title: Screening and Management of HIV-2-Infected Individuals in Northern Italy.
abstract: There is a lack of updated estimates of HIV-2 infection in Italy. Moreover, lack of standardized HIV-2 viral load (VL) and drug resistance tests challenges clinical practice. Among 2941 HIV-positive patients followed in our center (Brescia, Northern Italy), 220 (7.5%) were African at the beginning of the study period. We assessed a population of 151 HIV-Ab positive patients (141 of African origin), presenting for routine blood testing from January 2006 to May 2007. Those found infected with HIV-2 started an appropriate disease management with HIV-2 VL and genotypic drug resistance testing. Sixteen of 151 (10.6%) patients were positive for HIV-2. Of those 16 patients, 14 came from Africa. Among 7 experienced patients, 1 was responding to nelfinavir and 4 to lopinavir/ritonavir-containing regimens. Two patients were failing treatment: 1 patient was switched to a saquinavir/ritonavir-containing regimen and responded. The remaining patient switched to lamivudine + atazanavir + saquinavir + ritonavir did not respond, having had previous experience to multiple ineffective drugs, resulting in a very complex HIV-2 drug-resistance pattern. Accurate screening programs and integration of virological tools must be implemented urgently, given the high prevalence of HIV-2, particularly in immigrant patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University of Brescia, Brecia, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Costarelli
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torti
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodella
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baldanti
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paolucci
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lapadula
authors.forename: Nino
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Manca
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Quiros-Roldan
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Izzo
authors.forename: Giampiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carosi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015497:HIV-1; D015498:HIV-2; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents