Etiology, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Bacteremia in Patients With Hematologic Malignancies and Febrile Neutropenia in Uganda.

Background: We determined the etiology, risk factors, and outcomes associated with bacteremia in patients with hematologic malignancies and febrile neutropenia (FN) at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI).

Methods: UCI adult and pediatric inpatients with hematologic malignancies and FN were prospectively enrolled and followed up to determine 30-day mortality. Blood drawn from participants with FN was cultured in the BACTEC 9120 blood culture system.

Viral Load Dynamics in Plasma and Semen When Antiretroviral Therapy Is Initiated During Early HIV-1 Infection.

We assessed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) load in plasma and semen during primary HIV infection using serial samples of semen and plasma during the first 24 weeks after diagnosis in untreated participants and those who started antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately at diagnosis. In the absence of treatment, semen viral load was >1000 copies/mL in almost all specimens (83%) collected 2-10 weeks after the estimated date of HIV acquisition and remained >1000 copies/mL in 35% of untreated participants at the last observed time point. Thus, in the absence of ART, semen viral load remained at a level consistent with transmissibility throughout primary infection.

Etiology of Fever and Associated Outcomes Among Adults Receiving Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Solid Tumors in Uganda.

Background: Little is known about the microbiology and outcomes of chemotherapy-associated febrile illness among patients in sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding the microbiology of febrile illness could improve antibiotic selection and infection-related outcomes.

Methods: From September 2019 through June 2022, we prospectively enrolled adult inpatients at the Uganda Cancer Institute who had solid tumors and developed fever within 30 days of receiving chemotherapy.

Altered biomarkers for cardiovascular disease and inflammation in autoimmune Addison's disease - a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease has been reported in autoimmune Addison's disease (AAD), but pathomechanisms are poorly understood.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: We compared serum levels of 177 cardiovascular and inflammatory biomarkers in 43 patients with AAD at >18-h glucocorticoid withdrawal and 43 matched controls, overall and stratified for sex.

Plasma-Metanephrines in Patients with Autoimmune Addison's Disease with and without Residual Adrenocortical Function.

Purpose: Residual adrenocortical function, RAF, has recently been demonstrated in one-third of patients with autoimmune Addison's disease (AAD). Here, we set out to explore any influence of RAF on the levels of plasma metanephrines and any changes following stimulation with cosyntropin.

Methods: We included 50 patients with verified RAF and 20 patients without RAF who served as controls upon cosyntropin stimulation testing.