HIV

OBJECTIVE: Comparisons between rilpivirine (RPV) and integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve HIV-infected individuals are currently lacking. Aim of the study was to compare, in an observational cohort setting, the durability of treatment of RPV- and INSTI-based first-line regimens. METHODS: Patients who started first-line ARTs based on RPV or on INSTIs, with HIV-RNA <100,000 copies/mL, CD4 cells count >200 cells/μL, were included...

Evaluate the effect of 12wks of concurrent training (CT) in extracellular matrix (ECM) of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in people living with HIV/aids (PLWHA). To the non-randomized clinical trial 19 participants, 11 healthy (HIV-) and 18 PLWHA under the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for at least 1 year (HIV+). All participants engaged in a moderate-intensity CT program for 12 weeks, three times a week. Before and after CT, aerobic and strength performance were assessed, as well as anthropometry and biochemical blood profile...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was too investigate prevalence and persistence of human papilloma virus (HPV) and cytological abnormalities (CAs) in the anal swabs of people living with HIV (PLWH): men who have sex with men (MSM), men who have sex with women (MSW) and women (W). METHODS: Between March 2010 and January 2019, an anal swab for cytological and HPV genotyping tests was offered to all PLWH attending our clinic. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify predictors of infection...

OBJECTIVES: Universal Test and Treat (UTT) strategies are being adopted across sub-Saharan Africa based on clinical benefits to morbidity and mortality and to attain targets of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Universal Test and Treat is expected to change the client population at clinics, due to more asymptomatic HIV clients initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART). We assessed the impact of UTT on client appointment adherence at 14 government-managed health facilities in Eswatini's public sector health system...

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the clinical characteristics associated with the use of two-drug regimens (2DRs) and the factors associated with specific antiretrovirals in 2DRs in a large single-centre HIV cohort. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of demographics, HIV characteristics and AIDS events, antiretroviral prescription, virological failure and genotypic resistance testing, and laboratory results from all adult people with HIV (PWH) prospectively followed at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona who were receiving a 3DR or a 2DR in January 2020...

BACKGROUND: Clinical trials have demonstrated that oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has high efficacy in preventing HIV transmission. In many countries, HIV testing is recommended prior to PrEP initiation, 1 month after and quarterly thereafter. We assessed the uptake of HIV testing and estimated the incidence of HIV infections after oral PrEP initiation, by using the French national health database (SNDS). METHODS: A historic cohort study included every adult person who started oral PrEP between 1 January 2016 and 30 June 2018 in France...

Previous studies have shown that certain vaccines induce suboptimal responses in people living with HIV (PLWH). However, responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have not been fully characterized in these patients. Here we show that the BNT162b2 vaccine induces robust immune responses comparable to responses in healthy donors.

Allosteric integrase inhibitors (ALLINIs) are a class of experimental anti-HIV agents that target the noncatalytic sites of the viral integrase (IN) and interfere with the IN-viral RNA interaction during viral maturation. Here, we report a highly potent and safe pyrrolopyridine-based ALLINI, STP0404, displaying picomolar IC50 in human PBMCs with a >24,000 therapeutic index against HIV-1. X-ray structural and biochemical analyses revealed that STP0404 binds to the host LEDGF/p75 protein binding pocket of the IN dimer, which induces aberrant IN oligomerization and blocks the IN-RNA interaction...

BACKGROUND: Poor adherence to antiretroviral therapy in adolescents living with HIV is a global challenge. One of the key strategies to improve adherence is believed to be the use of digital adherence tools. However, evidence is limited in this area. Our objective was to investigate the effectiveness of mobile phone text message reminders in improving ART adherence for adolescents. METHODS: The preferred reporting item for systematic review and meta-analysis guideline was followed...

INTRODUCTION: Since 2017, Uganda has been implementing five differentiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) delivery models to improve the quality of HIV care and to achieve health-system efficiencies. Community-based models include Community Client-Led ART Delivery and Community Drug Distribution Points. Facility-based models include Fast Track Drug Refill, Facility Based Group and Facility Based Individual Management. We set out to assess the extent of uptake of these ART delivery models and to describe barriers to uptake of either facility-based or community-based models...

INTRODUCTION: Social network strategies have been used by health departments to identify undiagnosed cases of HIV. Heterosexual cycle (HET4) of National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) is a social network strategy implemented in jurisdictions. The main objectives of this research are to 1) evaluate the utility of the NHBS HET cycle data for network analysis; 2) to apply statistical analysis in support of previous HIV research, as well as to develop new research results focused on demographic variables and prevention/intervention with respect to heterosexual HIV risk; and 3) to employ NHBS data to inform policy with respect to the EHE plan...

BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) success has led people to live longer with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) and thus be exposed to increasing risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Hypertension (HTN), the biggest contributor to CVD burden, is a growing concern among PLWH. The current report describes the prevalence and predictors of HTN among PLWH in care in Cameroon. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included all PLWH aged 20 years and above who received care between 2016 and 2019 at one of the three Central Africa International Epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (CA-IeDEA) sites in Cameroon (Bamenda, Limbe, and Yaoundé)...

INTRODUCTION: The HIV care cascade examines the attrition of people living with HIV from diagnosis to the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and suppression of viral replication. We reviewed the literature from sub-Saharan Africa to assess the definitions used for the different steps in the HIV care cascade. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase and CINAHL for articles published from January 2004 to December 2020. Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies were included if they reported on at least one step of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 cascade or two steps of an extended 7-step cascade...

Modern contraceptive prevalence among women living with HIV (WLWH) in Uganda is still low at 45%, and up to a third of women are likely to discontinue the method within the first year of initiation. This increases risks of unplanned pregnancies, perinatal HIV transmission and pregnancy complications. We aim to explore and explain the mechanism of effect of a family planning support intervention investigated in a randomized controlled trial conducted between October 2016 and June 2018 among 320 postpartum WLWH at a referral hospital in Southwestern Uganda that led to improved uptake, decreased contraception discontinuation and lowered pregnancy rates...

Mobile technologies represent potentially novel and scalable intervention delivery platforms for adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) in low- and middle-income countries. We conducted a prospective, mixed methods pilot study to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of the WhatsApp® platform to deliver individual counseling services and facilitate peer support for ALWH in western Kenya. Thirty ALWH (17 female, mean age 15.4) on ART, engaged in HIV care and aware of their status, were enrolled. After 6 months, participants described their experiences with the intervention...

Mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for people living with HIV are poorly understood, especially in low-income settings. We conducted qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews among people living with HIV (n = 16) and health workers (n = 10) in rural Rakai, southcentral Uganda. Data were analyzed thematically. We found mental stress during COVID-19 was compounded by worry about antiretroviral therapy (ART) access, distress over inadvertent disclosure of HIV status, fear that coronavirus infection would have more severe outcomes for immunocompromised individuals, and exacerbated poverty and economic stress...

BACKGROUND: Poor growth and metabolic disturbances remain concerns for children living with HIV (CLHIV). We describe the impact of viral load (VL) on growth and lipid outcomes in South African CLHIV <12 years initiating World Health Organization recommended first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) from 2012 to 2015. METHODS: Z scores for length-for-age (LAZ), weight-for-age (WAZ) and body mass index-for-age were calculated. Lipids (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein) were measured...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This multicentre, cross-sectional study was carried out in the South of France to assess the association between frailty phenotype and antiretroviral therapy (ART) in older persons living with HIV (PLWHIV). Sociodemographic and HIV data, geriatric assessment, comorbidities, behavioral and age-related variables and the five frailty markers of Fried were recorded. Exposure to any pharmacological class of ART and all regimens were retrieved from medical records. RECENT FINDINGS: The 509 PLWHIV analysed (72...

People living with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load by adhering to antiretroviral therapy cannot transmit the virus to others. The present pre-registered study sought to investigate whether messages about this fact have the potential to decrease HIV stigma, drawing on the framework of the Elaboration Likelihood Model to test variations in message framing, and measuring issue involvement as a covariate. Participants ( N  = 314) were randomised to one of three conditions: control message, opinion-based message, and evidence-based message...

HIV infection causes a constant activation of the immune system and contributes to an enhanced systemic pro-inflammatory cytokine milieu, which has been associated with premature aging and frailty. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyze whether the HIV-1 RNA load, CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts and exposure to HAART in HIV-positive subjects are associated with frailty phenotype. Searches were performed in PubMed, SCOPUS, Lilacs, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and OpenThesis databases. We used the odds ratio as a measure of the association...