Epidemiology of Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever in Endemic Area, Spain.

Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) is caused by spirochetes of Borrelia bacteria. We collected data on all TBRF cases in a TBRF-endemic area in southwest Spain during 1994-2016. We analyzed data from 98 patients in whom TBRF was diagnosed by light microscopy and analyzed the relationship between climatic data and TBRF incidence.

Welfare Homes for Patients Living with HIV/AIDS in Andalusia.

Aims: To study the AIDS welfare homes (AWHs) in Andalusia, assess their resources and the services provided, and describe the characteristics of their residents.

Patients And Methods: Cross-sectional, observational study; an interview questionnaire technique was used with the managers and the residents of the AWHs.

Results: A total of 7 AWHs and 96 residents were included; 32% of the staff were health care workers and 45.

High seroprevalence but low incidence of HCV infection in a cohort of patients with sexually transmitted HIV in Andalusia, Spain.

Purpose: To analyze the prevalence and the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) seropositivity in sexually transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients.

Methods: Observational study of 1468 sexually transmitted HIV-infected patients from 7 hospitals (Southern Spain). Characteristics of HCV cases, and incidence of HCV seroconversion was assessed.

High prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among noninjecting drug users: association with sharing the inhalation implements of crack.

Background: Most of the prevalent cases of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are attributable to intravenous drug using. However, a substantial number of individuals, particularly noninjecting drug users (NIDU), report no identifiable source of HCV exposure. This may be interpreted as inaccurate reporting of past intravenous exposure or as the presence of an unidentified source of HCV infection.

Vitamin D receptor gene haplotypes and susceptibility to HIV-1 infection in injection drug users.

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) participates in multiple immune functions. Here, we determined whether VDR gene-sequence variations are associated with intersubject differences in the risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. We assessed this in 460 males exposed to HIV-1 by injection drug use (335 infected and 125 uninfected) and 124 seronegative healthy subjects.

The use of transient elastometry for assessing liver fibrosis in patients with HIV and hepatitis C virus coinfection.

Background: Transient elastometry (TE) is accurate for detecting significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-monoinfected patients. However, this procedure has been insufficiently validated in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HCV coinfection. The purpose of this study was to validate reported cutoff values of TE that discriminate significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in HIV-HCV-coinfected subjects.

Rapid virological response at week 4 predicts response to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin among HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.

Introduction: The clinical applicability of early viral kinetics at week 4 in predicting sustained virological response (SVR) of pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients is unclear. Our objective was to determine if rapid virological response (RVR) at week 4 of therapy with peg-IFN and RBV could predict SVR among HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.

Methods: HIV/HCV-coinfected patients in whom an HCV viral load determination had been carried out at week 4 of therapy were included in the study.

Low incidence of severe liver events in HIV patients with and without hepatitis C or B coinfection receiving lopinavir/ritonavir.

Objectives: To analyze the incidence of severe liver events in HIV patients treated with lopinavir/ritonavir and the role of coinfection in the development of this toxicity.

Method: This was a retrospective, multicenter, cohort study of all HIV-positive patients who started a regimen of HAART that included lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r). The main outcome variable was the emergence of a severe liver event, defined as decompensation of pre-existing chronic liver disease and grade 3-4 hypertransaminasemia (HT), that is, plasma AST or ALT values >5 times above the upper limit of normality, if baseline levels were normal, or >3.

Low-level liver enzyme elevations during HAART are not associated with liver fibrosis progression among HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.

Objectives: To assess the association between non-severe liver enzyme elevations (LEEs) during antiretroviral treatment and liver fibrosis in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.

Methods: All co-infected patients from an Infectious Disease Unit who had received treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for at least 12 months before undergoing a liver biopsy were included in the study.

Results: One-hundred and sixteen patients met the inclusion criteria of the study.

Use of noninvasive markers to detect Leishmania infection in asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania infantum is a common disease in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected people in the Mediterranean basin. However, most such cases are asymptomatic, and little information about the prevalence of these infections in HIV-infected individuals is available. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of subclinical infection and the relationship between several Leishmania infection markers by noninvasive methods in asymptomatic HIV-infected patients from Southern Spain.

Increased hepatocyte fas expression and apoptosis in HIV and hepatitis C virus coinfection.

Background: Chronic hepatitis C disease (CHC) follows an accelerated course in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection. The reasons for this are unclear. Fas-mediated hepatocyte apoptosis is involved in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.