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Background: The long-term treatment outcome of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients with HIV co-infection is complicated by a high rate of relapse, especially when the CD4 count is low. Although use of secondary prophylaxis is recommended, it is not routinely practiced and data on its effectiveness and safety are limited., Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in Northwest Ethiopia from August 2014 to August 2017 (NCT02011958). HIV-VL patients were followed for up to 12 months. Patients with CD4 cell counts below 200/μL at the end of VL treatment received pentamidine prophylaxis starting one month after parasitological cure, while those with CD4 count ≥200 cells/μL were followed without secondary prophylaxis. Compliance, safety and relapse-free survival, using Kaplan-Meier analysis methods to account for variable time at risk, were summarised. Risk factors for relapse or death were analysed., Results: Fifty-four HIV patients were followed. The probability of relapse-free survival at one year was 50% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 35-63%): 53% (30-71%) in 22 patients with CD4 ≥200 cells/μL without pentamidine prophylaxis and 46% (26-63%) in 29 with CD4 <200 cells/μL who started pentamidine. Three patients with CD4 <200 cells/μL did not start pentamidine. Amongst those with CD4 ≥200 cells/μL, VL relapse was an independent risk factor for subsequent relapse or death (adjusted rate ratio: 5.42, 95% CI: 1.1-25.8). Except for one case of renal failure which was considered possibly related to pentamidine, there were no drug-related safety concerns., Conclusion: The relapse-free survival rate for VL patients with HIV was low. Relapse-free survival of patients with CD4 count <200cells/μL given pentamidine secondary prophylaxis appeared to be comparable to patients with a CD4 count ≥200 cells/μL not given prophylaxis. Patients with relapsed VL are at higher risk for subsequent relapse and should be considered a priority for secondary prophylaxis, irrespective of their CD4 count., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and assessment of treatment response in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-coinfected patients still relies on invasive tissue aspiration. This hampers scale-up and decentralization of care in resource-limited settings. Noninvasive diagnostics are urgently needed. KATEX is a frequently used latex agglutination test for Leishmania antigen in urine that has never been evaluated in HIV-coinfected individuals from Leishmania donovani -endemic areas. This was an exploratory sub-study embedded within the screening phase of a trial in highly endemic northwestern Ethiopia. All patients were HIV-positive and aspirate-confirmed VL cases. We assessed diagnostic accuracy of KATEX for VL diagnosis and as test of cure at end of treatment, using tissue aspirate parasite load as reference methods. We also described the evolution of weekly antigen levels during treatment. Most of the 87 included patients were male (84, 97%), young (median age 31 years), and had poor immune status (median cluster of differentiation type 4 count 56 cells/μL). KATEX had moderate sensitivity (84%) for VL diagnosis. KATEX had moderate sensitivity (82%) and a moderate negative predictive value (87%) but only low specificity (49%) and a low positive predictive value (40%) for the assessment of treatment outcomes. Weekly antigen levels showed characteristic patterns during treatment of patients with different initial parasite loads and treatment outcomes. Antigen detection in urine using KATEX can contribute to improved VL diagnosis in HIV-coinfected patients but has limited use for monitoring of treatment response. Better noninvasive diagnostics are needed to reduce reliance on invasive methods and thus to expand and improve clinical care for VL in resource-limited settings.

Background: We have conducted a single-arm trial evaluating monthly pentamidine secondary prophylaxis (PSP) to prevent visceral leishmaniasis (VL) relapse in Ethiopian human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. Outcomes at 12 months of PSP have been previously reported, supporting PSP effectiveness and safety. However, remaining relapse-free after PSP discontinuation is vital. We now report outcomes and associated factors for a period of up to 2.5 years after initiating PSP, including 1-year follow-up after PSP discontinuation., Methods: The trial had 3 phases: (1) 12 months of PSP; (2) a 6-month PSP extension period if CD4 count was ≤200 cells/μL at month 12; and (3) 12-month follow-up after stopping PSP. The probability of relapse and risk factors were calculated using Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression analysis., Results: For the 74 patients included, final study outcomes were as follows: 39 (53%) relapse-free, 20 (27%) relapsed, 5 (7%) deaths, 10 (14%) lost to follow-up. The 2-year risk of relapse was 36.9% (95% confidence interval, 23.4%-55.0%) and was highest for those with a history of VL relapse and low baseline CD4 count. Forty-five patients were relapse-free and in follow-up at month 12 of PSP. This included 28 patients with month 12 CD4 counts >200 cells/µL, remaining relapse-free after PSP discontinuation. Among the 17 with month 12 CD4 count <200 cells/µL, 1 relapsed and 3 were lost during the PSP extension period. During 1-year post-PSP follow-up, 2 patients relapsed and 1 was lost to follow-up. No PSP-related serious adverse events were reported during the PSP-extension/post-PSP follow-up period., Conclusions: It seems safe to discontinue PSP at month 12 CD4 counts of >200 cells/µL. The management of those failing to reach this level remains to be defined., Clinical Trials Registration: NCT01360762., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has become an important opportunistic infection in persons with HIV-infection in VL-endemic areas. The co-infection leads to profound immunosuppression and high rate of annual VL recurrence. This study assessed the effectiveness, safety and feasibility of monthly pentamidine infusions to prevent recurrence of VL in HIV co-infected patients., Methods: A single-arm, open-label trial was conducted at two leishmaniasis treatment centers in northwest Ethiopia. HIV-infected patients with a VL episode were included after parasitological cure. Monthly infusions of 4 mg/kg pentamidine-isethionate diluted in normal-saline were started for 12 months. All received antiretroviral therapy (ART). Time-to-relapse or death was the primary end point., Results: Seventy-four patients were included. The probability of relapse-free survival at 6 months and at 12 months was 79% and 71% respectively. Renal failure, a possible drug-related serious adverse event, occurred in two patients with severe pneumonia. Forty-one patients completed the regimen taking at least 11 of the 12 doses. Main reasons to discontinue were: 15 relapsed, five died and seven became lost to follow-up. More patients failed among those with a CD4+cell count ≤ 50 cells/μl, 5/7 (71.4%) than those with counts above 200 cells/μl, 2/12 (16.7%), (p = 0.005)., Conclusion: Pentamidine secondary prophylaxis led to a 29% failure rate within one year, much lower than reported in historical controls (50%-100%). Patients with low CD4+cell counts are at increased risk of relapse despite effective initial VL treatment, ART and secondary prophylaxis. VL should be detected and treated early enough in patients with HIV infection before profound immune deficiency installs.

Background. We have conducted a single-arm trial evaluating monthly pentamidine secondary prophylaxis (PSP) to prevent visceral leishmaniasis (VL) relapse in Ethiopian human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. Outcomes at 12 months of PSP have been previously reported, supporting PSP effectiveness and safety. However, remaining relapse-free after PSP discontinuation is vital. We now report outcomes and associated factors for a period of up to 2.5 years after initiating PSP, including 1-year follow-up after PSP discontinuation. Methods. The trial had 3 phases: (1) 12 months of PSP; (2) a 6-month PSP extension period if CD4 count was ≤200 cells/μL at month 12; and (3) 12-month follow-up after stopping PSP. The probability of relapse and risk factors were calculated using Kaplan- Meier methods and Cox regression analysis. Results. For the 74 patients included, final study outcomes were as follows: 39 (53%) relapse-free, 20 (27%) relapsed, 5 (7%) deaths, 10 (14%) lost to follow-up. The 2-year risk of relapse was 36.9% (95% confidence interval, 23.4%-55.0%) and was highest for those with a history of VL relapse and low baseline CD4 count. Forty-five patients were relapse-free and in follow-up at month 12 of PSP. This included 28 patients with month 12 CD4 counts >200 cells/µL, remaining relapse-free after PSP discontinuation. Among the 17 with month 12 CD4 count <200 cells/µL, 1 relapsed and 3 were lost during the PSP extension period. During 1-year post-PSP follow-up, 2 patients relapsed and 1 was lost to follow-up. No PSP-related serious adverse events were reported during the PSP-extension/post-PSP follow-up period. Conclusions. It seems safe to discontinue PSP at month 12 CD4 counts of >200 cells/µL. The management of those failing to reach this level remains to be defined. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT01360762. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]