HIV/AIDS Clinical Care: Archives

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Hepatitis B and HIV — A Tale of Two Viruses

• July 6, 2009
• Charles B. Hicks, MD

In HIV-infected women with isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen, use of ART was associated with acquisition of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen.

• Reviewing:
• French AL et al., Clin Infect Dis 2009 Jul 1; 49:148

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

ART Intensification Fails to Reduce Residual Viremia in HIV Patients

• July 6, 2009
• Sonia Nagy Chimienti, MD

Intensifying the antiretroviral regimens of patients with on-treatment viral loads <50 copies/mL did not further reduce viremia, according to a study in which a quantitative single-copy assay was used to detect loads <1 copy/mL.

• Reviewing:
• Dinoso JB et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009 Jun 9; 106:9403

ANTIRETROVIRAL ROUNDS

Should We Mess with Success?Free

• June 29, 2009

Should the regimens be changed for three patients who have undetectable viral loads and normal or near-normal CD4-cell counts and are tolerating their treatments well?

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Recycling Enfuvirtide: Possible Clinical Benefit

• June 29, 2009
• Keith Henry, MD

Salvage therapy that included enfuvirtide appeared to show a survival benefit in a small, uncontrolled, retrospective study of HIV-positive patients who had already experienced virologic failure on an enfuvirtide-containing regimen.

• Reviewing:
• Cossarini F et al., J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2009 Jun 1; 51:179

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Why Do Some Patients Participate in HIV Clinical Trials?

• June 29, 2009
• Paul E. Sax, MD

A patient’s trust in his or her physician was a strong predictor of willingness to participate in clinical studies.

• Reviewing:
• Volkmann ER et al., HIV Clin Trials 2009 Mar/Apr; 10:104

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Rifampin-Resistant TB During Boosted PI Therapy in HIV Patients

• June 29, 2009
• Carlos del Rio, MD

In New York City, three HIV patients with tuberculosis developed rifampin resistance after being switched to boosted PI therapy and alternate-day rifabutin.

• Reviewing:
• Jenny-Avital ER and Joseph K., Clin Infect Dis 2009 May 15; 48:1471

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

PEPFAR in Sub-Saharan Africa: Effects on HIV-Related Outcomes

• June 29, 2009
• Salim S. Abdool Karim, MD, PhD

An analysis of PEPFAR’s effectiveness in 12 African countries reveals a significant decrease in the number of HIV-related deaths, but not in HIV prevalence.

• Reviewing:
• Bendavid E and Bhattacharya J., Ann Intern Med 2009 May 19; 150:688

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Metabolic Effects of Switching from Lopinavir/Ritonavir to Atazanavir/Ritonavir

• June 29, 2009
• Judith Feinberg, MD

In a small randomized trial, nondiabetic lopinavir/r users with at least one metabolic complication experienced significantly better improvements on several metabolic parameters if they switched to ritonavir-boosted atazanavir than if they did not switch.

• Reviewing:
• Stanley TL et al., AIDS 2009 May 25

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Clinical Effectiveness of HBV Vaccination in HIV-Positive Patients

• June 29, 2009
• Helmut Albrecht, MD

In an observational cohort study that showed a high incidence of hepatitis B virus infection after HIV diagnosis, HBV vaccination was effective only in a subgroup with HBV surface antibody titers 10 IU/L.

• Reviewing:
• Landrum ML et al., AIDS 2009 May 29

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

MRSA Colonization and Infection in HIV-Infected Patients

• June 22, 2009
• Rajesh T. Gandhi, MD

The increased rate of MRSA colonization in HIV-infected patients probably explains their elevated rate of MRSA skin and soft-tissue infections.

• Reviewing:
• Shet A et al., J Infect Dis 2009 Jul 1; 200:88