Discontinuing amoxicillin treatment after three days is not inferior to discontinuing it after eight days in adults admitted to hospital with mild to moderate-severe community acquired pneumonia who substantially improved after an initial three days' treatment.

A relatively high rate of preliminary discontinuation of DGV due to intolerability was detected in our patient population. In particular, DGV was stopped more frequently if the regimen included abacavir. Multiple factors may explain these unexpected postmarketing observations, which warrant further investigation.

Background. Since 2000, incidence of sexually acquired hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infection has increased among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men who have sex with men (MSM). To date, few case-control and cohort studies evaluating HCV transmission risk factors were conducted in this population, and most of these studies were initially designed to study HIV-related risk behavior and characteristics.Methods. From 2009 onwards, HIV-infected MSM with acute HCV infection and controls (HIV-monoinfected MSM) were prospectively included in the MOSAIC (MSM Observational Study of Acute Infection with hepatitis C) study at 5 large HIV outpatient clinics in the Netherlands. Written questionnaires were administered, covering sociodemographics, bloodborne risk factors for HCV infection, sexual behavior, and drug use. Clinical data were acquired through linkage with databases from the Dutch HIV Monitoring Foundation. For this study, determinants of HCV acquisition collected at the inclusion visit were analyzed using logistic regression.Results. Two hundred thirteen HIV-infected MSM (82 MSM with acute HCV infection and 131 MSM without) were included with a median age of 45.7 years (interquartile range [IQR], 41.0–52.2). Receptive unprotected anal intercourse (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 5.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.63–15.4), sharing sex toys (aOR, 3.62; 95% CI, 1.04–12.5), unprotected fisting (aOR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.02–6.44), injecting drugs (aOR, 15.62; 95% CI, 1.27–192.6), sharing straws when snorting drugs (aOR, 3.40; 95% CI, 1.39–8.32), lower CD4 cell count (aOR, 1.75 per cubic root; 95% CI, 1.19–2.58), and recent diagnosis of ulcerative sexually transmitted infection (aOR, 4.82; 95% CI, 1.60–14.53) had significant effects on HCV acquisition.Conclusions. In this study, both sexual behavior and biological factors appear to independently increase the risk of HCV acquisition among HIV-infected MSM.

No abstract

DNA methylation is significantly associated with anal carcinogenesis. A methylation marker panel, including ZNF582, can identify anal cancer and HGAIN with a cancer-like methylation pattern. Validation studies are warranted to verify their potential for the screening and management of HIV+ MSM at risk for anal cancer.

Our findings demonstrate that HBV-active cART protects against the occurrence of de-novo HBV infection, most strongly when tenofovir is used.

BackgroundBasidiobolomycosis is a rare disease caused by the fungus Basidiobolus ranarum, member of the class Zygomycetes, order Entomophthorales, found worldwide. Usually basidiobolomycosis is a subcutaneous infection but rarely gastrointestinal manifestations have been described; 13 adults and 10 children and a few retroperitoneal or pulmonary cases. In gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis the colon is most frequently involved, usually presenting with subacute mild abdominal pain. In contrast to children only very few described adult patients had hepatic masses. Definitive diagnosis requires culture, serological testing can be helpful. The fungal morphology and the Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon are characteristic histological features. There are no prominent risk factors. Usually surgery and prolonged antifungal therapy are required.Case presentationA 61 year old man presented with progressive left abdominal pain and constipation since a few months. Colonoscopy showed an obstructing tumour in the descending colon, and a hemicolectomy was performed. Histology showed inflammation, possibly caused by a fungal or parasitic infection, without definite identification of an organism. A few weeks postoperatively a CT scan made because of abdominal discomfort, revealed a livermass (6 cm). Treatment with metronidazole, directed against an amoebic liver abscess, was unsuccessful. He developed a marked eosinophilia (27.7%). A liver biopsy was performed and the patient was referred to a university hospital.A repeated CT scan showed a livermass of 9 cm diameter. Review of colon and liver biopsy samples showed extensive necrosis and histiocytes, multinucleated giant cells and numerous eosinophils. Grocott stained sections contained unusually large hyphae surrounded by strongly eosinophilic material in haematoxylin and eosin stained sections (Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon). A presumptive diagnosis of Basidiobolus spp. infection was made and treated with amphotericin B (Itraconazol contra-indicated because of renal insufficiency). A few days later the patient died of a septic shock. After autopsy Basidiobolus ranarum was cultured from liver, gallbladder and colon.ConclusionOur patient died of gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis with an obstructing colon tumour and a large hepatic mass. This was a rare presentation of basidiobolomycosis and the second fatal case described worldwide.

We discovered a highly virulent variant of subtype-B HIV-1 in the Netherlands. One hundred nine individuals with this variant had a 0.54 to 0.74 log 10 increase (i.e., a ~3.5-fold to 5.5-fold increase) in viral load compared with, and exhibited CD4 cell decline twice as fast as, 6604 individuals with other subtype-B strains. Without treatment, advanced HIV—CD4 cell counts below 350 cells per cubic millimeter, with long-term clinical consequences—is expected to be reached, on average, 9 months after diagnosis for individuals in their thirties with this variant. Age, sex, suspected mode of transmission, and place of birth for the aforementioned 109 individuals were typical for HIV-positive people in the Netherlands, which suggests that the increased virulence is attributable to the viral strain. Genetic sequence analysis suggests that this variant arose in the 1990s from de novo mutation, not recombination, with increased transmissibility and an unfamiliar molecular mechanism of virulence.