Publications by authors named "Sandro Nazer"
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had great impact on HIV care and prevention worldwide, including in Brazil. We compared HIV testing, recent infection, and annualized incidence according to the COVID-19 pandemic period among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW).
Setting: HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing, prevention, and treatment referral service in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess the occurrence and features of concurrent bacterial sexually transmitted infections (bSTIs) in individuals diagnosed with mpox in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Out of 634 participants, 538 were tested for STIs; the overall rate of bSTIs was found to be 37.3%, primarily affecting cisgender men aged 30-39, with many also living with HIV.
- The findings highlight the significant coexistence of bSTIs in mpox patients, suggesting a need for better sexual health strategies that include mpox in diagnoses and preventive measures.
Background: Household transmission studies seek to understand the transmission dynamics of a pathogen by estimating the risk of infection from household contacts and community exposures. We estimated within/extra-household SARS-CoV-2 infection risk and associated factors in a household cohort study in one of the most vulnerable neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro city.
Methods: Individuals ≥1 years-old with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in the past 30 days (index cases) and household members aged ≥1 year were enrolled and followed at 14 and 28 days (study period November/2020-December/2021).
Background: HIV incidence estimation is critical for monitoring the HIV epidemic dynamics and the effectiveness of public health prevention interventions. We aimed to identify sexual and gender minorities (SGM) with recent HIV infections, factors associated with recent HIV infection, and to estimate annualised HIV incidence rates.
Methods: Cross-sectional multicentre study in HIV testing services in Brazil and Peru (15 cities).
The innate immune system is the first line of defense against pathogens such as the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The type I-interferon (IFN) response activation during the initial steps of infection is essential to prevent viral replication and tissue damage. SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 can inhibit this activation, and individuals with a dysregulated IFN-I response are more likely to develop severe disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To evaluate immunogenicity and reactogenicity of yellow fever (YF) vaccine in people with HIV (PWH) compared to HIV-uninfected controls.
Design: In this longitudinal interventional trial (NCT03132311), PWH with CD4 + cell count ≥200 cells/μl and controls, aged 18-59, without a previous history of YF vaccination received a single standard dose of YF vaccine (17DD) and were followed at Days 5, 30 and Year 1.
Methods: YF-neutralization titers were measured at Days 0, 30 and Year 1 and geometric mean titers (GMT) were calculated.
Introduction: In people living with HIV, active and latent tuberculosis (TB) coinfections are associated with immune activation that correlate with HIV progression and mortality. We investigated the effect of initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) during acute (AHI), recent (RHI), or chronic HIV infection (CHI) on CD4/CD8 ratio normalization and associated factors, the impact of latent TB infection treatment, and prior/concomitant TB diagnosis at the time of ART initiation.
Methods: We included sex with men and transgender women individuals initiating ART with AHI, RHI and CHI between 2013 and 2019, from a prospective cohort in Brazil.
Article Synopsis
- By October 2022, there were over 76,000 reported mpox cases globally, with a significant number occurring in Latin America, specifically Rio de Janeiro, where a study analyzed suspected and confirmed cases in a local infectious diseases center.
- The study involved 342 patients, finding that 60.8% were confirmed cases, predominantly affecting cisgender men aged 30-39, many of whom reported recent sexual activity and had higher rates of HIV and other STIs compared to non-confirmed cases.
- The research revealed that confirmed cases had more severe symptoms, including genital and anal lesions, and highlighted the importance of sexual contact in the spread of mpox, alongside concerns about co-infections with STIs.
Background: COVID-19 serosurveys allow for the monitoring of the level of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and support data-driven decisions. We estimated the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in a large complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Methods: A population-based panel study was conducted in Complexo de Manguinhos (16 ) with a probabilistic sampling of participants aged ≥1 year who were randomly selected from a census of individuals registered in primary health care clinics that serve the area.
Article Synopsis
- Monitoring the HIV epidemic is crucial in identifying high-risk populations, specifically targeting cisgender men who sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- A study was conducted on individuals seeking HIV testing from March 2018 to January 2020, using the Limiting Avidity assay to estimate annualized HIV incidence rates.
- Out of 3,053 individuals, 15.1% were HIV-positive, with a calculated annualized incidence rate of 7.35%, highlighting ongoing challenges in addressing HIV within these vulnerable communities.
Introduction: As the leading sexually transmitted infection worldwide, human papillomavirus (HPV) may disproportionately affect transwomen. We aimed to estimate anal HPV prevalence, especially focusing on high-risk (hr)-HPV types and evaluate their associated factors among transwomen living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Methods: Transwomen enrolled in a respondent-driven sampling (RDS)-based survey conducted between August 2015 and January 2016 self-collected anal samples, which were promptly stored at minus 80°C.
Background: Safety transport boxes are increasingly used to ship laboratory specimens but there is little information on their capacity to maintain suitable transportation temperatures.
Materials And Methods: Inner temperature was assessed using a commercially available transport box during an 8-h transportation period in the heat.
Results: Temperature stability was unsatisfactory during approximately 64% of the transportation time (i.