Pneumocystis jirovecii colonisation in HIV‐positive and HIV‐negative subjects in Cameroon. Issue 6 (19th March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Riebold, D.; Enoh, D. O.; Kinge, T. N.; Akam, W.; Bumah, M. K.; Russow, K.; Klammt, S.; Loebermann, M.; Fritzsche, C.; Eyong, J. E.; Eppel, G.; Kundt, G.; Hemmer, C. J.; Reisinger, E. C.
• Is Part Of: Tropical medicine & international health. Volume 19:Issue 6(2014:Jun.)
• Page Start: 643
• Page End: 655
• Publication Date: 2014-03-19
• Subjects: Tropical medicine -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 616.988
• DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12299
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-2276

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="tmi12299-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="tmi12299-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>To determine the prevalence of <italic>Pneumocystis pneumonia</italic> (PCP), a major opportunistic infection in AIDS patients in Europe and the USA, in Cameroon.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12299-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Materials and methods</title> <p>Induced sputum samples from 237 patients without pulmonary symptoms (126 HIV‐positive and 111 HIV‐negative outpatients) treated at a regional hospital in Cameroon were examined for the prevalence of <italic>Pneumocystis jirovecii</italic> by specific nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) and staining methods. CD<sub>4</sub> counts and the history of antiretroviral therapy of the subjects were obtained through the ESOPE database system.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12299-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results and conclusion</title> <p>Seventy‐five of 237 study participants (31.6%) were colonised with <italic>Pneumocystis</italic>, but none showed active PCP. The <italic>Pneumocystis</italic> colonisation rate in HIV‐positive subjects was more than double that of HIV‐negative subjects (42.9% <italic>vs</italic>. 18.9%, <italic>P</italic> < 0.001). In the HIV‐positive group, the colonisation rate corresponds to the reduction in the CD<sub>4</sub> lymphocyte counts. Subjects with CD<sub>4</sub> counts >500 cells/<italic>μ</italic>l were colonised at a rate of 20.0%, subjects with CD<sub>4</sub> counts between 200 and 500 cells/<italic>μ</italic>l of 42.5%, and subjects with CD<sub>4</sub> counts <200 cells/<italic>μ</italic>l of 57.1%. Colonisation with <italic>Pneumocystis</italic> in Cameroon seems to be comparable to rates found in Western Europe. Prophylactic and therapeutic measures against <italic>Pneumocystis</italic> should be taken into account in HIV care in western Africa.</p> </sec> </abstract>