Epidemiological, clinical and immunological features of Schistosoma spp., Stronglyoides stercoralis and Taenia spp. infections in Ghanaian HIV patients

Abstract

Background: Interactions of helminth infections and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to assess the clinical, epidemiological, and immunological characteristics of co-infections involving HIV and selected nematode, trematode and cestode species commonly detected in stool samples. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among people-living-with-HIV (PLWH) with and without anti-retroviral therapy and HIV-negative controls at a tertiary hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Stool samples were analyzed by real-time PCR for the presence of Strongyloides stercoralis, Schistosoma spp. as well as Taenia spp. Diagnostic findings were compared with clinical, demographic, socioeconomic and immunological data. Results: Low prevalences of helminth infections were observed across the study population, ranging from 1.9% for S. stercoralis to 2.8% for Schistosoma spp. Only weak and infrequent associations were found between helminth infections and HIV status or immunosuppression. Identified risk factors included male sex, younger age, shorter duration since HIV diagnosis, and poor food hygiene in the case of taeniasis. Conclusions: In this Ghanaian population, co-infections of HIV and helminths were infrequent and showed limited immunological associations. These findings suggest that helminth detection in PLWH is more likely to reflect local endemicity than HIV-related immunosuppression.