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In sub-Saharan Africa, antiretroviral therapy (ART) including drugs with potential toxicity such as Zidovudine (ZDV) are routinely prescribed. This study aimed at estimating the incidence of severe neutropenia and associated factors after ART initiation in five West African countries.A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted within the international epidemiologic database to evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) collaboration in West Africa. All HIV-infected adults, initiating ART between 2002 and 2014, with a baseline and at least one follow-up absolute neutrophil count (ANC) measurement were eligible. Incidence of severe neutropenia (ANC

Plasma HIV-1 RNA monitoring is one of the standard tests for the management of HIV-1 infection. While HIV-1 RNA can be quantified using several commercial tests, no test has been commercialized for HIV-2 RNA quantification. We studied the relationship between plasma HIV-2 viral load (VL) and CD4 count in West African patients who were either receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) or treatment-naïve.A cross sectional survey was conducted among HIV-2-infected individuals followed in three countries in West Africa from March to December 2012. All HIV-2 infected-patients who attended one of the participating clinics were proposed a plasma HIV-2 viral load measurement. HIV-2 RNA was quantified using the new ultrasensitive in-house real-time PCR assay with a detection threshold of 10 copies/ mL (cps/mL).A total of 351 HIV-2-infected individuals participated in this study, of whom 131 (37.3%) were treatment naïve and 220 (62.7%) had initiated ART. Among treatment-naïve patients, 60 (46.5%) had undetectable plasma HIV-2 viral load (1000 cps/mL in 6.0% of the patients. Most of the treatment-naïve patients (70.2%) had CD4-T cell count ≥500 cells/mm3 and 43 (46.7%) of these patients had a detectable VL (≥10 cps/mL). Among the 220 patients receiving ART, the median CD4-T cell count rose from 231 to 393 cells/mm3 (IQR [259-561]) after a median follow-up duration of 38 months and 145 (66.0%) patients had CD4-T cell count ≤ 500 cells/mm3 with a median viral load of 10 cps/mL (IQR [10-33]). Seventy five (34.0%) patients had CD4-T cell count ≥ 500 cells/mm3, among them 14 (18.7%) had a VL between 10-100 cps/mL and 2 (2.6%) had VL >100 cps/mL.This study suggests that the combination of CD4-T cell count and ultrasensitive HIV-2 viral load quantification with a threshold of 10 cps/mL, could improve ART initiation among treatment naïve HIV-2-infected patients and the monitoring of ART response among patients receiving treatment.

Facing the dual burden of invasive cervical cancer and HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, the identification of preventable determinants of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) in HIV-infected women is of paramount importance.A cervical cancer screening based on visual inspection methods was proposed to HIV-infected women in care in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Positively screened women were referred for a colposcopy to a gynaecologist who performed directed biopsies.Of the 2,998 HIV-infected women enrolled, 132 (4.4%) CIN of any grade (CIN+) were identified. Women had been followed-up for a median duration of three years [IQR: 1-5] and 76% were on antiretroviral treatment (ART). Their median most recent CD4 count was 452 [IQR: 301-621] cells/mm3. In multivariate analysis, CIN+ was associated with a most recent CD4 count >350 cells/mm3 (OR: 0.3; 95% CI: 0.2-0.6) or ≥200-350 cells/mm3 (OR 0.6; 95% CI 0.4-1.0) (Ref:

HIV-2 is endemic in West Africa. There is a lack of evidence-based guidelines on the diagnosis, management and antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-2 or HIV-1/HIV-2 dual infections. Because of these issues, we designed a West African collaborative cohort for HIV-2 infection within the framework of the International epidemiological Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA).We collected data on all HIV-2 and HIV-1/HIV-2 dually seropositive patients (both ARV-naive and starting ART) and followed-up in clinical centres in the IeDEA-WA network including a total of 13 clinics in five countries: Benin, Burkina-Faso Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal, in the West Africa region.Data was merged for 1,754 patients (56% female), including 1,021 HIV-2 infected patients (551 on ART) and 733 dually seropositive for both HIV-1 and HIV 2 (463 on ART). At ART initiation, the median age of HIV-2 patients was 45.3 years, IQR: (38.3-51.7) and 42.4 years, IQR (37.0-47.3) for dually seropositive patients (p = 0.048). Overall, 16.7% of HIV-2 patients on ART had an advanced clinical stage (WHO IV or CDC-C). The median CD4 count at the ART initiation is 166 cells/mm(3), IQR (83-247) among HIV-2 infected patients and 146 cells/mm(3), IQR (55-249) among dually seropositive patients. Overall, in ART-treated patients, the CD4 count increased 126 cells/mm(3) after 24 months on ART for HIV-2 patients and 169 cells/mm(3) for dually seropositive patients. Of 551 HIV-2 patients on ART, 5.8% died and 10.2% were lost to follow-up during the median time on ART of 2.4 years, IQR (0.7-4.3).This large multi-country study of HIV-2 and HIV-1/HIV-2 dual infection in West Africa suggests that routine clinical care is less than optimal and that management and treatment of HIV-2 could be further informed by ongoing studies and randomized clinical trials in this population.

Cancer is a growing co-morbidity among HIV-infected patients worldwide. With the scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in developing countries, cancer will contribute more and more to the HIV/AIDS disease burden. Our objective was to estimate the association between HIV infection and selected types of cancers among patients hospitalized for diagnosis or treatment of cancer in West Africa.A case-referent study was conducted in referral hospitals in Côte d'Ivoire and Benin. Each participating clinical ward enrolled all adult patients seeking care for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer and clinicians systematically proposed an HIV test. HIV prevalence was compared between AIDS-defining cancers and a subset of selected non-AIDS defining cancers to a referent group of non-AIDS defining cancers not reported in the literature to be positively or inversely associated with HIV. An unconditional logistic model was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the risk of being HIV-infected for selected cancers sites compared to a referent group of other cancers.The HIV overall prevalence was 12.3% (CI 10.3-14.4) among the 1,017 cancer cases included. A total of 442 patients constituted the referent group with an HIV prevalence of 4.7% (CI 2.8-6.7). In multivariate analysis, Kaposi sarcoma (OR 62.2 [CI 22.1-175.5]), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (4.0 [CI 2.0-8.0]), cervical cancer (OR 7.9 [CI 3.8-16.7]), anogenital cancer (OR 11.6 [CI 2.9-46.3]) and liver cancer (OR 2.7 [CI 1.1-7.7]) were all associated with HIV infection.In a time of expanding access to ART, AIDS-defining cancers remain highly associated with HIV infection. This is to our knowledge, the first study reporting a significant association between HIV infection and liver cancer in sub-Saharan Africa.

Introduction Response to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among individuals infected with HIV‐2 is poorly described. We compared the immunological response among patients treated with three nucleoside reverse‐transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) to boosted protease inhibitor (PI) and unboosted PI‐based regimens in West Africa. Methods This prospective cohort study enrolled treatment‐naïve HIV‐2‐infected patients within the International Epidemiological Databases to Evaluate AIDS collaboration in West Africa. We used mixed models to compare the CD4 count response to treatment over 12 months between regimens. Results Of 422 HIV‐2‐infected patients, 285 (67.5%) were treated with a boosted PI‐based regimen, 104 (24.6%) with an unboosted PI‐based regimen and 33 (7.8%) with three NRTIs. Treatment groups were comparable with regard to gender (54.5% female) and median age at ART initiation (45.3 years; interquartile range 38.3 to 51.8). Treatment groups differed by clinical stage (21.2%, 16.8% and 17.3% at CDC Stage C or World Health Organization Stage IV for the triple NRTI, boosted PI and unboosted PI groups, respectively, p=0.02), median length of follow‐up (12.9, 17.7 and 44.0 months for the triple NRTI, the boosted PI and the unboosted PI groups, respectively, p

Objective We aimed to describe the morbidity and mortality patterns in HIV‐positive adults hospitalized in West Africa. Method We conducted a six‐month prospective multicentre survey within the IeDEA West Africa collaboration in six adult medical wards of teaching hospitals in Abidjan, Ouagadougou, Cotonou, Dakar and Bamako. From April to October 2010, all newly hospitalized HIV‐positive patients were eligible. Baseline and follow‐up information until hospital discharge was recorded using standardized forms. Diagnoses were reviewed by a local event validation committee using reference definitions. Factors associated with in‐hospital mortality were studied with a logistic regression model. Results Among 823 hospitalized HIV‐positive adults (median age 40 years, 58% women), 24% discovered their HIV infection during the hospitalization, median CD4 count was 75/mm3 (IQR: 25–177) and 48% had previously received antiretroviral treatment (ART). The underlying causes of hospitalization were AIDS‐defining conditions (54%), other infections (32%), other diseases (8%) and non‐specific illness (6%). The most frequent diseases diagnosed were: tuberculosis (29%), pneumonia (15%), malaria (10%) and cerebral toxoplasmosis (10%). Overall, 315 (38%) patients died during hospitalization and the underlying cause of death was AIDS (63%), non‐AIDS‐defining infections (26%), other diseases (7%) and non‐specific illness or unknown cause (4%). Among them, the most frequent fatal diseases were: tuberculosis (36%), cerebral toxoplasmosis (10%), cryptococcosis (9%) and sepsis (7%). Older age, clinical WHO stage 3 and 4, low CD4 count, and AIDS‐defining infectious diagnoses were associated with hospital fatality. Conclusions AIDS‐defining conditions, primarily tuberculosis, and bacterial infections were the most frequent causes of hospitalization in HIV‐positive adults in West Africa and resulted in high in‐hospital fatality. Sustained efforts are needed to integrate care of these disease conditions and optimize earlier diagnosis of HIV infection and initiation of ART.

Background: We sought to document the association of Human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and immunodeficiency with oncogenic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women with no cervical neoplastic lesions identified through a cervical cancer screening programme in Côte d'Ivoire.Methods: A consecutive sample of women stratified on their HIV status and attending the national blood donor clinic or the closest HIV clinic was recruited during a cervical cancer screening programme based on the visual inspection. Diagnosis of HPV infection and genotype identification were based on the Linear Array; HPV test.Results: A total of 445 (254 HIV-positive and 191 HIV-negative) women were included. The prevalence of oncogenic HPV infection was 53.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 47.9-59.9) in HIV-positive women and 33.7% (95% CI 27.1-40.3) in HIV-negative women (odds ratio (OR)=2.3 (95% CI 1.5-3.3)). In multivariate analysis, HIV-positive women with a CD4 count <200 cells mm(3) or between 200 and 499 cells mm(3) were more likely to harbour an oncogenic HPV compared with women with a CD4 count ≥500 cells mm(3) with OR of 2.8 (95% CI 1.1-8.1) and 1.7 (95% CI 1.0-2.9), respectively.Conclusion: A high prevalence of oncogenic HPV was found in women with no cervical neoplastic lesions, especially in HIV-positive women. Despite antiretroviral use, immunodeficiency was a main determinant of the presence of oncogenic HPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Adverse metabolic effects related to dolutegravir (DTG) are increasingly reported as countries are adopting DTG‐based regimens as first‐line antiretroviral therapy (ART), but there is limited data from sub‐Saharan Africa. We explored changes in body weight pre‐ and post‐switch to a DTG‐based regimen and assessed the association between DTG switch and significant weight gain (SWG) defined as a ≥10% increase over a 12‐month period in people living with HIV (PLHIV) on ART in West Africa. Methods We first included all PLHIV followed in the IeDEA West Africa cohorts between January 2017 and June 2021, with a documented switch to DTG during 2019–2021 and in care ≥36 months at the day of switch. Weight change was estimated using a two slope piecewise linear mixed model with change point at the switch date. Secondly, we emulated a sequence of target trials (ETT) based on the observational data, performing pooled logistic regression analysis to compare SWG occurrence between PLHIV who switched to DTG and those who did not. Results We first included 6705 PLHIV from Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria. Their median age at the time of switch was 48 years (IQR: 42–54) with a median follow‐up of 9 years (IQR: 6–12), 63% were female. Most patients switched from efavirenz (EFV)‐based ART (56.6%) and nevirapine (NVP)‐based ART (30.9%). The overall post‐switch annual average weight gain (AAWG) was significantly elevated at 3.07 kg/year [95% CI: 2.33–3.80] compared to the pre‐switch AWG which stood at 0.62 kg/year [95% CI: 0.36–0.88]. The post‐switch AWG was greater in patients previously on EFV and protease inhibitor (PI)‐based ART compared to those on NVP‐based ART. The pooled logistic regression analyses of a sequence of 24 ETT, including 9598 person‐trials, switching to DTG was significantly associated with an SWG (aOR = 2.54; 95% CI = 2.18–2.97). Conclusions In West Africa, a 12‐month DTG exposure was associated with substantial weight gain, especially in PLHIV previously on EFV and PI‐based ARTs. Continuous weight monitoring and metabolic profiling is imperative in HIV cohorts to delineate the long‐term cardiometabolic impact of DTG as patients with, or at elevated risk for cardiovascular diseases might benefit from alternative ART regimens.

Abstract Background Cervical cancer, a major public health problem in many developing countries, is usually associated with a poor survival related to an advanced disease at diagnosis. In Côte d’Ivoire and other developing countries with high cervical cancer prevalence, little is known about factors associated with advanced cervical cancer stages in a context of limited access to screening services. Methods From May to July 2019, we conducted a cross-sectional study using a mixed, quantitative and qualitative method. Information on socio-demographic and history of the disease was extracted from a rapid case ascertainement study performed by the cancer registry of Côte d’Ivoire that enrolled all women diagnosed with cervical cancer between July 2018 and June 2019. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted among a subset of these women (12 women) and six healthcare providers to further capture barriers to early cervical cancer diagnosis. Factors associated with an advanced stage III, IV (according to FIGO classification) were estimated by a logistic regression model. Qualitative data were analyzed using a thematic analysis technique guided by the treatment pathway model and triangulated with quantitative data. Results In total, 95 women with cervical cancer [median age = 51 (IQR 42–59)] years, were included. Among them, 18.9% were living with HIV and only 9.5% were covered by a health insurance. The majority (71.5%) were diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer. Being HIV-uninfected (aOR = 5.4; [1.6–17.8], p = 0.006) and being uninsured (aOR = 13.1; [2.0-85.5], p = 0.007) were independently associated with advanced cervical cancer in multivariable analysis. Qualitative data raised additional factors potentially related to advanced cervical cancer stages at diagnosis, including the lack of patient information on cervical cancer by healthcare providers and inadequate national awareness and screening campaigns. Conclusion In a context of challenges in access to systematic cervical cancer screening in Côte d’Ivoire, access to health insurance or integrated healthcare program appear to be key determinants of early diagnosis of cervical cancer.

Background: Cervical cancer screening is not yet standard of care of women attending HIV care clinics in Africa and presents operational challenges that need to be addressed.Methods: A cervical cancer screening program based on visual inspection methods was conducted in clinics providing antiretroviral treatment (ART) in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. An itinerant team of midwives was in charge of proposing cervical cancer screening to all HIV-positive women enrolled in ART clinics as well as to HIV-negative women who were attending the Abidjan national blood donor clinic. Positively screened women were systematically referred to a colposcopic examination. A phone-based tracking procedure was implemented to reach positively screened women who did not attend the medical consultation. The association between HIV status and cervical cancer screening outcomes was estimated using a multivariate logistic model.Results: The frequency of positive visual inspection was 9.0% (95% CI 8.0-10.0) in the 2,998 HIV-positive women and 3.9% (95% CI 2.7-5.1) in the 1,047 HIV-negative ones (p < 10-4). In multivariate analysis, HIV infection was associated with a higher risk of positive visual inspection [OR = 2.28 (95% CI 1.61-3.23)] as well as more extensive lesions involving the endocervical canal [OR = 2.42 (95% CI 1.15-5.08)]. The use of a phone-based tracking procedure enabled a significant reduction of women not attending medical consultation after initial positive screening from 36.5% to 19.8% (p < 10-4).Conclusion: The higher frequency of positive visual inspection among HIV-positive women supports the need to extend cervical cancer screening program to all HIV clinics in West Africa. Women loss to follow-up after being positively screened is a major concern in cervical screening programs but yet, partly amenable to a phone tracking procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consequences of the HIV epidemic on cancer epidemiology are sparsely documented in Africa. We aimed to estimate the association between HIV infection and selected types of cancers among patients hospitalized for cancer in four West African countries. A case-referent study was conducted in referral hospitals of Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria and Togo. Each participating clinical ward included all adult patients seeking care with a confirmed diagnosis of cancer. All patients were systematically screened for HIV infection. HIV prevalence of AIDS-defining and some non-AIDS defining cancers (Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, liver, lung, skin, pharynx, larynx, oral cavity and anogenital cancers) were compared to a referent group of cancers reported in the literature as not associated with HIV. Odds ratios adjusted on age, gender and lifetime number of sexual partners (aOR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Among the 1644 cancer patients enrolled, 184 (11.2%) were identified as HIV-infected. The HIV prevalence in the referent group (n=792) was 4.4% [CI 3.0-5.8]. HIV infection was associated with Kaposi sarcoma (aOR 34.6 [CI: 17.3-69.0]), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (aOR 3.6 [CI 1.9-6.8]), cervical cancer (aOR 4.3 [CI 2.2-8.3]), anogenital cancer (aOR 17.7 [CI 6.9-45.2]) and squamous cell skin carcinoma (aOR 5.2 [CI 2.0-14.4]). A strong association is now reported between HIV infection and Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers including cervical cancer and anogenital cancer. As these cancers are amenable to prevention strategies, screening of HPV-related cancers among HIV-infected persons is of paramount importance in this African context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To assess willingness to participate and diagnostic accuracy of visual inspection for early detection of cervical neoplasia among women in a health insurance company. Patients and Method. Cervical cancer screening was systematically proposed to 800 women after consecutive information and awareness sessions. The screening method was visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) or Lugol's iodine (VILI). Results. Among the 800 identified women, 640 (82%) have accepted the screening, their mean age was 39 years, and 12.0% of them were involved in a polygamist couple. 28.2% of women had prior cervical screening. VIA has been detected positive in 5.9% of women versus 8.6% for VILI. The sensitivity was 72.9% and specificity was 95.2% for VIA versus 71.2% and 97.3% for VILI respectively. The histological examination highlighted a nonspecific chronic cervicitis in 4.6%, CIN1 lesions in 5.91%, and CIN2/3 in 1.2% of the cases. Conclusion. Cervical cancer screening by visual inspection showed appropriate diagnostic accuracy when used to detect early cervical lesions. It is a simple and easy to perform method that could be introduced progressively in the health insurance policy while waiting for a national screening program.