Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 27 in total

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  1. Arijit G, Shalini C
    Med J Malaysia, 2007 Mar;62(1):88.
    PMID: 17682586
    Nepal is a low prevalence country for HIV/AIDS but has progressed into the category of a "concentrated" epidemic. The epidemic remains concentrated in a few vulnerable populations, namely Female Sex Workers and their clients, Intravenous Drug Users and Seasonal Migrant Workers. There is a big difference between estimated and reported cases for HIV, >60000 and almost 5000 respectively1 . There might be many more undiagnosed cases. Mother–to–child transmission is the largest source of HIV infection in children in Nepal so far.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
  2. Aziah AM
    Med J Malaysia, 2004 Mar;59(1):1-3.
    PMID: 15535327 MyJurnal
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology
  3. Cheong I, Lim A, Lee C, Ibrahim Z, Sarvanathan K
    Med J Malaysia, 1997 Dec;52(4):313-7.
    PMID: 10968106
    Between 1987 to 1995, a total of 334 patients infected with HIV were treated at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur. There were 159 Malays, 108 Chinese, 64 Indians, and 3 from other ethnic groups. Three hundred and twenty-one (96.1%) of these individuals were males and 262 (65.9%) were between the ages of 26-45 years. Intravenous drug users made up 77% (256) of the attributable risk behaviour from the group although many of them also had added risk behaviours like heterosexual activity with multiple partners (50 patients), tattoos (7 patients), homosexual practice (4 patients) and previous transfusions (3 patients). The others acquired their infection through heterosexual promiscuity (59 patients), homo/bisexual activity (7 patients), previous transfusion (5 patients) and tattoos (1 patient). Sixty-six patients (all males) had since progressed to full blown AIDS and 10 have died. The two commonest AIDS-defining events were tuberculosis infection and Pneumocystic carinii pneumonia occurring in 37 (56%) and 15 (22.7%) of patients respectively. Forty-one patients with AIDS presented for the first time with their AIDS-defining infections. The mean CD4 count of the patients when they progressed to AIDS was 130/mm3. The mean time for progression from "known" seropositivity to AIDS was 2.42 years. These results suggest that Malaysians infected with HIV are not coming forward for treatment until they are in the advanced stage of the disease.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology
  4. Asmal HS, Mustafa M, Abdullah S, Zaidah AR, Nurhaslindawati AR, Sarimah A, et al.
    PMID: 20578464
    Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) has become the most common opportunistic infection in HIV/AIDS patients with a CD4 count < or = 200. The incidence of PCP has declined as a result of prophylaxis and better highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The objective of this study was to review the demographic data of HIV patients diagnosed clinically as having PCP at the Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II (HRPZ II) in Malaysia. This was a prospective study. All HIV patients admitted to HRPZ II with respiratory symptoms were enrolled in this study after giving informed consent. Their demographic data were collected. The total number of HIV patients reviewed in this study was 107. Nearly 60% of patients were clinically diagnosed as having pneumocystis pneumonia based on their signs, symptoms and chest x-ray findings. A CD4 count was available in 83 out of 107 patients. The fifty-three percent of patients(44) had a CD4 < 200 and were clinically diagnosed as having pneumocystis pneumonia. Thirty percent had a CD4 < 200 but did not have clinical pneumocystis pneumonia. Sixteen point nine percent had a CD4 > 200 and had clinical pneumocystis pneumonia, three of whom had received HAART, four patients had received prophylaxis. Overall, 94 patients (87.8%) received prophylaxis for pneumocystis pneumonia. Thirty-three patients (30.8%) received HAART. The occurrence of pneumocystis pneumonia was common before full implementation of HAART. Pneumocystis pneumonia can occur in patients with a CD4 >200.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
  5. Nissapatorn V
    PMID: 20578449
    Toxoplasmosis has historically been considered one of the most important opportunistic infections detected in HIV/AIDS patients. The prevalence rates of latent Toxoplasma infections in HIV-infected patients has been found to vary greatly from 3% to 97%. Prevalence has been found to be related to ethnicity, certain risk factors, and reactivation of toxoplasmosis. Prior to antiretroviral therapy, toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) was the most common focal cerebral lesion detected in AIDS patients with Toxoplasma infection, occurring in approximately half of Toxoplasma-seropositive patients. Other forms of dissemination have also been reported in AIDS patients in sites such as the eyes, lungs, heart and spinal cord. Anti-Toxoplasma therapy and chemoprophylaxis have shown effectiveness in reducing the incidence of TE, while noncompliance has been identified as a cause of relapse in these settings. Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common neuropathological complications found at autopsy. Rapid progress in the development of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has changed the observed patterns with TE, for which there has been a marked decrease in overall incidence. Subsequently, TE has been found to be significantly associated with the so-called "neurological immune restoration inflammatory syndrome" (NIRIS). Toxoplasma screening programs are recommended for all newly diagnosed HIV-positive patients. Chemoprophylaxis should be considered in HIV-infected patients who have a CD4 < 200 cells/mm3, particularly in settings where resources are limited and there is not access to HAART. TE remains a cause of morbidity and mortality among AIDS patients.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
  6. Nissapatorn V, Kuppusamy I, Rohela M, Anuar AK, Fong MY
    PMID: 15906632
    During a 2-year retrospective study, 195 non-HIV-infected patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPT) were diagnosed at the National Tuberculosis Center, Kuala Lumpur, representing 10% of all patients with tuberculosis. Their mean age was 39 (+/- SD) 14 years old (range 14-81). The largest age group was 25-34 years, while 78.5% were less than 50 years of age. The subjects were mainly female (50.3%), Malay (49.2%), married (61.5%), resided in Kuala Lumpur (51.0%), and were unemployed (50.3%). Regarding risk factors, they were smokers and/or alcohol users (21.0%), and injecting drug users (IDUs) (5.1%); they also had history of tuberculosis (3.6%) and contact with TB patients (9.2%). Lymphadenopathy was the most common sign (45.6%) shown in the medical records. 42% of x-ray findings (chest, spine, and hip) showed signs consistent with tuberculosis, while histopathology was the most useful diagnostic tool (52.3%) and lymph node was the most frequent specimen used (35.0%) in this study. The three main sites of involvement were lymph nodes (42.6%), miliary and disseminated (19.5%), and pleura (12.8%). The outcome of this study showed 72.8% of these patients had completed treatment for at least 6 months, whilst, only 4.6% of patients were still undergoing treatment, and unfortunately, 22.6% of them showed non-adherence to anti-tubercular therapy at a duration of less than 6 months. However, no MDR-TB or death cases were reported or registered in this study.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
  7. Nissapatorn V, Lee CK, Rohela M, Anuar AK
    PMID: 15906630
    We retrospectively reviewed 205 HIV-infected patients, who came at first entry from January 2001 to December 2002 to the Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The aged range was 21-69 years [mean 37.25 years (+/- SD) 8.1]. Subjects were mainly in the age group 35-44 years. The majority of patients were male (82%), Chinese (55.1%), single (55.6%), resided in Kuala Lumpur (55.1%), and were unemployed (57.1%). The most frequent routes of transmission were sexual contact (78.5%), followed by IDUs (30%), blood transfusion (5%), and unknown (0.5%). Oral candidiasis was the most common mucocutaneous disease and significant co-existence was found with the main opportunistic systemic diseases, such as TB, PCP, toxoplasmic encephalitis, penicillosis, and CMV retinitis (p < 0.05). In this study, the range of CD4 counts was 0-910, with a median of 35 cells/mm3. Significant associations between a CD4 level less than 100 cells/mm3 at the time of diagnosis, and the occurrence of major opportunistic diseases, such as candidiasis, TB, PCP, TE, herpes simplex infection, CMV retinitis, penicillosis, and histoplasmosis were found (p < 0.05) in this study.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
  8. Al-Darraji HA, Kamarulzaman A, Altice FL
    Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, 2012 Jul;16(7):871-9.
    PMID: 22410101 DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.11.0447
    Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and the main cause of death in correctional facilities in middle- and low-income countries. Due to the closed environment and the concentration of individuals with TB-related risk factors, effective measures are required to control TB in such settings. Isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) represents an effective and cost-effective measure. Despite international recommendations that IPT be integral to TB control, it is seldom deployed. A systematic review of interventions used to assess IPT initiation and completion in correctional facilities was conducted using published studies from two biomedical databases and relevant keywords. Additional references were reviewed, resulting in 18 eligible studies. Most (72%) studies were conducted in the United States and in jail settings (60%), with the main objective of improving completion rates inside the facility or after release. Studies that provided data about initiation and completion rates showed poor success in correctional facilities. Adverse consequences and treatment interruption ranged from 1% to 55% (median 5%) in reported studies; hepatotoxicity was the most prevalent adverse reaction. Despite its accelerating effect on the development of active TB, information on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status was provided in only half of the studies. Among the four studies where IPT effectiveness was assessed, the results mirror those described in community settings. Future studies require thorough assessments of IPT initiation and completion rates and adverse effects, particularly in low- and middle-income countries and where comorbid viral hepatitis may contribute significantly to outcomes, and in settings where TB and HIV are more endemic.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology
  9. Norhayati M, Azlin M, Al-Mekhlafi MH, Anisah N, Nor Aini U, Fatmah MS, et al.
    Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 2008 Dec;102(12):1274-8.
    PMID: 18602128 DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2008.05.019
    An observational study was carried out to establish the existence of intestinal microsporidiosis among patients with and without gastrointestinal symptoms in Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia. A total of 893 faecal specimens from hospitalized patients were examined for microsporidia using a modification of the usual Gram-chromotrope stain technique. One hundred and sixteen (13.0%) patients were positive for microsporidia: 84 (72.4%), 27 (23.3%) and 5 (4.3%) were low, moderate and high excreters of microsporidia spores, respectively. Of the 91 patients with available medical records, microsporidiosis was commonly observed in children aged 0-6 years (26.4%) and adults aged >or=31 years (57.2%). About one-third of this infection was observed in immunocompetent individuals. Among the immunosuppressive group, microsporidia were observed to be more prevalent in patients with haematological malignancy or a combination of malignancy and diabetes mellitus. About 74% of the patients who had microsporidia in their faeces had gastrointestinal symptoms, which could be related to infections or induced by immunosuppressive therapy. The role of microsporidia in causing gastrointestinal symptoms in this population is as yet unclear.
    Matched MeSH terms: Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
  10. Cho J, Kandane-Rathnayake R, Louthrenoo W, Hoi A, Golder V, Chen YH, et al.
    Int J Rheum Dis, 2020 Aug;23(9):1255-1257.
    PMID: 32841510 DOI: 10.1111/1756-185X.13937
    Matched MeSH terms: Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
  11. Nissapatorn V, Lee C, Quek KF, Leong CL, Mahmud R, Abdullah KA
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2004 Aug;57(4):160-5.
    PMID: 15329448
    The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis among 505 of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS patients was 226 (44.8%; 95% CI 42.64-51.76): 27 (47.4%) and 199 (44.4%) showed Toxoplasma seropositivity with and without toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE), respectively (P <0.05). The majority of these patients were in the 25-34 age group (44 versus 39%), male (86 versus 76%), and Chinese (49 versus 53%), though no statistical significance was found between the two. Significant differences between these two groups were noted, however, in terms of marital status, occupation, and present address. The heterosexual exhibited the most frequent behavior at risk for HIV infection, and accounted for 51 and 59% of patients with and without TE, respectively. Only 17/260 (6.5%) and 1/137 (0.7%) of them later acquired TE after receiving primary chemoprophylaxis (cotrimoxazole) and antiretroviral therapy including HAART (P <0.05). Fifty-seven (11.3%) out of those 505 patients were diagnosed with AIDS-related TE. The most common clinical manifestation was headache (56%). The computed tomography scan findings showed most lesions to be multiple (96.4%), hypodense (66.7%), and in the parietal region (39.3%). Twenty-seven (47.4%) patients had chronic (latent) Toxoplasma infection as evidenced by seropositivity for anti-Toxoplasma (IgG) antibody. At the time of diagnosis, the range of CD4 cell count was from 0-239 with a median of 25 cells/cumm. We also found that a CD4 count of less than 100 cells/cumm was significantly associated with development of TE (P <0.05). Clinical outcomes showed that among those who survived, 21 (36.8%), 16 (28.1%), and 2 (3.5%) of patients had completed treatment, transferred out, and were lost to follow up, respectively. Unfortunately, 18 (31.6%) of the cases were officially pronounced dead. Overall, 7 (12.3%) patients were detected as recurrent TE in this study.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
  12. Neoh CF, Snell G, Levvey B, Morrissey CO, Stewart K, Kong DC
    Int J Antimicrob Agents, 2014 Sep;44(3):194-202.
    PMID: 25123811 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2014.05.013
    Lung transplant (LTx) patients have an increased risk of developing invasive fungal infections (IFIs), particularly invasive aspergillosis. Rapid identification of the causative fungal pathogen, to allow for early administration of appropriate initial antifungal therapy, in LTx patients has been challenging due to the limited sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic tools. Hence, there is increasing emphasis on antifungal prophylaxis in the LTx setting, given the high mortality rates and substantial cost of treating IFIs. Evidence for the optimal antifungal prophylactic approach in this setting, however, remains scant and inconsistent. This review will briefly discuss the epidemiology, risk factors, timing and clinical manifestations of fungal infections in LTx patients and will focus primarily on the available evidence related to the efficacy, safety and practicality of current prophylactic strategies in LTx recipients as well as challenges and gaps for future research.
    Matched MeSH terms: Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology
  13. Lian YL, Heng BS, Nissapatorn V, Lee C
    Curr HIV Res, 2007 Sep;5(5):484-9.
    PMID: 17896968
    Attempts to address the significant impact of HAART on medical variables on the Malaysian HIV/AIDS population have yet to be evaluated. This study aims to analyze the proportions of AIDS-defining illnesses (ADIs) before and after HAART. A retrospective study was carried out on 128 new cases of HIV infected patients who first commenced HAART in 2004 at the national HIV reference center. Before commencement of HAART, 76 clinical episodes of ADIs were recorded in 52 patients. Most common being pulmonary Mycobacterium tuberculosis (28.9%), PCP (27.6%) and disseminated and extrapulmonary Mycobacterium tuberculosis (11.8%). During HAART, 8 clinical episodes of ADIs were documented in 7 patients with a median time of onset of 10 weeks after initiation of HAART (range, 4-36 weeks). The median CD4 count at the time of the commencement of HAART for these patients was 11 cells/mm(3). ADIs reported include PCP (2 episodes), disseminated and extrapulmonary Mycobacterium tuberculosis (2 episodes), extrapulmonary cryptococcosis (1 episode), esophageal candidiasis (1 episode), recurrent pneumonia (1 episode) and disseminated or extrapulmonary histoplasmosis (1 episode). Three (37.5%) of these occurred despite a reduction of viral load by at least 2 log(10) and an increased in the CD4 cell count. In conclusion, ADIs can still present after the initiation of successful HAART especially in those with CD4 counts below 100 cells/mm(3). In Malaysia, ADIs are the major causes of HIV/AIDS associated morbidity and mortality, thus increased awareness on the management of these illnesses is warranted especially in the months following HAART.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
  14. Nissapatorn V, Kuppusamy I, Sim BL, Quek KF, Khairul Anuar A
    PMID: 16295550
    This retrospective study was conducted at the National Tuberculosis Center (NTBC) where 252 HIV-positive patients coexisting with tuberculosis (TB/HIV) were examined. We found that patients with pulmonary (PTB) and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPT) had similar mean age. A higher sex ratio between male to female (10.7:1) was observed in patients with PTB. The other characteristics of patients with pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis were not statistically different from each other. Cough (88%) and hemoptysis were the most common presenting symptoms, significantly related to patients with PTB. Lymphadenopathy (33.5%) was the most common sign in patients with EPT. The majority of patients with pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis had CD4 cell counts of less than 200 cells/mm3 (range 0-1,179 with a median of 57 cells/mm3). Lung (89%) and miliary (55.6%) forms were the most frequent disease locations in patients with PTB and EPT, respectively. A higher percentage of patients with PTB (42%) were treated successfully with short-course (6 months) therapy, whereas in patients with EPT (43%) needed a longer period (9 months) for successful treatment. Of the patients who defaulted treatment, a higher proportion (87%) had PTB. No MDR-TB or relapse cases were found in this study.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
  15. Kamel AG, Maning N, Arulmainathan S, Murad S, Nasuruddin A, Lai KP
    PMID: 7667707
    A study conducted at the Tampin Drug Rehabilitation Center in Malaysia established a high prevalence (23%) of asymptomatic carriers of Cryptosporidium among exposed HIV positive intravenous drug users (IVDUs). A majority of them were young adults and among the ethnic groups, the Malay HIV positive inmates had the highest prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
  16. Lono A, Kumar S, Chye TT
    Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 2011 Jul;105(7):409-13.
    PMID: 21596411 DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2011.03.006
    The HIV-positive population, due to their immuno-compromised nature, is considered more susceptible to parasitic infections than other populations. However despite the reports of other opportunistic pathogens such as Cryptosporidium and tuberculosis reported in vulnerable communities, microsporidia have not been highlighted in the local HIV-positive population in Malaysia. This study aimed to provide preliminary information on the prevalence of microsporidia in the local HIV-population. Microsporidia were detected in 21/247 (8.5%) stool samples from the HIV-infected individuals, a significantly higher (P-value <0.05) prevalence than in the control group, in which 5/173 (2.9%) were positive. HIV patients were 3x more at risk for acquiring microspordium (OR: 3.12; 95% CI 1.15-8.44). Spores were ellipsoid in shape with outlines that stained dark pink with the interior a lighter shade. Approximately 21% of the positive specimens were from individuals in the 40-49 years age group. Ten individuals who were positive for microsporidia were also positive for other enteric parasites such as Blastocystis hominis and Giardia lamblia. We detected Encephalitozoon intestinalis DNA following nested PCR from three of 10 samples analysed, as demonstrated by an amplicon of 370bp. From the findings reported, it appears that microsporidial infection in humans may actually be more common than reported. We strongly advocate greater emphasis on personal hygiene through public education on personal hygiene and the consumption of boiled or filtered water.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology
  17. Nissapatorn V, Lee C, Quek KF, Abdullah KA
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2003 Oct-Dec;56(5-6):187-92.
    PMID: 14695428
    We retrospectively reviewed 419 HIV/AIDS patients in Hospital Kuala Lumpur from 1994 to 2001. In the male group, the age range was 20-74, with a mean age 37 years, while in the female group it was 17-63, with a mean age of 33 years. With regard to age group, it was found that the preponderant age group was 25-34 years. The majority of male subjects were Chinese (52.5%), single (56.3%), and unemployed (55.1%), whereas the females were Malay (42.3%), married (79.5%), and non-laborer (64.1%). Also, both groups resided in Kuala Lumpur and had heterosexual contact as the leading cause of HIV transmission. More than half of the patients had CD4 cell counts of <200 cells/cumm. We found that the acquisition of HIV infection via intravenous drug use (IDU) was directly related to the incidence of tuberculosis infection (P < 0.05). Further analysis showed HIV-related tuberculosis with IDU was also dependently correlated with occupational status (unemployed) (P < 0.05). The four main AIDS-defining diseases include tuberculosis (48%), Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (13%), toxoplasmic encephalitis (11%), and cryptococcal meningitis (7%); in addition, 53% of these patients were found to have CD4 cell counts of less than 200 cells/cumm at the time of diagnosis.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
  18. Qin Y, Huang X, Chen H, Liu X, Li Y, Hou J, et al.
    BMC Infect Dis, 2020 Jul 29;20(1):551.
    PMID: 32727383 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-020-05260-8
    BACKGROUND: Talaromyces marneffei (TM) is a dimorphic fungus mainly prevalent in Southeast Asian countries, which often causes disseminated life-threatening infection. TM infection often occurs in HIV/AIDS patients even in the antiretroviral therapy (ART) era. However, there has as yet, not been a systematic analysis of the prevalence of TM infection in HIV-infected populations in Asia.

    METHODS: In this study, we searched Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and WanFang from inception to 21 November 2018 for studies reporting TM infection in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Our meta-analysis included studies investigating the prevalence of TM infection in PLWHA. Reviews, duplicate studies, and animal studies were excluded. A random effects model was used to estimate pooled prevalence, and meta-regression analysis was conducted to explore potential factors for heterogeneity.

    RESULTS: 159,064 patients with HIV infection in 33 eligible studies were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of TM infection in PLWHA was 3.6%. Vietnam had the highest prevalence (6.4%), followed by Thailand (3.9%), China (3.3%), India (3.2%) and Malaysia (2.1%). In China, TM infection was most prevalent in South China (15.0%), while the burden in Southwest China was not very heavy (0.3%). CD4+ T-cell counts below 200 cells/mm3 contributed to the increased risk of TM infection in PLWHA (OR 12.68, 95%CI: 9.58-16.77). However, access to ART did not significantly decrease the risk of TM infection in PLWHA.

    CONCLUSIONS: The burden of TM infection in Asia is heavy, and varies from region to region. PLWHA in lower latitude areas are more likely to suffer from TM infection. Optimization of diagnostic tools and universal screening for TM in vulnerable people to ensure early case detection and prompt antifungal treatment should be considered.

    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
  19. Prasitsuebsai W, Kariminia A, Puthanakit T, Lumbiganon P, Hansudewechakul R, Siew Moy F, et al.
    Pediatr Infect Dis J, 2014 Jul;33(7):747-52.
    PMID: 24378942 DOI: 10.1097/INF.0000000000000226
    There are limited data on opportunistic infections (OIs) and factors associated with their occurrence after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Asian children. The use of HAART in Asia started much later than in developed countries and therefore reported findings may not be fully applicable to the pediatric HIV epidemic in Asia.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
  20. Swathirajan CR, Vignesh R, Pradeep A, Solomon SS, Solomon S, Balakrishnan P
    Indian J Med Microbiol, 2017 Jan-Mar;35(1):37-40.
    PMID: 28303816 DOI: 10.4103/ijmm.IJMM_16_164
    CONTEXT: Diarrhoea is one of the major complications occurring in over 90% of HIV-infected individuals in developing countries. Coccidian group of parasites, being opportunistic pathogens, have been implicated as the most common causative agents of diarrhoea among HIV-infected population.

    AIMS: The aim was to study the magnitude of parasitic diarrhoea with special context to coccidian parasitic infections in HIV-infected individuals and their association with the patient's immunological status measured by CD4 T-cell counts.

    SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This investigation was performed between January 2002 and December 2014 at a tertiary HIV care centre in Chennai, South India.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Stool samples were collected and microscopically observed for parasites using direct, formal-ether-concentrated wet mounts and modified acid-fast staining for coccidian parasites. CD4 T-cell counts were done by FACScount.

    STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: All statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism software, version 5.0, andP < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

    RESULTS: Coccidian parasitic infection accounted for about 23.4% of parasitic infections, and of these, Cystoisospora belli was observed to be the most common cause of diarrhoea (88.8%), followed by Cryptosporidium spp. (9.9%) and Cyclospora spp. (1.3%). Trend analysis of coccidian aetiology during the study period revealed a significant rise in the positivity of C. belli and Cryptosporidium spp. (P = 0.001). Among the HIV patients with CD4+ T-cell counts <200 cells/μL, Cryptosporidium infection was most common (90%), followed by infection with C. belli(61.4%).

    CONCLUSIONS: Coccidian parasites continue to be the most common aetiological agent of diarrhoea among patients with HIV. The increasing trend of positivity of both cystoisosporiasis and cryptosporidiosis over the study period and the high positivity of cryptosporidiosis in patients with lower CD4+ T-cell counts are issues of serious concern. The findings call for the need for the early diagnosis of coccidian parasites and appropriate intervention among HIV-infected patients.
    Matched MeSH terms: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology*
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