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Should We Look for Strongyloides Stercoralis in Foreign-Born HIV-Infected Persons?

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Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the implementation of a systematic Strongyloides stercoralis screening programme in HIV infected immigrants attending an HIV Unit in Spain. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to assess the presence of Strongyloides IgG. Patients with a positive serology were treated with ivermectin; serologic follow-up testing was performed. 237 patients were screened (65.4 % men). Origin: 64.1 % came from Latin America, 16.5 % from Sub-Saharan Africa, 9.7 % from the Caribbean, 9.7 % from other areas. Strongyloides stercolaris IgG was positive in 13 cases (5.5 %). In the multivariate analysis, factors associated with a positive Strongyloides serology were illiteracy (OR: 23.31; p = 0.009) and eosinophilia (OR: 15.44; p < 0.0001). Nine of the 13 patients positive for S. stercoralis IgG and treated with ivermectin had a follow up serologic test: 77.8 % achieved a serologic response (55.5 % seroreversion). Screening of HIV-positive immigrants may be desirable, at least in those with higher risk of hyperinfection syndrome. Serologic testing seems a useful tool in both diagnosis and follow-up of these patients.

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Acknowledgments

This study was performed during the Río Hortega Research Educational Contract from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III to Jara Llenas-García.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. HIV Unit, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i + 12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Jara Llenas-García, Silvana Fiorante, Diego Maseda, Violeta Rodríguez, Mariano Matarranz, Rafael Rubio & Federico Pulido

  2. Medical Specialties Department, European University of Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain

    Silvana Fiorante & Asunción Hernando

  3. Microbiology Department, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i + 12), Madrid, Spain

    Efrén Salto

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  1. Jara Llenas-García
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  2. Silvana Fiorante
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Correspondence to Jara Llenas-García.

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Llenas-García, J., Fiorante, S., Salto, E. et al. Should We Look for Strongyloides Stercoralis in Foreign-Born HIV-Infected Persons?. J Immigrant Minority Health 15, 796–802 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9756-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9756-6

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