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Fulltext Fatal early-onset neonatal sepsis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae

Nallusamy R

Med J Malaysia, 1998 Dec;53(4):442-5.
PMID: 10971993

Two cases of invasive early-onset neonatal pneumococcal sepsis are reported. One neonate was born at term with no risk factors and the other preterm at 35 weeks. Sepsis was not detected at birth for either of these babies and diagnosis was made at the stage of severe sepsis. A fatal outcome resulted despite treatment. Pneumococcal sepsis was confirmed after death in both these cases. Although maternal carriage was not documented in either case, the ages at presentation and progression suggested perinatal acquisition of infection. Early onset neonatal pneumococcal sepsis presents similarly as early onset neonatal Group B streptococcal (GBS) sepsis. Vaginal carriage of pneumococcus is rare but the micro-organism may have a higher invasion to colonisation ratio (attack rate) than GBS. Risk factors for invasive disease are similar to GBS.
Impact of a new aggressive nutrition policy incorporating early introduction of parenteral nutrition and mother's own milk on growth of preterm infants

Low CS, Ho JJ, Nallusamy R

World J Pediatr, 2016 Nov;12(4):450-454.
PMID: 27286688 DOI: 10.1007/s12519-016-0037-7

BACKGROUND: Most of the evidence on early feeding of preterm infants was derived from high income settings, it is equally important to evaluate whether it can be successfully implemented into less resourced settings. This study aimed to compare growth and feeding of preterm infants before and after the introduction of a new aggressive feeding policy in Penang Hospital, a tertiary referral hospital in a middle income country.

METHODS: The new aggressive feeding policy was developed mainly from Cochrane review evidence, using early parenteral and enteral nutrition with standardized breastfeeding counselling aimed at empowering mothers to provide early expressed milk. A total of 80 preterm babies (34 weeks and below) discharged from NICU were included (40 pre- and 40 post-intervention). Pre and post-intervention data were compared. The primary outcome was growth at day 7, 14, 21 and at discharge and secondary outcomes were time to full oral feeding, breastfeeding rates, and adverse events.

RESULTS: Complete data were available for all babies to discharge. One baby was discharged prior to day 14 and 10 babies before day 21, so growth data for these babies were unavailable. Baseline data were similar in the two groups. There was no significant weight difference at 7, 14, 21 days and at discharge. More post-intervention babies were breastfed at discharge than pre-intervention babies (21 vs. 8, P=0.005). Nosocomial infection (11 vs. 4, P=0.045), and blood transfusion were significantly lower in the postintervention babies than in the pre-intervention babies (31 vs. 13, P=0.01). The post-intervention babies were more likely to achieve shorter median days (interquartile range) to full oral feeding [11 (6) days vs. 13 (11) days, P=0.058] and with lower number affecting necrotising enterocolitis (0 vs. 5, P=0.055).

CONCLUSION: Early aggressive parenteral nutrition and early provision of mother's milk did not result in improved growth as evidenced by weight gain at discharge. However we found more breastfeeding babies, lower nosocomial infection and transfusion rates. Our findings suggest that implementing a more aggressive feeding policy supported by high level scientific evidence is able to improve important outcomes.
Fulltext Outcomes of human immunodeficiency virus-infected children after anti-retroviral therapy in Malaysia

Moy FS, Fahey P, Nik Yusoff NK, Razali KA, Nallusamy R, TREAT Asia Pediatric HIV Observational Database (TApHOD)

J Paediatr Child Health, 2015 Feb;51(2):204-8.
PMID: 25142757 DOI: 10.1111/jpc.12712

To describe outcome and examine factors associated with mortality among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children in Malaysia after anti-retroviral therapy (ART).
Epidemiology of intussusception in Malaysia: a three-year review

Giak CL, Singh HS, Nallusamy R, Leong TY, Ng TL, Bock HL

Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2008 Sep;39(5):848-55.
PMID: 19058579

This study aimed to document the baseline incidence and epidemiology of intussusception (IS) in Malaysia. This retrospective surveillance examined hospital discharge data from three hospitals in Malaysia to identify IS cases over a 3-year period (2000-2003) in children <5 years of age. Identification of definite cases of IS was done through a search of computerized hospital discharge records (ICD-9-CM code 560.0) followed by confirmation of diagnosis through medical record review. The definition of IS was based on the clinical guidelines from the IS Brighton Collaboration Working Group, version 2002. During the 3-year study period, there were 62 cases hospitalized due to IS, of which 74.2% were < 1 year of age. The incidences for hospitalization due to IS in children < 1 year old and < 5 years old averaged 17.8 and 4.8 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. No IS-associated deaths were recorded and all IS cases had a favorable outcome. No distinct seasonality with IS occurrence was observed.
Hand hygiene compliance in Penang, Malaysia: Human audits versus product usage

Lee YF, Merican H, Nallusamy R, Ong LM, Mohamed Nazir P, Hamzah HB, et al.

Am J Infect Control, 2016 06 01;44(6):e95-7.
PMID: 26897697 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2015.12.031

Hand hygiene auditing is mandatory for all Malaysian public hospitals; nonetheless, the burden of auditing is impacting the support and sustainability of the program. We report an alternative method to routinely measure hand hygiene compliance with the aim to test whether alcohol-based handrub purchase data could be used as a proxy for usage because human auditing has decreased validity and reliability inherent in the methodology.
Fulltext A novel de novo NLRC4 mutation reinforces the likely pathogenicity of specific LRR domain mutation

Chear CT, Nallusamy R, Canna SW, Chan KC, Baharin MF, Hishamshah M, et al.

Clin Immunol, 2020 02;211:108328.
PMID: 31870725 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2019.108328

Autoinflammatory disorders are characterized by dysregulated innate immune response, resulting in recurrent uncontrolled systemic inflammation and fever. Gain-of-function mutations in NLRC4 have been described to cause a range of autoinflammatory disorders. We report a twelve-year-old Malay girl with recurrent fever, skin erythema, and inflammatory arthritis. Whole exome sequencing and subsequent bidirectional Sanger sequencing identified a heterozygous missense mutation in NLRC4 (NM_001199138: c.1970A > T). This variant was predicted to be damaging in silico, was absent in public and local databases and occurred in a highly conserved residue in the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain. Cytokine analysis showed extremely high serum IL-18 and IL-18/CXCL9 ratio, consistent with other NLRC4-MAS patients. In summary, we identified the first patient with a novel de novo heterozygous NLRC4 gene mutation contributing to autoinflammatory disease in Malaysia. Our findings reinforce the likely pathogenicity of specific LRR domain mutations in NLRC4 and expand the clinical spectrum of NLRC4 mutations.
Fulltext X-linked chronic granulomatous disease in a male child with an X-CGD carrier, Klinefelter brother

Gill HK, Kumar HC, Cheng CK, Ming CC, Nallusamy R, Yusoff NM, et al.

Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol, 2013 Jun;31(2):167-72.
PMID: 23859418 DOI: 10.12932/AP0274.31.2.2013

BACKGROUND: Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare primary immunodeficiency (PID) caused by a dysfunctional respiratory burst enzyme NADPH-oxidase. The concurrence of Klinefelter’s Syndrome (KS) and CGD would be extremely rare.
OBJECTIVE: We describe the study of a family where the youngest male child had X-linked CGD (X-CGD) while his older brother was both an X-CGD carrier and a Klinefelter.
METHODS: Flow cytometry was used to study respiratory burst and gp91-phox expression, while genetic investigation was done by RT-PCR, PCR and X-chromosome short tandem repeat (X-STR) analysis.
RESULTS: The Dihydrorhodamine (DHR) assay showed the patient’s neutrophils failed to produce a respiratory burst, while both the mother and an older brother showed a bimodal response. gp91-phox expression was absent in the patient’s neutrophils, and bimodal in the mother’s and brother’s neutrophils. The patient’s cDNA showed a C>T change at nucleotide 676 of the CYBB gene. The same change was seen in the patient’s gDNA, while the brother and mother were heterozygous, with C and T, in this position. The c.676C>T is a nonsense mutation that leads to premature termination of the gp91-phox protein. The brother karyotyped as 47, XXY and X chromosome analysis showed that he had inherited both his mother’s X chromosomes.
CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the patient had gp91-phox deficient CGD while his older brother was a CGD carrier and a Klinefelter, who had inherited both his mother’s X chromosomes. This is the first report of such a concurrence in an individual, and argues for family members to be included in PID studies.
Key words: Chronic granulomatous disease, CYBB, gp91-phox, Klinefelter’s syndrome NADPHoxidase
Fulltext Final Height and Associated Factors in Perinatally HIV-infected Asian Adolescents

Bunupuradah T, Kariminia A, Aurpibul L, Chokephaibulkit K, Hansudewechakul R, Lumbiganon P, et al.

Pediatr Infect Dis J, 2016 Feb;35(2):201-4.
PMID: 26484429 DOI: 10.1097/INF.0000000000000961

We analyzed final height of 273 perinatally HIV-infected Asian adolescents older than 18 years at their last clinic visit. By the World Health Organization child growth reference, 30% were stunted, but by the Thai child growth reference, 19% were stunted. Half of those who were stunted at antiretroviral therapy initiation remained stunted over time. Being male and having a low baseline height-for-age Z score of less than -1.0 were associated with low final height Z score.
Atypical Presentation of Severe Fungal Necrotizing Fasciitis in a Patient with X-Linked Agammaglobulinemia

Chear CT, Nallusamy R, Chan KC, Mohd Tap R, Baharin MF, Syed Yahya SNH, et al.

J Clin Immunol, 2021 08;41(6):1178-1186.
PMID: 33713249 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-021-01017-3

X-linked agammaglobulinemia is a rare primary immunodeficiency due to a BTK mutation. The patients are characteristically deficient in peripheral B cells and serum immunoglobulins. While they are susceptible to infections caused by bacteria, enteroviruses, and parasites, fungal infections are uncommon in XLA patients. Here, we report a boy of Malay ethnicity who suffered from recurrent upper respiratory tract infections and severe progressive necrotizing fasciitis caused by Saksenaea erythrospora. Immunological tests showed a B cell deficiency and hypogammaglobulinemia. Whole-exome sequencing identified a dinucleotide deletion (c.1580_1581del) in BTK, confirmed by Sanger sequencing and predicted to be disease causing by in silico functional prediction tools (Varsome and MutationTaster2) but was absent in the gnomAD database. This mutation resulted in a frameshift and premature termination (p.C527fs), which disrupted the protein structure. The mother was heterozygous at the mutation site, confirming her carrier status. Flow cytometric analysis of monocyte BTK expression showed it to be absent in the patient and bimodal in the mother. This study describes a novel BTK mutation in a defined hotspot and an atypical fungal phenotype in XLA. Further studies are required to understand the pathogenesis of fungal infection in XLA.
The long-term outcomes of antiretroviral treatment initiated with mono or dual nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors in HIV-1-infected children: an Asian observational study

Wittawatmongkol O, Mohamed TJ, Le TP, Ung V, Maleesatharn A, Hansudewechakul R, et al.

Journal of virus eradication, 2015 06 30;1(3):192-195.
PMID: 27076917

After a median of 115.9 months of follow-up, 90% of 206 HIV-1-infected children in a cohort in Asia who initiated antiretroviral treatment (ART) with mono or dual nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors were alive and had comparable immunological and virological outcomes as compared to the 1,915 children who had started with highly active antiretroviral regimens. However, these children had higher rates of treatment-related adverse events, opportunistic infections, and cumulative mortality, and were more likely to require protease inhibitor-containing regimens or other more novel ART-based regimens.
Fulltext Weight as predictors of clinical progression and treatment failure: results from the TREAT Asia Pediatric HIV Observational Database

Kariminia A, Durier N, Jourdain G, Saghayam S, Do CV, Nguyen LV, et al.

J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr, 2014 Sep 01;67(1):71-6.
PMID: 24872132 DOI: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000000227

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of time-updated weight and height in predicting clinical progression, and immunological and virological failure in children receiving combination antiretroviral therapy (cART).
METHODS: We used Cox regression to analyze data of a cohort of Asian children.
RESULTS: A total of 2608 children were included; median age at cART was 5.7 years. Time-updated weight for age z score < -3 was associated with mortality (P < 0.001) independent of CD4% and < -2 was associated with immunological failure (P ≤ 0.03) independent of age at cART.
CONCLUSIONS: Weight monitoring provides useful data to inform clinical management of children on cART in resource-limited settings.
Fulltext Dengue and other common causes of acute febrile illness in Asia: an active surveillance study in children

Capeding MR, Chua MN, Hadinegoro SR, Hussain II, Nallusamy R, Pitisuttithum P, et al.

PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2013;7(7):e2331.
PMID: 23936565 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002331

Common causes of acute febrile illness in tropical countries have similar symptoms, which often mimic those of dengue. Accurate clinical diagnosis can be difficult without laboratory confirmation and disease burden is generally under-reported. Accurate, population-based, laboratory-confirmed incidence data on dengue and other causes of acute fever in dengue-endemic Asian countries are needed.
Fulltext Tuberculosis in Pediatric Antiretroviral Therapy Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Diagnosis and Screening Practices

Ballif M, Renner L, Claude Dusingize J, Leroy V, Ayaya S, Wools-Kaloustian K, et al.

J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc, 2015 Mar;4(1):30-8.
PMID: 26407355 DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piu020

BACKGROUND: The global burden of childhood tuberculosis (TB) is estimated to be 0.5 million new cases per year. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children are at high risk for TB. Diagnosis of TB in HIV-infected children remains a major challenge.
METHODS: We describe TB diagnosis and screening practices of pediatric antiretroviral treatment (ART) programs in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. We used web-based questionnaires to collect data on ART programs and patients seen from March to July 2012. Forty-three ART programs treating children in 23 countries participated in the study.
RESULTS: Sputum microscopy and chest Radiograph were available at all programs, mycobacterial culture in 40 (93%) sites, gastric aspiration in 27 (63%), induced sputum in 23 (54%), and Xpert MTB/RIF in 16 (37%) sites. Screening practices to exclude active TB before starting ART included contact history in 41 sites (84%), symptom screening in 38 (88%), and chest Radiograph in 34 sites (79%). The use of diagnostic tools was examined among 146 children diagnosed with TB during the study period. Chest Radiograph was used in 125 (86%) children, sputum microscopy in 76 (52%), induced sputum microscopy in 38 (26%), gastric aspirate microscopy in 35 (24%), culture in 25 (17%), and Xpert MTB/RIF in 11 (8%) children.
CONCLUSIONS: Induced sputum and Xpert MTB/RIF were infrequently available to diagnose childhood TB, and screening was largely based on symptom identification. There is an urgent need to improve the capacity of ART programs in low- and middle-income countries to exclude and diagnose TB in HIV-infected children.
Fulltext Low Risk of CD4 Decline After Immune Recovery in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Children With Viral Suppression

Kosalaraksa P, Boettiger DC, Bunupuradah T, Hansudewechakul R, Saramony S, Do VC, et al.

J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc, 2017 Jun 01;6(2):173-177.
PMID: 27295973 DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piw031

Background.: Regular CD4 count testing is often used to monitor antiretroviral therapy efficacy. However, this practice may be redundant in children with a suppressed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral load.
Methods: Study end points were as follows: (1) a CD4 count <200 cells/mm3 followed by a CD4 count ≥200 cells/mm3 (transient CD4 <200); (2) CD4 count <200 cells/mm3 confirmed within 6 months (confirmed CD4 <200); and (3) a new or recurrent World Health Organization (WHO) stage 3 or 4 illness (clinical failure). Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression were used to evaluate rates and predictors of transient CD4 <200, confirmed CD4 <200, and clinical failure among virally suppressed children aged 5-15 years who were enrolled in the TREAT Asia Pediatric HIV Observational Database.
Results: Data from 967 children were included in the analysis. At the time of confirmed viral suppression, median age was 10.2 years, 50.4% of children were female, and 95.4% were perinatally infected with HIV. Median CD4 cell count was 837 cells/mm3, and 54.8% of children were classified as having WHO stage 3 or 4 disease. In total, 18 transient CD4 <200 events, 2 confirmed CD4 <200 events, and10 clinical failures occurred at rates of 0.73 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.46-1.16), 0.08 (95% CI, 0.02-0.32), and 0.40 (95% CI, 0.22-0.75) events per 100 patient-years, respectively. CD4 <500 cells/mm3 at the time of viral suppression confirmation was associated with higher rates of both CD4 outcomes.
Conclusions: Regular CD4 testing may be unnecessary for virally suppressed children aged 5-15 years with CD4 ≥500 cells/mm3.
Fulltext Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor-Based Antiretroviral Therapy in Perinatally HIV-Infected, Treatment-Naïve Adolescents in Asia

Boettiger DC, Sudjaritruk T, Nallusamy R, Lumbiganon P, Rungmaitree S, Hansudewechakul R, et al.

J Adolesc Health, 2016 Apr;58(4):451-459.
PMID: 26803201 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.11.006

PURPOSE: About a third of untreated, perinatally HIV-infected children reach adolescence. We evaluated the durability and effectiveness of non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) in this population.
METHODS: Data from perinatally HIV-infected, antiretroviral-naïve patients initiated on NNRTI-based ART aged 10-19 years who had ≥6 months of follow-up were analyzed. Competing risk regression was used to assess predictors of NNRTI substitution and clinical failure (World Health Organization Stage 3/4 event or death). Viral suppression was defined as a viral load <400 copies/mL.
RESULTS: Data from 534 adolescents met our inclusion criteria (56.2% female; median age at treatment initiation 11.8 years). After 5 years of treatment, median height-for-age z score increased from -2.3 to -1.6, and median CD4+ cell count increased from 131 to 580 cells/mm(3). The proportion of patients with viral suppression after 6 months was 87.6% and remained >80% up to 5 years of follow-up. NNRTI substitution and clinical failure occurred at rates of 4.9 and 1.4 events per 100 patient-years, respectively. Not using cotrimoxazole prophylaxis at ART initiation was associated with NNRTI substitution (hazard ratio [HR], 1.5 vs. using; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0-2.2; p = .05). Baseline CD4+ count ≤200 cells/mm(3) (HR, 3.3 vs. >200; 95% CI = 1.2-8.9; p = .02) and not using cotrimoxazole prophylaxis at ART initiation (HR, 2.1 vs. using; 95% CI = 1.0-4.6; p = .05) were both associated with clinical failure.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite late ART initiation, adolescents achieved good rates of catch-up growth, CD4+ count recovery, and virological suppression. Earlier ART initiation and routine cotrimoxazole prophylaxis in this population may help to reduce current rates of NNRTI substitution and clinical failure.
Fulltext Determining standardized causes of death of infants, children, and adolescents living with HIV in Asia

Sohn AH, Lumbiganon P, Kurniati N, Lapphra K, Law M, Do VC, et al.

AIDS, 2020 08 01;34(10):1527-1537.
PMID: 32443064 DOI: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000002583

OBJECTIVE: To implement a standardized cause of death reporting and review process to systematically disaggregate causes of HIV-related deaths in a cohort of Asian children and adolescents.
DESIGN: Death-related data were retrospectively and prospectively assessed in a longitudinal regional cohort study.
METHODS: Children under routine HIV care at sites in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam between 2008 and 2017 were followed. Causes of death were reported and then independently and centrally reviewed. Predictors were compared using competing risks survival regression analyses.
RESULTS: Among 5918 children, 5523 (93%; 52% male) had ever been on combination antiretroviral therapy. Of 371 (6.3%) deaths, 312 (84%) occurred in those with a history of combination antiretroviral therapy (crude all-cause mortality 9.6 per 1000 person-years; total follow-up time 32 361 person-years). In this group, median age at death was 7.0 (2.9-13) years; median CD4 cell count was 73 (16-325) cells/μl. The most common underlying causes of death were pneumonia due to unspecified pathogens (17%), tuberculosis (16%), sepsis (8.0%), and AIDS (6.7%); 12% of causes were unknown. These clinical diagnoses were further grouped into AIDS-related infections (22%) and noninfections (5.8%), and non-AIDS-related infections (47%) and noninfections (11%); with 12% unknown, 2.2% not reviewed. Higher CD4 cell count and better weight-for-age z-score were protective against death.
CONCLUSION: Our standardized cause of death assessment provides robust data to inform regional resource allocation for pediatric diagnostic evaluations and prioritization of clinical interventions, and highlight the continued importance of opportunistic and nonopportunistic infections as causes of death in our cohort.
Fulltext Prevalence and incidence of liver dysfunction and assessment of biomarkers of liver disease in HIV-infected Asian children

Aurpibul L, Bunupuradah T, Sophan S, Boettiger D, Wati DK, Nguyen LV, et al.

Pediatr Infect Dis J, 2015 Jun;34(6):e153-8.
PMID: 25970117 DOI: 10.1097/INF.0000000000000693

We determined the prevalence and incidence of liver dysfunction before and after initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) in the TREAT Asia Pediatric HIV Observational Database.
Fulltext Characterizing HIV manifestations and treatment outcomes of perinatally infected adolescents in Asia

Chokephaibulkit K, Kariminia A, Oberdorfer P, Nallusamy R, Bunupuradah T, Hansudewechakul R, et al.

Pediatr Infect Dis J, 2014 Mar;33(3):291-4.
PMID: 23942457 DOI: 10.1097/INF.0b013e3182a18223

More perinatally HIV-infected children in Asia are reaching adolescence.
Fulltext Disease- and Treatment-related Morbidity in Adolescents With Perinatal HIV Infection in Asia

Bartlett AW, Mohamed TJ, Sudjaritruk T, Kurniati N, Nallusamy R, Hansudewechakul R, et al.

Pediatr Infect Dis J, 2019 03;38(3):287-292.
PMID: 30281549 DOI: 10.1097/INF.0000000000002208

BACKGROUND: Perinatally HIV-infected adolescents (PHIVA) are exposed to a chronic systemic infection and long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART), leaving them susceptible to morbidities associated with inflammation, immunodeficiency and drug toxicity.
METHODS: Data collected 2001 to 2016 from PHIVA 10-19 years of age within a regional Asian cohort were analyzed using competing risk time-to-event and Poisson regression analyses to describe the nature and incidence of morbidity events and hospitalizations and identify factors associated with disease-related, treatment-related and overall morbidity. Morbidity was defined according to World Health Organization clinical staging criteria and U.S. National Institutes of Health Division of AIDS criteria.
RESULTS: A total 3,448 PHIVA contributed 17,778 person-years. Median age at HIV diagnosis was 5.5 years, and ART initiation was 6.9 years. There were 2,562 morbidity events and 307 hospitalizations. Cumulative incidence for any morbidity was 51.7%, and hospitalization was 10.0%. Early adolescence was dominated by disease-related infectious morbidity, with a trend toward noninfectious and treatment-related morbidity in later adolescence. Higher overall morbidity rates were associated with a CD4 count <350 cells/µL, HIV viral load ≥10,000 copies/mL and experiencing prior morbidity at age <10 years. Lower overall morbidity rates were found for those 15-19 years of age compared with 10-14 years and those who initiated ART at age 5-9 years compared with <5 or ≥10 years.
CONCLUSIONS: Half of our PHIVA cohort experienced a morbidity event, with a trend from disease-related infectious events to treatment-related and noninfectious events as PHIVA age. ART initiation to prevent immune system damage, optimize virologic control and minimize childhood morbidity are key to limiting adolescent morbidity.
Fulltext Short Communication: Impact of Viral Load Use on Treatment Switch in Perinatally HIV-Infected Children in Asia

Jamal Mohamed T, Teeraananchai S, Kerr S, Phongsamart W, Nik Yusoff NK, Hansudewechakul R, et al.

AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses, 2017 03;33(3):230-233.
PMID: 27758114 DOI: 10.1089/AID.2016.0039

We sought to assess the impact of routine HIV viral load (VL) monitoring on the incidence of switching from a first- to a second-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen, and to describe factors associated with switch. Data from a regional cohort of 16 clinical programs in six Asian countries were analyzed. Second-line switch was defined as a change from a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) to a protease inhibitor (PI) or vice versa, and ≥1 of the following: (1) reported treatment failure by local criteria, (2) switch of ≥1 additional drug, or (3) a preceding HIV VL ≥1,000 copies/ml. Routine VL was having ≥1 test after ≥24 weeks of ART and ≥1 time/year thereafter. Factors associated with time to switch were evaluated with death and loss to follow-up as competing risks. A total of 2,398 children were included in this analysis. At ART initiation, the median (interquartile range) age was 6.0 (3.3-8.9) years, more than half had WHO stage 3 or 4, the median CD4 was 189 (47-456) cells/mm3, 93% were on NNRTI-based first-line ART, and 34% had routine VL monitoring. Treatment switch occurred in 17.6% of patients, at a median of 35 (22-49) months. After adjusting for country, sex, first ART regimen, and CD4% at ART initiation, children with routine VL monitoring were 1.46 (95% confidence interval 1.11-1.93) times more likely to be switched (p = .007). Scale-up of VL testing will lead to earlier identification of treatment failure, and it can help guide earlier switches to prevent resistance.

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