Evaluation of chronic diarrhea in patients newly diagnosed with HIV infection through the FilmArray® gastrointestinal panel

Introduction: The treatment and diagnosis of chronic diarrhea in the immunocompromised patient depends on the ability to rapidly detect the etiologic agents.

Aims: Our aim was to evaluate the results of the FilmArray® gastrointestinal panel in patients newly diagnosed with HIV infection that presented with chronic diarrhea.

Material and methods: Utilizing nonprobability consecutive convenience sampling, 24 patients were included that underwent molecular testing for the simultaneous detection of 22 pathogens.

Results: In 24 HIV-infected patients with chronic diarrhea, enteropathogen bacteria were detected in 69% of the cases, parasites in 18%, and viruses in 13%. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and enteroaggregative Escherichia coli were the main bacteria identified, Giardia lamblia was found in 25%, and norovirus was the most frequent viral agent. The median number of infectious agents per patient was three (range of 0 to 7). The biologic agents not identified through the FilmArray® method were tuberculosis and fungi.

Conclusions: Several infectious agents were simultaneously detected through the FilmArray® gastrointestinal panel in patients with HIV infection and chronic diarrhea.