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Background: Globally, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing among young people living with HIV (YPLHIV), with inconsistent estimates. Aggregated data on the prevalence of CKD are needed in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to inform strategies for early diagnosis and management. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the pooled prevalence of CKD among YPLHIV in SSA. Methods: We searched Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, African Index Medicus, and African Journals Online for articles reporting the prevalence of CKD among YPLHIV in SSA using predefined search strategies up to 15th January 2024. The reference lists of identified articles were checked for additional eligible studies. The eligibility criteria were studies among YPLHIV aged 10–24 years reporting CKD prevalence defined by either glomerular filtration rate (GFR), albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) or proteinuria. We used a narrative synthesis to report differences between the included studies. The DerSimonian-Laird random effects model was used to pool the CKD prevalence, and heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochrane Q-test and I-squared values. We assessed the risk of bias in each article using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist and publication bias in a funnel plot and Egger's test. Results: Of 802 retrieved articles, 15 fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. Of these, 12 (80%) were cross-sectional studies that used estimated GFR to diagnose CKD. Only one study followed the standard definition of CKD. The pooled CKD prevalence from 15 studies was 12% (95% CI 6.0–19.5%), ranging from 0.8% to 53.1% according to the definition used, with a high degree of heterogeneity (I2 = 97.7%, p<0.001). The included studies were of moderate quality, with no evidence of publication bias. Sensitivity analysis showed that the findings were robust to the methodological and analytic approach. Conclusion: CKD prevalence among YPLHIV is moderately high and highly heterogeneous across SSA. The standard definition of CKD should be used to enable estimation of CKD prevalence in different studies and settings. HIV programs enrolling YPLHIV should routinely screen for CKD to ensure early diagnosis and management. Trial registration: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022347588. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Uganda was using a threshold of 1000 copies/mL to determine viral non‐suppression for antiretroviral therapy monitoring among people living with HIV, prior to this study. It was not clear whether people living with HIV with low‐level viraemia (LLV, ≥50 to <1000 copies/mL) would benefit from intensive adherence counselling (IAC). The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of IAC among people living with HIV, receiving antiretroviral therapy, and with LLV in Uganda, to guide key policy decisions in HIV care, including the review of the viral load (VL) testing algorithm. Methods: This cluster‐randomized clinical trial comprised adults from eight HIV clinics who were living with HIV, receiving ART, and had recent VL results indicating LLV (tested from July 2022 to October 2022). Participants in the intervention arm clinics received three once‐monthly sessions of IAC, and those in the comparison non‐intervention arm clinics received the standard of care. At the end of the study, all participants were re‐tested for VL to determine the proportions of those who then had an undetectable VL (<50 copies/mL). We assessed the statistical association between cross‐tabulated variables using Fisher's exact test and then modified Poisson regression. Results: A total of 136 participants were enrolled into the study at eight HIV clinics. All 68 participants in the intervention arm completed all IAC sessions. Only one participant in the non‐intervention arm was lost to follow‐up. The average follow‐up time was 3.7 months (standard deviation [SD] 0.2) and 3.5 months (SD 0.1) in the intervention and non‐intervention arms, respectively. In total, 59 (43.7%) of 135 people living with HIV achieved an undetectable VL during the study follow‐up period. The effect of IAC on attaining an undetectable VL among people with LLV was nearly twice as high in the intervention arm (57.4%) than in the non‐intervention arm (29.9%): adjusted risk ratio 1.9 (95% confidence interval 1.0–3.5), p = 0.037. Conclusion: IAC doubled the likelihood of an undetectable VL among people living with HIV with LLV. Therefore, IAC has been instituted as an intervention to manage people living with HIV with LLV in Uganda, and this should also be adopted in other Sub‐Saharan African countries with similar settings. ClinicalTrials.Gov Identifier: NCT05514418. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Increased detection of tuberculosis (TB) using intensified or active case finding (ICF) is one of the cornerstones of the Stop TB Strategy, and contrasts with passive case finding (PCF) which relies on self-reported symptoms. There is no clear guidance on implementation strategies. We implemented ICF in addition to ongoing PCF in our large urban HIV clinic in July 2010 using a twice-daily announcement screen method by a trained peer educator, asking waiting patients to self-refer to a trained peer supporter for screening of TB symptoms. We sought to determine the associated effect on TB case detection. Methods Suspects were investigated by sputum smear, chest X-ray and ultrasound, if indicated. Routinely collected clinical and laboratory data were merged with the ICF register and TB clinic data for patients attending the clinic in 2010. We compared the yield of TB cases (defined as the prevalence of newly diagnosed TB cases in the screened population), the type of TB diagnosed and the total cost per TB case identified (in United States Dollars [USD]) for the period before and after ICF implementation. Results Of the 20,456 patients who visited the clinic in 2010, 614 were identified as TB suspects, 220 pre-ICF and 394 post-ICF (229 via PCF and 165 via ICF). The proportion diagnosed with TB dropped from 66% to 48% (60% in suspects identified through PCF and 31% through ICF). During the post-ICF period, TB suspects identified through ICF compared to PCF identification were more likely to be female, older, on ART and to have been enrolled in HIV care for a longer duration. The yield of combined PCF and ICF screening was 1.4% pre-ICF and 1.7% post-ICF with a cost per TB case identified of 12.29 USD and 21.80 USD, respectively. Conclusions Implementation of ICF in a large HIV clinic yielded more TB suspects and cases, but substantially increased costs and was unable to capture the majority of TB suspects who were referred for diagnosis by clinicians through PCF. The overall yield of TB cases in a mature HIV clinic was low, although targeted screening of those recently enrolled in care may increase the yield.

Introduction: Young people living with HIV (YPLHIV) are at increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) which is associated with high mortality and morbidity. Early diagnosis is important to halt progression. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with CKD among YPLHIV in Kampala, Uganda, and to compare serum creatinine and cystatin C for early diagnosis of CKD in this population., Methods: A cross-sectional study with YPLHIV aged 10 to 24 years was conducted in seven HIV clinics. Participants provided a urine and blood sample to measure urinary albumin, proteinuria, serum creatinine and cystatin C levels at baseline and after three months. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using CKDEPI 2021, Cockroft-Gault and bedside Schwartz equations using creatinine or cystatin C. The albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) and proteinuria were measured. CKD was defined as either eGFR <60ml/min/1.73m 2 or <90ml/min/1.73m 2 or ACR above 30mg/g on two separate occasions. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for factors associated with CKD., Results: A total of 500 participants were enrolled. Most were female (56%; n=280) and aged 10 to 17 years (66.9%; n=335). CKD prevalence ranged from 0-23% depending on the criteria, equation and biomarker used. Cystatin C-based equations estimated higher prevalence of CKD compared to creatinine-based ones. Prevalence of ACR above 30mg/g was 10.1% and of proteinuria 29%. Factors independently associated with CKD were age (aOR=1.42; 95% CI:1.30-1.51) and male sex (aOR=3.02; 95% CI:1.68-5.43)., Conclusion: CKD prevalence among YPLHIV varied substantially depending on definitions used and the current definition would likely lead to missed cases of CKD among YPLHIV. Estimating equations should be validated against measured GFR in YPLHIV and the optimal definition of CKD in this vulnerable population should be revised to optimise detection and opportunities for reducing disease progression., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Objectives: The main aim was to determine the diagnostic performance of an albuminuria point-of-care test (POC) for diagnosis of chronic kidney disease among young people living with HIV (YPLHIV) in Uganda., Design: We conducted a cross-sectional study comparing the diagnostic performance of MicroalbuPHAN (Erba Lachema, Czech Republic), an albuminuria POC test against the laboratory-measured albumin and creatinine as the reference standard., Setting: The study was set in seven HIV clinics in Kampala, Uganda that provide antiretroviral therapy to adults and children living with HIV. The study took place from April to August 2023., Participants: 497 YPLHIV aged 10-24 years who were diagnosed with HIV before 10 years of age were randomly selected from the HIV clinics. Pregnant YPLHIV were excluded., Procedures: Participants provided a spot urine sample that was tested for albumin and creatinine using the POC and in the laboratory and proteinuria using urine dipstick. The sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values (NPV, PPV) of the POC versus the laboratory test were calculated, and factors associated with having a positive POC test were estimated using logistic regression., Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was a diagnosis of albuminuria defined as an albumin creatinine ratio above 30 mg/g., Results: Of the 497 participants enrolled, 278 (55.9%) were female and 331 (66.8%) were aged 10-17 years. The POC test had a sensitivity of 74.5% (95% CI 70.6% to 78.4%) and specificity of 68.1% (95% CI 63.9% to 72.3%). The PPV was 21.5% (95% CI 17.8% to 25.1%) and the NPV was 95.8% (95% CI 94.0% to 97.6%), with an accuracy of 68.8%. There was strong evidence that a positive POC test was associated with having proteinuria (OR 2.82; 95% CI 1.89 to 4.22, p<0.001); body mass index <19.5 (OR 1.69 95% CI 1.17 to 2.45, p=0.005) and being male (OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.02 to 2.14, p=0.04)., Conclusions: The albuminuria POC test had low sensitivity and specificity. However, it can be used to exclude kidney disease given its high NPV. It should be validated against the 24-hour urinary excretion rate to further determine its diagnostic performance., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: People living with HIV (PLWH) are at risk of kidney function impairment due to HIV-related inflammation, antiretroviral therapy (ART), diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Older persons may experience a higher burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) as kidney function declines with increasing age. There is a paucity of data comparing the prevalence of kidney function impairment in older PLWH to that in HIV-uninfected people in sub-Saharan Africa., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among people aged ≥ 60 years living with and without HIV in Kampala, Uganda who were matched 1:1 by community location. We collected data on sociodemographics, comorbidities, and HIV-related clinical characteristics. We defined kidney function impairment as an estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR) < 60mls/min/1.73m 2 with or without proteinuria. We constructed multivariable logistic regression models to study associations between participant characteristics and kidney function impairment., Results: We enrolled 278 people (median age 66 years); 50% were PLWH, and 51.8% were female. Overall, the prevalence of kidney function impairment was 23.0% (95% CI:18.4%-28.4%); 33.1% (95% CI: 25.7%-41.4%) versus 12.9% (95% CI: 8.3%-19.7%) among people living with and without HIV (p-value < 0.01). The prevalence of proteinuria among PLWH versus people without HIV was 43.9% (95% CI:35.8%-52.3%) versus 19.4% (95% CI:13.6%-26.9%) p-value < 0.01. Living with HIV (OR = 3.89(95% CI: 2.04-7.41), p-value < 0.01), older age (OR = 1.13, (95% CI:1.07-1.20), p-value < 0.01), female sex (OR = 1.95, (95% CI:1.06-3.62), p-value = 0.03) and a prior diagnosis of hypertension (OR = 2.19(95% CI:1.02-4.67), p-value = 0.04) were significantly associated with kidney function impairment., Conclusions: HIV infection is strongly associated with kidney function impairment among older PLWH. Prioritizing routine measurements of kidney function and proteinuria in older PLWH will enable early detection and institution of measures to reduce the progression of kidney disease., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Background: Retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) care is a key indicator of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) treatment success as it improves adherence, critical for better treatment outcomes and prevention of drug resistance. HIV treatment among adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) is characterized by loss to follow-up, poor ART adherence, and eventual death. This study assessed retention in ART care and the associated factors among ALHIV in Ibanda district, rural South Western Uganda., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using clinical data from ALHIV enrolled from 2019 to 2020 in eight health facilities in Ibanda district. Data from the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system was extracted to assess the associated factors and participants' status two years after enrollment. Data were analyzed using EPIdata version 3.1 in which Univariate and multivariate cox proportional hazard regression analyses were determined. A hazard ratio (HR) at a 95% confidence interval was obtained, and a P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: Eighty-four ALHIV comprising 86.9% (N = 73) females were enrolled. The majority 63.1% (N = 53) resided in semi/peri-urban, and 44.0% (N = 37) stayed less than 5 km from the facility. Only 35.7% (N = 30) were active on ART, while 17 (20.2%) and 36 (42.9%) were lost to follow-up and transfer-outs, respectively. Factors associated with low retention were: ALHIV that moved 5-10Km (HR = 5.371; 95% CI: 1.227-23.5050, p = 0.026), used differential service delivery model was Facility-Based Group (FBG) (HR = 12.419; 95% CI: 4.034-38.236, p < 0.001) and those enrolled on the Young Adolescent Program Support (YAPs) (HR = 4.868; 95CI:1.851-12.803; p = 0.001). Retention reduced with increasing ART duration, ALHIV on (TDF/3TC/EFV) (p < 0.001), lived more than 10Km (p = 0.043) and did not benefit from any intervention (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Results showed low retention in care and the urgent need to strengthen individual case management strategies for ALHIV, thus interventions focusing on peer support are desired., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2023 Nimwesiga et al.)