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Few epidemiological data are available since the introduction of 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13) in 2010. We conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) nasopharyngeal carriage in healthy Italian infants and young children and to evaluate the impact of PCV13 on pneumococcal colonization. In the trimester September-December 2011 nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from healthy children aged 3-59 months presenting for routine well careat 16 primary care pediatricians in Milan. SP carriage isolates were serotyped and tested for antimicrobial resistance using EUCAST breakpoints. Among 1250 enrolled children, 618 had received at least 1 dose of PCV13, 292 at least 1 dose of PCV7, 94 a combination of the two vaccines and 246 were not vaccinated. The prevalence of SP carriage was 27% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25-30). At multivariable analysis, age≥25 months (prevalence ratio [PR]=0.74) and use of antibiotics in the previous 3 months (PR=0.67) were associated with lower SP carriage prevalence. Having siblings (PR=1.79 for 1 sibling and PR=2.23 for ≥2 siblings), day-care attendance (PR=2.27) and respiratory tract infections in the previous 3 months (PR=1.39) were associated with higher SP carriage prevalence. The immunization status for SP was not associated with SP carriage at univariable or at multivariable analysis. The most common carriage isolates were 6C, 19A and 23A. The prevalence of the six additional PCV13 serotypes carriage in children appropriately vaccinated with PCV13 was lower than in children appropriately vaccinated with PCV7 (0 vs. 0.060); the greater reduction in prevalence of carriage was observed for serotype 19A (0 vs. 0.041). Serotype 6C was the most common drug-resistant serotype (17.2%). Further epidemiological studies are needed to assess changes in circulating SP serotypes following the large-scale introduction of PCV13., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.) more...

In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected people kidney disease is as an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Clinical features of kidney damage in HIV-infected patients range from asymptomatic microalbuminuria to nephrotic syndrome. The lack of specific clinical features despite the presence of heavy proteinuria may mask the renal involvement. Indeed, it is important in HIV patients to monitor renal function to early discover a possible kidney injury. After the introduction of antiretroviral therapy, mortality and morbidity associated to HIV-infection have shown a substantial reduction, although a variety of side effects for long-term use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, including renal toxicity, has emerged. Among more than 20 currently available antiretroviral agents, many of them can occasionally cause reversible or irreversible nephrotoxicity. At now, three antiretroviral agents, i.e., indinavir, atazanavir and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate have a well established association with direct nephrotoxicity. This review focuses on major causes of proteinuria and other pathological findings related to kidney disease in HIV-infected children and adolescents. more...

Background and Objective: Sporadic cases of renal toxicity have been reported in HIV-infected children treated with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). We assessed the long-term renal safety of TDF in a cohort of vertically HIV-infected children, adolescents and young adults., Methods: We evaluated 26 HIV-infected children, adolescents and young adults, aged 4.9-17.4 years at baseline, every 6 months for 60 consecutive months. At the baseline visit, they had an undetectable viral load and a good immune reconstitution and were being treated with lamivudine, stavudine and a protease inhibitor (PI). At the same visit, stavudine was replaced with TDF and the PI with efavirenz. Serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine protein to creatinine ratio, serum phosphate, ratio of the maximum rate of tubular phosphate reabsorption to the GFR (TmPO(4)/GFR), urine glucose, and urine α(1)-microglobulin to creatinine ratio were used as markers of renal function. The outcome-time relationships were studied using generalized estimating equations (GEEs). In addition to time (continuous, ten equally spaced intervals), sex, age at baseline and CD4+ T-cell count were used as covariates., Results: A moderate reduction in GFR was observed only once in an underweight female patient. There was no occurrence of proteinuria, hypophosphataemia or glycosuria. Moreover, TmPO(4)/GFR was stable and the urine α(1)-microglobulin to creatinine ratio was always within normal limits., Conclusion: TDF had an excellent renal safety profile in HIV-infected children, adolescents and young adults regularly followed up for 60 months. more...