Combination antiretroviral therapy in human immunodeficiency virus-infected pregnant women

Dear Editor, We read the article entitled “Abnormal Dispersion of Ventricular Repolarization as a Risk Factor in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus: Tp-e Interval, Tp-e/QTc Ratio” by Unal Evren et al. with interest[1]. The authors evaluated the changes in Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/corrected QT (QTc) ratios, and traditional electrocardiographic features of electrical dispersion in adults infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and their study revealed that the cTp-e interval, Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc ratios were prolonged and correlated to the severity of the disease in HIV-infected patients. Previous studies have revealed that the Tp–e interval, the Tpeak-Tend interval (Tpe), the interval from the T-wave peak to the end of the T wave, has been related to arrhythmogenesis, is specified as an index of totaldispersion of repolarization[2]. Prolonged Tp–e interval is predictable for ventricular arrhythmias and mortality [3]. Unal et al. showed that HIV-infected patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) were associated withlonger Tp–e interval and Tp–e/QTc ratio and correlated positively with the duration of disease and the electrophysiologicalabnormalities, and negatively with CD4 count[4]. There were no informations about medical status of patients with HIV, duration of the disease and why hsCRP is higher in patients’ group. The patients were in active phases of infection. We think that these are important datas for results of the study. We thank the authors for adding this article to the literature

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Persistent Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Trichomonas vaginalis positivity after treatment among human immunodeficiency virus-infected pregnant women, South Africa

International Journal of STD & AIDS ◽

10.1177/0956462419898612 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 294-302 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Andrew Medina-Marino ◽

Maanda Mudau ◽

Noah Kojima ◽

Remco PH Peters ◽

Ute D Feucht ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Antiretroviral Therapy ◽

Chlamydia Trachomatis ◽

Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽

Antenatal Care ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Trichomonas Vaginalis ◽

Repeat Testing ◽

Care Visit ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus

The objective of this study is to assess the predictors and frequency of persistent sexually transmitted infection (STI) positivity in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected pregnant women treated for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) or Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) infection. We enrolled HIV-infected pregnant women attending their first antenatal care visit and tested them for urogenital CT, NG and TV infection using Xpert® CT/NG and TV assays (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA). Those testing positive were treated. Participants either notified partners to seek treatment or were given extra medication to deliver to partners for treatment. Repeat testing was conducted approximately 21 days post-treatment or treatment initiation. Among 427 participants, 172 (40.3%) tested positive for any STI. Of the 136 (79.1%) that returned for repeat testing, 36 (26.5%) tested positive for the same organism: CT = 27 (26.5%), NG = 1 (6.3%), TV = 11 (16.7%). Persistent CT positivity was independently associated with having more than one sex partner in the preceding 12 months (adjusted-prevalence ratio [aPR] = 3.03, 95% CI: 1.44–6.37) and being newly diagnosed with HIV infection during the first antenatal care visit compared to those currently on antiretroviral therapy (aPR = 3.97, 95% CI: 1.09–14.43). Persistent TV positivity was associated with not knowing if a partner sought treatment following STI disclosure (aPR = 12.6, 95% CI: 2.16–73.5) and prior diagnosis of HIV but not currently on antiretroviral therapy. (aPR = 4.14; 95% CI: 1.25–13.79). We identified a high proportion of HIV-infected pregnant women with persistent CT or TV positivity after treatment. To decrease the risk of re-infection, enhanced strategies for partner treatment programmes are needed to improve the effectiveness of STI screening and treatment in pregnancy. The relationship between not being on antiretroviral therapy and persistent STI positivity needs further study.

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