Antifungal Susceptibility Does Not Correlate With Fungal Clearance or Survival in AIDS-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: O'Connor L
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8561241 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Reliable measures of antifungal drug susceptibility are needed. We tested the susceptibility of Cryptococcus neoformans from patients treated with amphotericin B. In vitro susceptibility employed a modified broth macrodilution method. We demonstrate a strong correlation between the quantitative measures of in vitro amphotericin B susceptibility and the quantitative response observed in patients.
| S-EPMC1797648 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThe first-line combination therapy for HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis (CM), a condition of high mortality particularly in the first two weeks of treatment, consists of amphotericin B plus flucytosine (5-FC). Given that 5-FC remains unavailable in many countries, the knowledge of factors influencing mycological clearance in patients treated with second-line therapy could contribute to effective management.ObjectivesTo determine the factors associated with the clearance of Cryptococcus sp. from the cerebrospinal fluid by the second week of effective antifungal therapy (early mycological clearance) in HIV-associated CM.MethodsRetrospective cohort study based on secondary data corresponding to HIV-associated CM cases hospitalized at a tertiary health care center in Lima, Peru where 5-FC remains unavailable. Risk factors associated with early mycological clearance were analyzed by generalized linear regression models.ResultsFrom January 2000 to December 2013, 234 individuals were discharged with a diagnosis of HIV-associated CM; in 215 we retrieved the required data. The inpatient mortality was 20% (43/215), 15 of them in the first two weeks of treatment. In the final model (157 cases), adjusted for age, previous episode of CM, ART use, type of antifungal treatment, raised intracranial pressure, frequency of therapeutic lumbar punctures, baseline fungal burden and treatment period, the factors associated with early mycological clearance were: Amphotericin B deoxycholate plus fluconazole as combination therapy (RR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.14-2.14); severe baseline intracranial pressure (≥35 cm H2O) (RR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.33-0.99); and baseline fungal burden over 4.5 log10 CFU/mL (RR, 0.61 95% CI: 0.39-0.95).ConclusionsIn a setting without access to first-line therapy for CM, the combination therapy with amphotericin B deoxycholate plus fluconazole was positively associated with early mycological clearance, while high fungal burden and severe baseline intracranial pressure were negatively associated, and thus related to failure.
| S-EPMC5371305 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundCombination antifungal therapy (amphotericin B deoxycholate and flucytosine) is the recommended treatment for cryptococcal meningitis but has not been shown to reduce mortality, as compared with amphotericin B alone. We performed a randomized, controlled trial to determine whether combining flucytosine or high-dose fluconazole with high-dose amphotericin B improved survival at 14 and 70 days.MethodsWe conducted a randomized, three-group, open-label trial of induction therapy for cryptococcal meningitis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. All patients received amphotericin B at a dose of 1 mg per kilogram of body weight per day; patients in group 1 were treated for 4 weeks, and those in groups 2 and 3 for 2 weeks. Patients in group 2 concurrently received flucytosine at a dose of 100 mg per kilogram per day for 2 weeks, and those in group 3 concurrently received fluconazole at a dose of 400 mg twice daily for 2 weeks.ResultsA total of 299 patients were enrolled. Fewer deaths occurred by days 14 and 70 among patients receiving amphotericin B and flucytosine than among those receiving amphotericin B alone (15 vs. 25 deaths by day 14; hazard ratio, 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.30 to 1.08; unadjusted P=0.08; and 30 vs. 44 deaths by day 70; hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.97; unadjusted P=0.04). Combination therapy with fluconazole had no significant effect on survival, as compared with monotherapy (hazard ratio for death by 14 days, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.44 to 1.41; P=0.42; hazard ratio for death by 70 days, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.45 to 1.11; P=0.13). Amphotericin B plus flucytosine was associated with significantly increased rates of yeast clearance from cerebrospinal fluid (-0.42 log10 colony-forming units [CFU] per milliliter per day vs. -0.31 and -0.32 log10 CFU per milliliter per day in groups 1 and 3, respectively; P<0.001 for both comparisons). Rates of adverse events were similar in all groups, although neutropenia was more frequent in patients receiving a combination therapy.ConclusionsAmphotericin B plus flucytosine, as compared with amphotericin B alone, is associated with improved survival among patients with cryptococcal meningitis. A survival benefit of amphotericin B plus fluconazole was not found. (Funded by the Wellcome Trust and the British Infection Society; Controlled-Trials.com number, ISRCTN95123928.).
| S-EPMC3978204 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Concurrent infections caused by multiple fungal pathogens in immunocompromised patients can pose diagnostic and treatment challenges. Here, we presented the first reported case in Taiwan of an AIDS patient who had concurrent infection with Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis and Talaromyces amestolkiae lymphadenopathy. The patient presented with an enlarged inguinal lymph node and was diagnosed with T. amestolkiae lymphadenitis. The species T. amestolkiae was identified using DNA sequencing, which had the capability of differentiating it from other Talaromyces species. The patient was discharged from the hospital following treatment with amphotericin B and subsequent administration of voriconazole. This case highlights the importance of maintaining a suspicion of co-infections and utilizing appropriate diagnostic tools, such as DNA sequencing, to identify possible pathogens. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal treatment for T. amestolkiae and other co-infecting fungal pathogens.
| S-EPMC10532648 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundCryptococcal meningitis associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection causes more than 600,000 deaths each year worldwide. Treatment has changed little in 20 years, and there are no imminent new anticryptococcal agents. The use of adjuvant glucocorticoids reduces mortality among patients with other forms of meningitis in some populations, but their use is untested in patients with cryptococcal meningitis.MethodsIn this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we recruited adult patients with HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Uganda, and Malawi. All the patients received either dexamethasone or placebo for 6 weeks, along with combination antifungal therapy with amphotericin B and fluconazole.ResultsThe trial was stopped for safety reasons after the enrollment of 451 patients. Mortality was 47% in the dexamethasone group and 41% in the placebo group by 10 weeks (hazard ratio in the dexamethasone group, 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84 to 1.47; P=0.45) and 57% and 49%, respectively, by 6 months (hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.53; P=0.20). The percentage of patients with disability at 10 weeks was higher in the dexamethasone group than in the placebo group, with 13% versus 25% having a prespecified good outcome (odds ratio, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.25 to 0.69; P<0.001). Clinical adverse events were more common in the dexamethasone group than in the placebo group (667 vs. 494 events, P=0.01), with more patients in the dexamethasone group having grade 3 or 4 infection (48 vs. 25 patients, P=0.003), renal events (22 vs. 7, P=0.004), and cardiac events (8 vs. 0, P=0.004). Fungal clearance in cerebrospinal fluid was slower in the dexamethasone group. Results were consistent across Asian and African sites.ConclusionsDexamethasone did not reduce mortality among patients with HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis and was associated with more adverse events and disability than was placebo. (Funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development and others through the Joint Global Health Trials program; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN59144167.).
| S-EPMC4778268 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Among 472 patients with human immunodeficiency virus-associated cryptococcal meningitis, 16% had severe visual loss at presentation, and 46% of these were 4-week survivors and remained severely impaired. Baseline cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure ≥40 cmH2O (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-4.83; P = .02) and fungal burden >6.0 log10 colonies/mL (aOR, 3.01; 95% CI, 1.58-5.7; P = .003) were independently associated with severe visual loss.
| S-EPMC8078267 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Quantitative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures provide a measure of disease severity in cryptococcal meningitis. The fungal clearance rate by quantitative cultures has become a primary endpoint for phase II clinical trials. This study determined the inter-assay accuracy of three different quantitative culture methodologies. Among 91 participants with meningitis symptoms in Kampala, Uganda, during August-November 2013, 305 CSF samples were prospectively collected from patients at multiple time points during treatment. Samples were simultaneously cultured by three methods: (1) St. George's 100 mcl input volume of CSF with five 1:10 serial dilutions, (2) AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) method using 1000, 100, 10 mcl input volumes, and two 1:100 dilutions with 100 and 10 mcl input volume per dilution on seven agar plates; and (3) 10 mcl calibrated loop of undiluted and 1:100 diluted CSF (loop). Quantitative culture values did not statistically differ between St. George-ACTG methods (P= .09) but did for St. George-10 mcl loop (P< .001). Repeated measures pairwise correlation between any of the methods was high (r≥0.88). For detecting sterility, the ACTG-method had the highest negative predictive value of 97% (91% St. George, 60% loop), but the ACTG-method had occasional (∼10%) difficulties in quantification due to colony clumping. For CSF clearance rate, St. George-ACTG methods did not differ overall (mean -0.05 ± 0.07 log10CFU/ml/day;P= .14) on a group level; however, individual-level clearance varied. The St. George and ACTG quantitative CSF culture methods produced comparable but not identical results. Quantitative cultures can inform treatment management strategies.
| S-EPMC4834857 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Objective: We intend to investigate the relapse of HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis (CM), assess potential predictors and conduct survival analysis, with a view to establishing a valid reference for the management of the relapse of CM. Method: This is a retrospective study in Chinese patients with HIV-associated CM and those who experience relapse of CM. Baseline demographic, laboratory and clinical characteristics of patients with HIV-associated CM were collected. Predictors for relapse of HIV-associated CM were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Survival probability in relapse cases was determined by Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Results: During the study period, 87 of 348 (25.0%) HIV patients experienced the relapse of CM. CD4+ T-cell counts, antiretroviral therapy (ART) status and the time from symptom onset to presentation were all statistically associated with the relapse of CM (p = 0.013, 0.018 and 0.042, respectively). The overall survival among 46 HIV CM relapse patients whose survival information were obtained, was 78.3%. The proportion of patients who died after antifungal treatment for CM was greater in those whose interval from symptom onset to presentation ≥4 weeks, compared with those <4 weeks (p = 0.0331). Conclusions: In order to reduce the relapse of CM and increase the survival possibility of these patients, we can promote the importance of ART before CM occurs, emphasize timely consultation when any CM-associated clinical symptoms occurs, and individualized the timing of ART initiation according to indicators which can reflect the severity of CM.
| S-EPMC8141581 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionRecent advances in the treatment and prevention of cryptococcal meningitis have the potential to decrease AIDS-related deaths. Areas covered: Targeted screening for asymptomatic cryptococcal antigenemia in persons with AIDS is a cost effective method for reducing early mortality in patients on antiretroviral therapy. For persons with symptomatic cryptococcal meningitis, optimal initial management with amphotericin and flucytosine improves survival compared to alternative therapies; however, amphotsericin is difficult to administer and flucytosine has not been available in middle or low income countries, where cryptococcal meningitis is most prevalent. Expert commentary: Improved care for cryptococcal meningitis patients in resource-limited settings is possible, and new treatment possibilities are emerging.
| S-EPMC5602588 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Latin America is the region with the third most AIDS-related cryptococcal meningitis infections globally. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has reduced the number of infections; however, the number of deaths and the case-fatality rate continues to be unacceptable. In this review, we focus on the burden of AIDS-related cryptococcosis in Latin America and discuss potential strategies to reduce early mortality from Cryptococcus. In this review, we highlight the importance of: (1) earlier HIV diagnosis and HAART initiation with retention-in-care to avoid AIDS; (2) pre-HAART cryptococcal antigen (CRAG) screening with preemptive fluconazole treatment; (3) better diagnostics (e.g. CRAG testing); and (4) optimal treatment with aggressive management of intracranial pressure and induction therapy with antifungal combination. Implementation of these strategies can reduce cryptococcal-related deaths, improve care, and reduce healthcare costs.
| S-EPMC3747670 | biostudies-literature