BackgroundThe Histoplasma urine antigen (HUAg) is the preferred method to diagnose progressive disseminated histoplasmosis (PDH) in HIV patients. In 2007, IMMY ALPHA Histoplasma EIA was approved for clinical for on-site use, and therefore useful for regions outside the United States. However, ALPHA-HUAg is considered inferior to the MVista-HUAg which is only available on referral. We aim to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ALPHA-HUAg.Methodology/Principal findingsWe conducted a multicenter, prospective, diagnostic test study in two secondary and eight tertiary-care facilities in Mexico. We included HIV patient with PDH suspicion and evaluated ALPHA-HUAg diagnostic accuracy using as reference standard the Histoplasma capsulatum growth on blood, bone marrow, and tissue cultures or compatible histopathologic exam (PDH–proven). We evaluated the results of 288 patients, 29.5% (85/288; 95% confidence interval [CI], 24.3–35.1) had PDH. The sensitivity of ALPHA-HUAg was 67.1% (95% CI, 56–76.8%) and the specificity was 97.5% (95% CI, 94.3%-99.1%). The positive likelihood ratio was 27.2 (95% CI; 11.6–74.4). In 10.5% of the PDH–proven patients, a co-existing opportunistic infection was diagnosed, mostly disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex infection.Conclusions/SignificanceWe observed a high specificity but low sensitivity of IMMY-HUAg. The test may be useful to start early antifungals, but a culture-based approach is necessary since co-infections are frequent and a negative IMMY-HUAg result does not rule out PDH.

Background The progressive disseminated histoplasmosis (PDH) has been associated with severe disease and high risk of death among people living with HIV (PLWHIV). Therefore, the purpose of this multicenter, prospective, double-blinded study done in ten Mexican hospitals was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of detecting Histoplasma capsulatum antigen in urine using the IMMY ALPHA Histoplasma EIA kit (IAHE), clarus Histoplasma GM Enzyme Immunoassay (cHGEI IMMY) and MiraVista Histoplasma Urine Antigen LFA (MVHUALFA); as well as the Hcp100 and 1281-1283220SCAR nested PCRs in blood, bone-marrow, tissue biopsies and urine. Methodology/Principal findings We included 415 PLWHIV older than 18 years of age with suspicion of PDH. Using as diagnostic standard recovery of H. capsulatum in blood, bone marrow or tissue cultures, or histopathological exam compatible, detected 108 patients (26%, [95%CI, 21.78–30.22]) with proven-PDH. We analyzed 391 urine samples by the IAHE, cHGEI IMMY and MVHUALFA; the sensitivity/specificity values obtained were 67.3% (95% CI, 57.4–76.2) / 96.2% (95% CI, 93.2–98.0) for IAHE, 91.3% (95% CI, 84.2–96.0) / 90.9% (95% CI, 87.0–94.0) for cHGEI IMMY and 90.4% (95% CI, 83.0–95.3) / 92.3% (95% CI, 88.6–95.1) for MVHUALFA. The Hcp100 nested PCR was performed on 393, 343, 75 and 297, blood, bone marrow, tissue and urine samples respectively; the sensitivity/specificity values obtained were 62.9% (95%CI, 53.3–72.5)/ 89.5% (95%CI, 86.0–93.0), 65.9% (95%CI, 56.0–75.8)/ 89.0% (95%CI, 85.2–92.9), 62.1% (95%CI, 44.4–79.7)/ 82.6% (95%CI, 71.7–93.6) and 34.9% (95%CI, 24.8–46.2)/ 67.3% (95%CI, 60.6–73.5) respectively; and 1281-1283220SCAR nested PCR was performed on 392, 344, 75 and 291, respectively; the sensitivity/specificity values obtained were 65.3% (95% CI, 55.9–74.7)/ 58.8% (95%CI, 53.2–64.5), 70.8% (95%CI, 61.3–80.2)/ 52.9% (95%CI, 46.8–59.1), 71.4% (95%CI, 54.7–88.2)/ 40.4% (95%CI, 26.4–54.5) and 18.1% (95%CI, 10.5–28.1)/ 90.4% (95%CI, 85.5–94.0), respectively. Conclusions/Significance The cHGEI IMMY and MVHUALFA tests showed excellent performance for the diagnosis of PDH in PLWHIV. The integration of these tests in clinical laboratories will certainly impact on early diagnosis and treatment.

Objective This study was to determine and compare the prevalences of polypharmacy and comorbidities in patients aged 50 years or older with those patients younger than 50 years in a Mexican population. Results One hundred and twenty-five patients were enrolled, 60 (48%) were aged 50 years or older. The median CD4+ cell counts were 509 cells/μL (interquartile range [IQR]: 324–730) for the older patients and 384 cells/μL (IQR: 262–562) ( P = 0.021) for the younger patients. Viral suppression were significantly higher in the older group: 80% vs. 63% ( P = 0.037). The number of comorbidities was significantly higher in the older group, with a median of 2 (IQR: 2–3) vs. 1 (IQR: 0–1) ( P ≤ 0.001). After adjustment of the logistic regression model in the older group, the following comorbidities differed between the age groups: systemic arterial hypertension (odds ratio [OR]: 15.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.49–71.05; P = < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (OR: 14.36; 95% CI 1.79–115.07; P = 0.001), osteoarthritis (OR: 10.33; 95% CI 2.88–37.05; P = < 0.001), hyperlipidemia (OR: 2.78; 95% CI 1.22–6.34; P = 0.001), and polypharmacy (OR: 6.58; 95% CI 3.01–14.39; P = 0.001).