Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
Increased Prevalence of Symptomatic Human Intestinal Spirochetosis in MSM with High-Risk Sexual Behavior in a Cohort of 165 Individuals |
| Authors: |
Ramón Pérez-Tanoira, Marta del Palacio Tamarit, Ana María Vicente Montaña, David Carmena, Pamela Köster, Miguel Górgolas, José R. Fortes Alen, Alfonso Cabello-Úbeda, Laura Prieto-Pérez |
| Source: |
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, Vol 8, Iss 5, p 250 (2023) |
| Publisher Information: |
MDPI AG, 2023. |
| Publication Year: |
2023 |
| Collection: |
LCC:Medicine |
| Subject Terms: |
intestinal spirochetosis, diarrhea, Brachyspira, MSM, chemsex, HIV infection, Medicine |
| More Details: |
Human intestinal spirochetosis (HIS) can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, although asymptomatic infections have been described. Individuals from low-income countries, people living with HIV, and men who have sex with men (MSM) show increased risk. A retrospective review of all patients diagnosed with HIS (n = 165) between January 2013 and October 2020 at a tertiary hospital in Madrid, Spain, was performed to assess risk factors for symptomatic HIS, symptoms, and response to treatment. Most patients were male (n = 156; 94.5%), 86.7% were MSM, and 23.5% practiced chemsex, of whom most were symptomatic (p = 0.039). Most patients (78.4%) reported unprotected oral-anal intercourse. A total of 124 (81.1%) were symptomatic; diarrhea was the most common complaint (68.3%). Multivariable regression showed increased odds of symptoms associated with age under 41 (odds ratio 5.44, 95% CI 1.87–15.88; p = 0.002). Colonoscopy was normal in 153 (92.7%). Furthermore, 66.7% presented previous or concomitant sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Among the patients, 102 underwent testing for other gastrointestinal pathogens, with positive results in 20 (19.6%). All symptomatic patients without concomitant gastrointestinal infection presenting improvement on follow-up (42 of 53) had received either metronidazole or doxycycline (p = 0.049). HIS should be considered as a cause of chronic diarrhea in MSM with high-risk sexual behavior after other causes have been ruled out; treatment with metronidazole is recommended. Coinfection with other STDs is common. |
| Document Type: |
article |
| File Description: |
electronic resource |
| Language: |
English |
| ISSN: |
2414-6366 |
| Relation: |
https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/8/5/250; https://doaj.org/toc/2414-6366 |
| DOI: |
10.3390/tropicalmed8050250 |
| Access URL: |
https://doaj.org/article/c5f4a11317514b7ab949e68c6dfc5cb3 |
| Accession Number: |
edsdoj.5f4a11317514b7ab949e68c6dfc5cb3 |
| Database: |
Directory of Open Access Journals |
