Buruli Ulcer and HIV Coinfection: Cases in Togo

Background: In Togo, as in all sub-Saharan countries, the burden of HIV infection remains high. The registration of new cases of Buruli ulcer every year also remains a major public health problem. Buruli ulcer (BU) is a disabling disease and the presentation of lesions is frequently severe. A feature of BU and HIV coinfection is the rarity of cases, which makes its study difficult, but, nevertheless, important to study its seroprevalence, biological data, risk factors and genetic diversity. The purpose of this study is to explore the comorbidity of Buruli ulcer and HIV by evaluating HIV seroprevalence in BU patients, assessing demographic data, reviewing biological data including CD4+ T cell count, hemoglobin levels, and viral loads, and evaluating clinical and therapeutic data. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study including only BU patients confirmed by Ziehl Neelsen staining and IS 2404 PCR. The patients were hospitalized in the National Reference Center for Tsevie. They were recovered patients and patients undergoing outpatient treatment in the Gati and Tchekpo Deve treatment centers, respectively, within the Sanitary Districts of Zio and Yoto of the Maritime Region during the period from August 2015 to March 2017. Results: The number of HIV-positive BU patients is 4 out of a total of 83 BU patients. All patients are HIV-1 positive. HIV prevalence among BU patients is 4.8% compared to 2.5% nationally and 3% at regional level. Three BU patients are seropositive out of a total of 46 female patients while one patient under 15 years is seropositive out of a total of 37 male BU patients. There are a greater proportion of female patients with BU/HIV coinfections. Half of the BU/HIV positive patients (BU/HIV+) have a CD4+ TL of fewer than 500 cells/μl and the difference is significant between those of the BU HIV- and those of the BU/HIV+ patients. Two patients have undetectable viral loads while the other two have more than 1000 copies/ml (33,000 and 1,100,000 copies/ml). Anemia is significantly present in BU/HIV+ patients with a p-value = 0.003. Half of BU patients have primary education, while three-quarters of BU/HIV+ patients have no education. All patients are either in stage I or stage II of the AIDS WHO classification. All patients are on first line ARV therapy and only ARV nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) are used. Conclusion: In Togo, the prevalence of HIV in BU patients, although higher, is not significantly different from that of national and regional. The relatively high CD4+ LT levels of relatively high BU HIV + patients, undetectable viral loads, and AIDS WHO stages I and II indicate good quality management. Author Summary: Buruli ulcer disease (BUD) is a mycobacterial skin disease that leads to extensive ulcerations and causes disabilities in approximately 25% of the patients. Co-infection with HIV is described by the authors through the prism of risk factors and the severity of ulcerations. Healing time is described as longer than in BU/HIV- patients. The scarcity of cases seems to be an obstacle for further study. Noteworthy are the study of cases in Benin and the study of cohort cases in Cameroon. However, no study appears to be based on the seroprevalence of this morbid association, the biological data and the antiretroviral regimens. These regimens, if poorly instituted, conflict with antimycobacterial drugs against Buruli ulcer. This study, although confronted with the particular configuration of Togo, a country with a low HIV prevalence of 2.8% national prevalence and an average of 55 cases of Buruli ulcer per year, is studying the biological aspects of co-infection HIV/BU, including seroprevalence of HIV, CD4+ LT levels, patient viral load and hemoglobin levels and ARV regimens. This study shows the need for future studies, including the study of the genetic diversity of circulating Mycobacterium ulcerans strains in Togo and the study of Buruli ulcer co-infection/HIV and tuberculosis.