positive donors from HEMOAM, Manaus, Amazonas (n = 198), HEMERON, Porto Velho, Rondônia (n = 20) and HEMORAIMA, Boa Vista, Roraima (n = 9) collected from 2011–2017. HIV-1 subtypes were identified by REGA, phylogenetic inference; recombinant viruses were characterized by SIMPLOT. Young, single, males predominated, around half was first-time donors. Syphilis co-infection was detected in 17% (39 out of 227), 8% (18 out of 227) was anti-HBc positive. Subtype B represented ≥ 90% in Amazonas, Rondônia and Roraima, subtype C (3.1%) was found in Amazonas and Rondônia; subtype F1 (0.9%) and BF1 recombinants (5.3%) were only detected in Amazonas. Subtype B sequences from Amazonas (n = 179), Rondônia (n = 18) and Roraima (n = 9) were combined with viral strains representative of the BPANDEMIC (n = 300) and BCARIBBEAN/BCAR (n = 200) lineages. The BPANDEMIC lineage predominated (78%) although BCAR lineages were frequent in Roraima (56%) and Amazonas (22%). Subtype C and subtype F1 sequences identified here clustered within Brazilian CBR and F1BR lineages, respectively. Twelve BF1 mosaics showed 11 different recombination profiles: six were singleton unique-recombinant-forms/URFs, one displays a CRF28/29_BF-like recombinant pattern and the remaining four BF1 isolates branched with other Brazilian BF1 viruses previously described and may represent putative new CRF_BF1 from Northern Brazil. Our study shows a highly homogeneous molecular pattern with prevalent subtype B, followed by BF1, and sporadic subtype C and F1 in blood donors from the Northern region. Surveillance studies are important to monitor HIV-1 diversity which can reveal patterns of viral dissemination, especially in a highly endemic, remote and geographically isolated region as Northern Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lifetime risk of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) development differs among ethnic groups. To better understand these differences, this prospective cohort study was conducted to investigate the cytokine profile and the HTLV-1 proviral load (PVL) in Japanese and non-Japanese populations with HAM/TSP and asymptomatic carriers (ACs). The serum IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α, and IFN-γ levels were quantified using the Cytometric Bead Array in 40 HTLV-1-infected patients (11 HAM/TSP and 29 ACs) and 18 healthy controls (HCs) in Brazil. Among ACs, 15 were Japanese descendants and 14 were non-Japanese. Of 11 patients with HAM/TSP, only one was a Japanese descendant. The HTLV-1 PVL was quantified by real-time PCR. The HTLV-1 PVL was 2.7-fold higher in HAM/TSP patients than ACs. Regardless of the clinical outcome, the PVL was significantly higher in patients younger than 60 years than older patients. The HAM/TSP and ACs had higher IL-10 serum concentrations than that of HCs. The ACs also showed higher IL-6 serum levels than those of HCs. According to age, the IL-10 and IL-6 levels were higher in ACs non-Japanese patients older than 60 years. HAM/TSP patients showed a positive correlation between IL-6 and IL-17 and a negative correlation between the PVL and IL-17 and IFN-γ. In the all ACs, a significant positive correlation was observed between IL-2 and IL-17 and a negative correlation was detected between IL-10 and TNF-α. Only 6.25% of the Japanese patients were symptomatic carriers, compared with 41.67% of the non-Japanese patients. In conclusion, this study showed that high levels of HTLV-1 PVL was intrinsicaly associated with the development of HAM/TSP. A higher HTLV-1 PVL and IL10 levels found in non-Japanese ACs over 60 years old, which compared with the Japanese group depicts that the ethnic background may interfere in the host immune status. More researches also need to be undertaken regarding the host genetic background to better understand the low frequency of HAM/TSP in Japanese HTLV-1-infected individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]