TITLE:
Evolutionary Profile of Opportunistic Infections in People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus during Six Months of Dolutegravir Based Antiretroviral Treatment in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
AUTHORS:
Berry Ikolango Bongenya, Marie-Thérèse Ayane Safi Sombo, Benoit Oben Kabengele, Guy Makila Mabe Bumoko, Erick Ntambwe Kamangu
KEYWORDS:
Opportunistic Infections, ART Initiation, PLHIV, Kinshasa
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of AIDS,
Vol.13 No.2,
June
5,
2023
ABSTRACT: Background: Opportunistic infections (OI), which are still a major problem in the care of People Living with HIV (PLHIV), occur in situations of immunosuppression. The AntiRetroViral Treatments (ART) used allow a spectacular reduction in the frequency of Opportunistic Infections. Objective: The objective of this study is to present the evolution of Opportunistic Infections in People Living with HIV under AntiRetroViral Treatment in Kinshasa in the era of Dolutegravir. Methods: The present study is a prospective cohort to present the evolutionary profile of OIs in PLHIV on ART for 6 months in Outpatient Treatment Centers (OTC) in Kinshasa. Sixteen OTCs had been included. The population of the present work was patients over 18 years of age at inclusion, infected with HIV-1 and initiating ART in the selected OTC. Results: On inclusion, 119 patients were included of which 56.3% were women. Malaria (45.4%), tuberculosis (29.4%) and cutaneous pruritus (23.5%) were the most common Opportunistic Infections (OIs). In the third month of ART, 37 patients came for the consultation of which 70.3% were women. Non-specific STIs (97.3%), skin pruritus (37.8%) and malaria (24.3%) were the dominant OIs among patients. At the sixth month of ART, 62 patients came for the medical consultation of which 61.3% were women. Skin pruritus (25.8%), dermatitis (22.6%) and rash (21%) were the most common OIs. Conclusion: The evolutionary profile is marked by the conservation of Opportunistic Infections such as dermatitis (pruritus and rashes) and malaria.