AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses

Background Glycoprotein 41 (gp41) of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protein plays a critical role in membrane fusion. Gp41 binds to proteins in the plasma membrane of CD4+ T cells, particularly the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR). These findings indicate that gp41 is involved in the assembly of HIV-1 at the plasma membrane of T cells and affects the stimulation of the TCR. To control HIV-1, new inhibitors were introduced to target the gp41 protein. However, mutations in this region might reduce their efficacy...

HIV/AIDS cannot be cured because of the persistence of the viral reservoir. Due to the complexity of the cellular composition and structure of the human organs, HIV reservoirs of anatomical site is also complex. Recently, although a variety of molecules have been reported to involved in the establishment and maintenance of the viral reservoirs, or as marker of latent cells, the research mainly focuses on blood and lymph nodes. Now, the characteristics of the viral reservoir in tissue are not yet fully understood...

With the prevalence of HIV-1 CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC subtypes in China, the co-circulation of multiple subtypes in HIV-1 positive population may result in dual infection or super-infection in the population, leading to the emergence of unique recombinant forms (URFs) of the HIV-1 virus. In this study, two second-generation unique recombinant strains, BI0114 and BI0116, were identified, and their near full-length genome sequences were obtained; recombination analysis showed that both sequences were the isoform of URF_0107, and they were second-generation unique recombinant strains formed by the recombination of CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC, and the isoforms were CRF01_AE and CRF0107_BC, respectively...

Partner notification services (PNS) offers opportunities to discuss HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and provide referrals. We evaluated the PrEP care cascade among men who have sex with men (MSM) engaging in PNS within a sexually transmitted infections clinic. Among 121 MSM eligible for PrEP during PNS, 21% subsequently initiated PrEP.

HIV-associated wasting (HIVAW) is an under-appreciated AIDS-defining illness, despite highly effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). We (a) assessed the association between incident HIVAW/low weight and all-cause mortality and (b) described virologic outcomes after people with HIV (PWH) experienced HIVAW/low weight while on ART. In the Observational Pharmaco-Epidemiology Research & Analysis (OPERA® ) cohort, PWH without prior HIVAW/low weight who were active in care in 2016-2020 were followed through death, loss to follow-up, or study end (31OCT2021)...

At present, CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC are the predominant intersubtype recombinants among sexually active populations, especially among men who have sex with men(MSM) in China. Here, we report a novel second-generation unique recombinant form(URF) of HIV-1 named BDD028A that was isolated from an HIV-1-positive man who was infected through homosexual transmission in Baoding City, Hebei Province, China. Phylogenetic analysis based on the near-full-length genome (NFLG) sequence indicated that BDD028A formed a monophyletic branch that did not cluster with other HIV-1 subtypes...

INTRODUCTION: More than 62.000 individuals are currently on antiretroviral treatment within the public health system in Argentina. In 2019, more than 50% of people on ART received NNRTIs. OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of HIV-1 drug resistance in Argentina using the WHO guidelines. METHODS: This was a nationwide cross-sectional study enrolling consecutive 18 year-old and older individuals starting ARVs at 19 ARV-dispensing centers. This allowed us to estimate a point prevalence rate of resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) with a CI of 5% (for the total population and for those without antiretroviral exposure)...

The number of newly reported HIV-1 infections among older individuals (aged ≥50 years) has increased rapidly in Hangzhou, a central city in the Yangtze River Delta region of China. To provide a scientific basis for prevention and intervention strategies targeted at older individuals in Hangzhou, an epidemiological survey combined with molecular transmission network analysis was conducted. A total of 2899 individuals with newly confirmed HIV-1 infections, including 635 older individuals and 2264 younger individuals (aged <50 years), were enrolled in this study...

Advancements in long-acting (LA) HIV treatment and cure research with analytical treatment interruptions (ATIs) have generated important scientific and implementation questions. There is an urgent need to examine challenges navigating the evolving HIV treatment and cure research landscape. From August - October 2022, we conducted 26 semi-structured interviews with biomedical researchers and community members representing a predominantly woman demographic to explore the complexity of navigating the rapidly evolving HIV therapeutic and HIV cure research landscape...

The distribution of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) subtypes indicates difference from region to region and in risk groups acquiring the disease worldwide. Although subtype C is more in terms of total cases, subtype B is dominant in certain regions, especially in Western and Central Europe. Molecular epidemiological studies are essential for the control, effective treatment, and understanding in transmission routes of HIV-1 infection. This study aims to determine the molecular epidemiology and antiretroviral drug resistance profiles of HIV-1 in Northern Cyprus...

Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in people with HIV (PWH) is associated with depletion of Mtb-specific CD4 T cell responses, increased risk of progression to active tuberculosis (TB) disease and increased immune activation. While higher HIV viral loads have been reported in Mtb/HIV co-infection, the extent to which Mtb infection and TB disease impact the frequency and phenotype of HIV-specific T cell responses has not been well described. We enrolled a cohort of PWH in Kenya across a spectrum of Mtb infection states, including those with no evidence of Mtb infection, latent Mtb infection (LTBI) and active pulmonary TB disease, and evaluated the frequency, immune activation, and cytotoxicity phenotype of HIV-specific CD4 and CD8 T cell responses in peripheral blood by flow cytometry...

HIV infected individuals receiving regular antiretroviral therapy (ART) can present with a high viral load in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) at time when it is suppressed in blood. This study presents data of HIV infected patients who had undetectable or low plasma viral load in blood but presented with neurological signs and symptoms and were diagnosed to have CSF HIV viral escape. Records were reviewed for clinical manifestations, details of opportunistic or coinfection, HIV viral copies in plasma and CSF at time of diagnosis of CSF escape...

Despite care and the availability of effective antiretroviral treatment, some human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals suffer from neurocognitive disorders associated with HIV (HAND) that significantly affect their quality of life. The different types of HAND can be divided into asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment, mild neurocognitive disorder, and the most severe form known as HIV-associated dementia. Little is known about the mechanisms of HAND, but it is thought to be related to infection of astrocytes, microglial cells, and macrophages in the human brain...

A silent spread of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) has been occurring for thousands of years, with a high prevalence in some regions due to the sexual and vertical transmission and formation of family clusters. The time from HTLV-1 infection until the onset of virus-associated diseases is extremely long, approximately one to three decades. In this study, we evaluated intrafamilial HTLV-1 transmission and associated diseases in 1,204 individuals enrolled and followed up by the GIPH cohort between 1997 and 2017...

Previously, an increase in clinical effectiveness of the antituberculosis treatment (ATT) and antiretroviral therapy (ART) in case of additional immunoglobulin G (IgG) administration in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB)/HIV coinfection was reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of IgG administration in addition to the standard second-line ATT and ART on the humoral immunity status in patients with MDR-TB/HIV coinfection immune deficiency. The study involved 52 patients living with HIV with MDR-TB coinfection and CD4+ lymphocyte cell count below 50 cells/μCL...

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BACKGROUND: Detection of drug resistance mutations (DRMs) and HIV-1 subtypes ensures effective therapeutic management for HIV-infected individuals. In Gabon, data on DRMs are very little available in the population of people living with HIV (PLHIV) but also among voluntary HIV-positive blood donors. This study aimed to study subtypes and drug resistance mutations (DRMs) in HIV-1 positive volunteer blood donors in Gabon. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out at the National Transfusion Center (NBTC) of Gabon...

Introduction Long-acting cabotegravir plus rilpivirine has revolutionized the concept of antiretroviral therapy, but as the causes of virologic failure and satisfaction can depend on patient background, real-world data are needed. Methods In this single-center study, we reviewed clinical records of people with HIV who received injectable cabotegravir plus rilpivirine between June 2022 and January 2023. We assessed virological and safety outcomes, including injection site reactions and changes in serum creatinine and cystatin C...

Hematological malignant tumors (HMTs) are serious diseases that threaten human health and life with high mortality. Therefore, it is necessary to develop novel strategies for diagnosis and treatment. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) have recently attracted increasing attention as potential targets for cancer diagnosis and therapy. In this study, we explored the association between HERV-K expression levels and HMTs development. Clinical data and peripheral blood samples were collected from 236 leukemia, 384 lymphoma patients, and 69 healthy controls...

We evaluated the prevalence and correlates of HIV viral non-suppression and HIV drug resistance (HIV-DR) in a cohort of people who inject drugs living with HIV (PWID-LH) and their sexual and injecting partners living with HIV in Kenya. HIV-DR testing was performed on participants with viral non-suppression. Of 859 PWID-LH and their partners, 623 (72.5%) were on antiretroviral therapy (ART) ≥4 months and 148/623 (23.8%) were not virally suppressed. Viral non-suppression was more common among younger participants and those on ART for a shorter duration...