Risk Factors Associated with Opportunistic Infections among People Living with HIV/AIDS and Receiving an Antiretroviral Therapy in Gabon, Central Africa.

Viruses

Département d'Epidémiologie, Biostatistiques et Informatique Médicale (DEBIM)/Unité de Recherche en Epidémiologie des Maladies Chroniques et Santé Environnement (UREMCSE), Faculté de Médecine, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville-Owendo BP 18231, Gabon.

Published: January 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • HIV/AIDS remains a leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa, but antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) have improved health outcomes and reduced morbidity, mortality, and opportunistic infections (OIs) among patients.* -
  • A study was conducted in Gabon using data from 2017 to 2019 to identify risk factors for OIs in HIV patients on ART, analyzing 223 participants through various biological tests and statistical methods.* -
  • The findings revealed that 57.9% of patients developed OIs, with a significant prevalence of bacterial and viral infections, and highlighted a link between low CD4 T-cell counts and male gender as risk factors for OI occurrence.*

Article Abstract

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still one of the main causes of death in sub-Saharan Africa. Antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) have significantly improved the health conditions of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Consequently, a significant drop in morbidity and mortality, along with a reduced incidence of opportunistic infections (OIs), has been observed. However, certain atypical and biological profiles emerge in ART patients post-examination. The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors that contributed to the onset of OIs in HIV patients undergoing ART in Gabon. Epidemiological and biological data were obtained from medical records (2017 to 2019) found at the outpatient treatment centre (CTA) of Franceville in Gabon. Samples for blood count, CD4, and viral load analysis at CIRMF were collected from PLWHA suffering from other pathogen-induced conditions. A survey was carried out and data were analysed using Rstudio 4.0.2 and Excel 2007 software. Biological and socio-demographic characteristics were examined concerning OIs through both a univariate analysis via Fisher's exact tests or chi (χ), and a multivariate analysis via logistic regression. Out of the 300 participants initially selected, 223 were included in the study, including 154 (69.05%) women and 69 (30.95%) men. The mean age was 40 (38.6; 41.85), with individuals ranging from 2 to 77 years old. The study cohort was classified into five age groups (2 to 12, 20 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, and 50 to 77 years old), among which the groups aged 30 to 39 and 40 to 49 emerged as the largest, comprising 68 (30.5%) and 75 (33.6%) participants, respectively. It was noted that 57.9% of PLWHA had developed OIs and three subgroups were distinguished, with parasitic, viral, and bacterial infections present in 18%, 39.7%, and 55.4% of cases, respectively. There was a correlation between being male and having a low CD4 T-cell count and the onset of OIs. The study revealed a high overall prevalence of OIs, and extending the study to other regions of Gabon would yield a better understanding of the risk factors associated with the onset of these infections.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10819398PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/v16010085DOI Listing

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