Long-term immune and virological response in HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy

Physical Activity as an Adjunct Treatment for People Living with HIV?

This review evaluates physical activity as a candidate for an adjunct treatment, in conjunction with antiretroviral therapy (ART), for people living with HIV (PLWH). Evidence is summarized that chronic, non-resolving inflammation (a principal feature of immune system dysfunction) and a dysfunctional state of the gut environment are key factors in HIV infection that persist despite treatment with ART. In addition, evidence is summarized that regular physical activity may restore normal function of both the immune system and the gut environment and may thereby ameliorate symptoms and non-resolving inflammation-associated comorbidities that burden PLWH. Physicians who care for PLWH could thus consider incorporating physical activity into treatment plans to complement ART. It is also discussed that different types of physical activity can have different effects on the gut environment and immune function, and that future research should establish more specific criteria for the design of exercise regimens tailored to PLWH.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Viral Load Monitoring and Rate of Virologic Suppression Among Patients Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy in Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2013-2020

Background

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) expansion and viral load as a treatment monitoring approach have increased the demand for viral load testing. Many hurdles affect the coverage, quality, and use of viral load results. Estimates of viral load monitoring and viral suppression rates are needed to assess the performance of ART programs and improve human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) management outcomes.

Methods

People with HIV (PWH) viral load monitoring data were routinely collected in 84 health facilities in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), between 2013 and 2020. The number of PWH under ART, the number of participants with at least 1 viral load test result, the rate of viral suppression (defined as ≤1000 HIV ribonucleic acid copies per mL), and the mean turnaround time from sample collection to release of viral load test results were collected together with clinical data.

Results

A total of 14 057 PWH were included in the analysis. People with HIV were mainly enrolled after the "test and treat" implementation. The patients were followed for a median period of 27 months. The proportion of PWH with at least 1 available viral load largely increased in recent years. The delay from sample collection to release of viral load test results decreased overtime, from 35 days in 2018 to 16 days in 2020. Pregnancy and advanced HIV disease were associated with a lower chance of viral suppression.

Conclusions

There has been considerable success in increasing viral load access for all PWH under therapy in DRC. Nevertheless, viral load testing should be intensified with a particular effort to be made in groups at higher risk of viral failure.

Virologic failure in people living with HIV in 1st line ART: A 10-year Mexican population-based study

Background

In Mexico, the number of people living with HIV (PLWH) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) has increased in the last 20 years. The elimination of a CD4 threshold to initiate publicly funded ART was a major policy implemented in 2014. The study objective was to assess the determinants of Virologic Failure (VF) in Mexican PLWH on first-line ART between 2008 and 2017 and to evaluate the effects of changes following the 2014 policy.

Methods

A 10-year patient-level data analysis was conducted using the Mexican SALVAR database. The main outcome was the proportion of PLWH with VF. A multivariable logistic regression was conducted to identify the association between covariates and VF before and after the 2014 policy implementation.

Results

We found a lower proportion of people with VF in 2014–2017 compared with 2008–2013 (50% vs 33%, p<0.001). The multivariable analysis showed a reduction in the odds of virologic failure after 2014 (Odds ratio: 0.50 [95% CI: 0.48–0.51]). Place of treatment and level of deprivation were significant predictors of VF in during 2014–2017, but not before.

Conclusion

This study indicates that, by lowering threshold levels of CD4 required for treatment initiation in Mexico, a higher number of PLWH initiated treatment during 2014–2017, compared to 2008–2013 and the odds of VF were reduced.

Vulnerability of women with human immunodeficiency virus to cervical cancer

Abstract Objective: To identify the vulnerabilities of women with human immunodeficiency virus to cervical cancer. Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out in a clinic with 152 adult women with HIV, by means of the application of a structured form comprising several types of vulnerability. Results: Related to individual vulnerability, were prevalent the age above 29 years (87.5%), education higher than eight years of study (53.3%) and family income lower than two minimum wages (94.1%). The majority reported active sexual life (81.6%) and non-use of condoms (57.2%). Regarding the social vulnerability, 56.6% were unemployed. About programmatic vulnerability, 44.0% of women underwent a prevention exam in a period of more than one year. Women with more schooling (p = 0.007), employed (p = 0.000) and that did not use illicit drugs (p = 0.000) underwent the preventive exam in proper frequency. Conclusion: In this study, were identified individual, social and programmatic vulnerabilities for cervical cancer in women with HIV.

Increased CD4 counts, pain and depression are correlates of lower sleep quality in treated HIV positive patients with low baseline CD4 counts

Poor sleep quality leads to increased immune activation and immune activation leads to worse sleep quality. South African HIV positive patients typically have delayed start of treatment, which has been associated with CD4+ effector T cells being more spontaneously activated in chronically treated patients. This cross-sectional study investigated whether subjective sleep quality was associated with CD4+ T lymphocyte reconstitution in treated South African HIV+ patients. One hundred and thirty-nine treated HIV+ patients (109 F, age average (SD) = 43 (9)) were recruited from Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa. Participants completed questionnaires evaluating their subjective sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), daytime sleepiness (Epworth sleepiness scale), pain, and depression severity (Beck Depression Inventory). Univariate and multivariate analyses were run to determine the correlates of sleep quality in this population. Patients had been on antiretroviral treatment for about 4 years and had increased their CD4 counts from a median at baseline of 82 to 467 cells/µL. They had overall poor sleep quality (average (SD) PSQI = 7.7 (±5), 61% reporting PSQI > 5, a marker of lower sleep quality), 41% had clinical depression (average (SD) BDI = 17 (±12)) and 55% reported pain. In two separate multivariate analyses, both the overall CD4 count increase from baseline (p = 0.0006) and higher current CD4 counts (p = 0.0007) were associated with worse sleep quality, when adjusting for depression severity (p < 0.001), daytime sleepiness (p = 0.01) and the presence of pain (p < 0.01). In this cohort of treated South African HIV positive patients, poor sleep quality was associated with higher current CD4 counts, when adjusting for depression severity, daytime sleepiness and pain. Further studies should investigate the temporal relationship between HIV-related poor sleep quality and underlying immune activation.