1
|
Tindle HA, Freiberg MS, Cheng DM, Gnatienko N, Blokhina E, Yaroslavtseva T, Bendiks S, Patts G, Hahn J, So-Armah K, Stein MD, Bryant K, Lioznov D, Krupitsky E, Samet JH. Effectiveness of Varenicline and Cytisine for Alcohol Use Reduction Among People With HIV and Substance Use: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2225129. [PMID: 35930287 PMCID: PMC9356316 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.25129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Cigarette smoking and risky alcohol consumption co-occur and are undertreated. Nicotine receptor partial agonists and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) treat smoking but are unproven for alcohol, and clinical trials rarely include individuals with HIV, substance use, and mental health conditions. OBJECTIVE To compare the effects on drinking and smoking of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonists varenicline and cytisine with those of NRT. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This 4-group randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted from July 2017 to December 2020 in St Petersburg, Russia. Included participants were 400 individuals with HIV who engaged in risky drinking (≥5 prior-month heavy-drinking days [HDDs]) and daily smoking; they were followed up for 12 months after enrollment. Data were analyzed from May 2021 through June 2022. INTERVENTIONS Participants received alcohol and tobacco counseling, 1 active medication, and 1 placebo in 1 of 4 groups: active varenicline and placebo NRT (group 1), placebo varenicline and active NRT (group 2), active cytisine and placebo NRT (group 3), or placebo cytisine and active NRT (group 4). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was number of prior-month HDDs at 3 months. Secondary outcomes included biochemically validated abstinence from alcohol at 3 months and smoking at 6 months. RESULTS Among 400 participants (263 [65.8%] men; mean [SD] age, 39 [6] years), 97 individuals (24.3%) used opioids and 156 individuals (39.1%) had depressive symptoms. These individuals had a mean (SD) CD4 count of 391 (257) cells/mm3, smoked a mean (SD) of 21 [8] cigarettes/d, and reported a mean (SD) of 9.3 (5.8) HDDs in the prior 30 days. At 3 months, the mean (SD) number of HDDs was decreased vs baseline across all groups (group 1: 2.0 [3.8] HDDs vs. 9.5 [6.1] HDDs; group 2: 2.1 [4.3] HDDs vs 9.3 [5.7] HDDs; group 3: 1.5 [3.3] HDDs vs 8.9 [5.0] HDDs; group 4: 2.4 [5.2] HDDs vs 9.6 [6.3] HDDs). There were no significant differences at 3 months between groups in mean (SD) HDDs, including group 1 vs 2 (incident rate ratio [IRR], 0.94; 95% CI, 0.49-1.79), 3 vs 4 (IRR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.30-1.18), and 1 vs 3 (IRR, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.65-2.55). There were no significant differences at 6 months between groups in smoking abstinence, including group 1 vs 2 (15 of 100 individuals [15.0%] vs 17 of 99 individuals [17.2%]; odds ratio [OR],0.89; 95% CI, 0.38-2.08), 3 vs 4 (19 of 100 individuals [19.0%] vs 19 of 101 individuals [18.8%]; OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.46-2.17), and 1 vs 3 (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.35-1.78). Post hoc analyses suggested lower mean (SD) HDDs (eg, at 3 months: 0.7 [1.8] HDDs vs 2.3 [4.6] HDDs) and higher alcohol abstinence (eg, at 3 months: 30 of 85 individuals [35.3%] vs 54 of 315 individuals [17.1%]) among those who quit vs continued smoking. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study found that among individuals with HIV who engaged in risky drinking and smoking, varenicline and cytisine were not more efficacious than NRT to treat risky drinking and smoking but that behavior change rates were high in all groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02797587.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hilary A. Tindle
- Vanderbilt Center for Tobacco, Addiction and Lifestyle, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Division of Internal Medicine and Public Health, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Matthew S. Freiberg
- Vanderbilt Center for Clinical Cardiovascular Trials Evaluation, Cardiovascular Division, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Debbie M. Cheng
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Natalia Gnatienko
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elena Blokhina
- First Pavlov State Medical University of St Petersburg, St Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Tatiana Yaroslavtseva
- First Pavlov State Medical University of St Petersburg, St Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Sally Bendiks
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gregory Patts
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Judith Hahn
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Kaku So-Armah
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Michael D. Stein
- Department of Health Law Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kendall Bryant
- HIV/AIDS Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Dmitry Lioznov
- First Pavlov State Medical University of St Petersburg, St Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Evgeny Krupitsky
- First Pavlov State Medical University of St Petersburg, St Petersburg, Russian Federation
- Department of Addictions, V.M. Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, St Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Jeffrey H. Samet
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Vetrova M, Lodi S, Rateau L, Patts G, Blokhina E, Palatkin V, Yaroslavtseva T, Toussova O, Bushara N, Bendiks S, Gnatienko N, Krupitsky E, Lioznov D, Samet JH, Lunze K. Stigma and ART initiation among people with HIV and a lifetime history of illicit drug use in Saint-Petersburg, Russia–A prospective cohort analysis. International Journal of Drug Policy 2022; 102:103600. [PMID: 35134598 PMCID: PMC8960362 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV-positive people who inject drugs (PWID) are stigmatized and face more challenges in accessing ART. The natural course of stigma and its role on ART initiation in this population is unclear. We examined 1] whether HIV stigma changes over time and 2] whether HIV and substance use stigma are associated with ART initiation in a prospective cohort of HIV-positive PWID in St. Petersburg, Russia. METHODS We used data from 165 HIV-positive PWID who were ART-naïve at enrollment andgeneralized estimating equations to assess changes in HIV stigma between baseline, 12- and 24-month study visits. Logistic regression estimated associations of HIV stigma and substance use stigma with ART initiation. All models were adjusted for gender, age, CD4 count, duration of HIV diagnosis, recent (past 30-day) drug use and depressive symptoms. RESULTS Participants characteristics were the following: median age of 34 (Q1; Q3: 30; 37) years; 30% female; 28% with CD4 count <350; 44% reported recent drug use. During the study period, 31% initiated ART and the median time between HIV diagnosis and ART initiation was 8.5 years (Q1; Q3: 4.68; 13.61). HIV stigma scores decreased yearly by 0.57 (95% CI -1.36, 0.22). More than half (27/47 [57.4%]) of participants who were eligible for ART initiation per local ART guidelines did not initiate therapy. Total HIV stigma and substance use stigma scores were not associated with ART initiation (AOR 0.99, 95%CI 0.94-1.04; AOR 1.01, 95%CI 0.96-1.05, respectively). CONCLUSION In this Russian cohort of HIV-positive, ART-naïve PWID, stigma did not change over time and was not associated with ART initiation. Addressing stigma alone is unlikely to increase ART initiation rates in this population. Reducing further existing structural barriers, e.g., by promoting equal access to ART and the value of substance-use treatment for ART treatment success should complement stigma-reduction approaches.
Collapse
|
3
|
Lodi S, Freiberg M, Gnatienko N, Blokhina E, Yaroslavtseva T, Krupitsky E, Murray E, Samet JH, Cheng DM. Per-protocol analysis of the ZINC trial for HIV disease among alcohol users. Trials 2021; 22:226. [PMID: 33757560 PMCID: PMC7989012 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-021-05178-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Zinc for INflammation and Chronic disease in HIV (ZINC) trial randomized person who live with HIV (PLWH) who engage in heavy drinking to either daily zinc supplementation or placebo. The primary outcome was change in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) index, a predictor of mortality, between baseline and 18 months. Because adherence and follow-up were suboptimal, the intention-to-treat analysis, which was not statistically significant, may have underestimated the effect of the zinc supplementation. OBJECTIVE We estimated the per-protocol effect of zinc versus placebo in the ZINC trial (i.e., the effect that would have been observed if all participants had had high adherence and none was lost to follow-up). METHODS Adherence was measured as the self-reported percentage of pills taken in the previous 6 weeks and assessed at all post-baseline visits. We used inverse probability weighting to estimate and compare the change in the VACS index at 18 months in the zinc and placebo groups, had all the trial participants had high adherence (i.e., cumulative adherence ≥80% at 18 months). To examine trends by level of adherence, we rerun the analyses using thresholds for high adherence of 70% and 90% of average self-reported pill coverage. RESULTS The estimated (95% confidence interval) change in the VACS index was - 2.16 (- 8.07, 3.59) and 5.84 (0.73, 11.80) under high adherence and no loss to follow-up in the zinc and placebo groups, respectively. The per-protocol effect estimate of the mean difference in the change between the zinc and placebo groups was - 8.01 (- 16.42, 0.01), somewhat larger than the intention-to-treat effect difference in change (- 4.68 (- 9.62, 0.25)), but it was still not statistically significant. The mean difference in the change between individuals in the zinc and placebo groups was - 4.07 (- 11.5, 2.75) and -12.34 (- 20.14, -4.14) for high adherence defined as 70% and 90% of pill coverage, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Overall, high adherence to zinc was associated with a lower VACS score, but confidence intervals were wide and crossed 0. Further studies with a larger sample size are needed to quantify the benefits of zinc supplementation in this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01934803 . Registered on August 30, 2013.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Lodi
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
| | - Matthew Freiberg
- Vanderbilt Center for Clinical Cardiovascular Trials Evaluation (V-C3REATE), Cardiovascular Division, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Natalia Gnatienko
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elena Blokhina
- First Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Tatiana Yaroslavtseva
- First Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Evgeny Krupitsky
- First Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
- Department of Addictions, V.M. Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Eleanor Murray
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Samet
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Debbie M Cheng
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Tindle HA, Freiberg MS, Gnatienko N, Blokhina E, Cheng DM, Yaroslavtseva T, Bendiks S, Winter M, Krupitsky E, Samet JH. Design of a randomized controlled trial of smoking cessation medications for alcohol reduction among HIV-positive heavy drinkers and daily smokers in St. Petersburg, Russia. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2020; 19:100625. [PMID: 33659761 PMCID: PMC7889999 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2020.100625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV, heavy drinking, and smoking are all pro-inflammatory and increase risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). Interventions that reduce alcohol use, smoking, or both in HIV-positive people could lower inflammation, CHD and death risk. Varenicline and cytisine are proven therapies for smoking cessation and may also reduce alcohol consumption. The comparative efficacy of varenicline and cytisine to reduce alcohol consumption has not been tested, nor has their comparative effectiveness been reported for smoking. OBJECTIVE This paper describes the protocol of the Studying Partial agonists for Ethanol and Tobacco Elimination in Russians with HIV (St PETER HIV), a four-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial comparing effects of varenicline, cytisine, and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). METHODS The study is recruiting four hundred HIV-positive heavy drinking smokers interested in cutting down on alcohol and/or tobacco in St. Petersburg, Russia. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either active varenicline + NRT placebo, varenicline placebo + active NRT, active cytisine + NRT placebo, cytisine placebo + active NRT. All participants receive evidence-based counseling for alcohol and tobacco use, one active medication, and one placebo. Outcomes are: 1) % heavy drinking days in the past month (primary study outcome at three months) and alcohol craving; 2) cigarettes per day (primary smoking outcome at 3 months) and 7-day point prevalence abstinence and; 3) inflammation, CHD risk, and mortality risk. CONCLUSION St PETER HIV addresses the paucity of randomized controlled trial data to guide treatment of alcohol consumption and smoking in HIV-positive heavy drinking smokers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hilary A. Tindle
- Vanderbilt Center for Tobacco, Addiction and Lifestyle (ViTAL), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Division of General Internal Medicine & Public Health and Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, 2525 West End, Suite 450, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
- Veterans Health Administration-Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center (GRECC), Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Matthew S. Freiberg
- Veterans Health Administration-Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center (GRECC), Nashville, TN, United States
- Vanderbilt Center for Clinical Cardiovascular Trials Evaluation (V-C3REATE), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, 2525 West End, Suite 300-A, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
| | - Natalia Gnatienko
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA, 02118, United States
| | - Elena Blokhina
- Pavlov University, Lev Tolstoy St. 6-8, St. Petersburg, 197022, Russian Federation
| | - Debbie M. Cheng
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA, 02118, United States
| | | | - Sally Bendiks
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA, 02118, United States
| | - Michael Winter
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center (BEDAC), Boston University School of Public Health, 85 East Newton Street, 9th Floor, Boston, MA 02118, United States Pasteur Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Russian Federation, Mira St. 14, St. Petersburg, 197101, Russian Federation
| | - Evgeny Krupitsky
- Pavlov University, Lev Tolstoy St. 6-8, St. Petersburg, 197022, Russian Federation
- Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, Bekhtereva St., 3, St. Petersburg, 192019, Russian Federation
| | - Jeffrey H. Samet
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA, 02118, United States
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA, 02118, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Freiberg MS, Cheng DM, Gnatienko N, Blokhina E, Coleman SM, Doyle MF, Yaroslavtseva T, Bridden C, So-Armah K, Tracy R, Bryant K, Lioznov D, Krupitsky E, Samet JH. Effect of Zinc Supplementation vs Placebo on Mortality Risk and HIV Disease Progression Among HIV-Positive Adults With Heavy Alcohol Use: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3:e204330. [PMID: 32383748 PMCID: PMC7210486 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.4330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Zinc supplementation can reduce alcohol-related microbial translocation and inflammation. OBJECTIVE To assess whether zinc supplementation reduces markers of mortality and risk of cardiovascular disease, reduces levels of inflammation and microbial translocation, and slows HIV disease progression in people with heavy alcohol use who are living with HIV/AIDS. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This study is a double-blinded placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial of zinc supplementation among participants recruited from 2013 to 2015. Participants were recruited from HIV and addiction clinical and nonclinical care sites in St Petersburg, Russia. Participants were adults (aged 18-70 years) with documented HIV infection who were antiretroviral therapy-naive at baseline and had past 30-day heavy alcohol consumption. Data analysis was performed from February 2017 to February 2020. INTERVENTION Pharmacy-grade zinc gluconate supplementation (15 mg for men and 12 mg for women, taken daily by mouth for 18 months) was compared with a placebo. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was mortality risk measured as a change in Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) Index score between baseline and 18 months. The VACS Index scores range from 0 to 164, with higher scores indicating higher mortality risk. Secondary outcomes were change in CD4 cell count between baseline and 18 months, the assessment of cardiovascular disease risk (Reynolds Risk Score, which ranges from 0% to 100%, with higher scores indicating higher risk), and changes in inflammatory or microbial translocation biomarkers at 18 months. Adjusted linear regression analyses were performed. RESULTS A total of 254 participants (184 men [72%]; mean [SD] age, 34 [6] years) were enrolled in the trial; 126 were randomized to receive zinc, and 128 were randomized to receive placebo. Participants had high CD4 cell counts (mean [SD], 521 [292] cells/mm3), and 188 (74%) reported heavy drinking in the past week. In the main analyses, zinc supplementation did not affect changes in the VACS Index score at 18 months (change for zinc, mean [SD], 0.49 [14.6]; median [interquartile range], 0.0 [-7.0 to 6.0]; change for placebo, mean [SD], 5.5 [17.2]; median [interquartile range], 6.0 [-6.0 to 14.0]; adjusted mean difference [AMD], -4.68; 95% CI, -9.62 to 0.25; P = .06) or any secondary outcomes, including change in CD4 cell count (AMD, 41.8 cells/mm3; 95% CI, -20.3 to 103.8 cells/mm3; P = .19), Reynolds Risk Score (AMD, -0.014; 95% CI, -0.167 to 0.139; P = .85), interleukin-6 level (AMD, -0.13 pg/mL; 95% CI, -0.38 to 0.11 pg/mL; P = .30), dimerized plasmin fragment D level (AMD, -0.21 μg/mL fibrinogen equivalent units; 95% CI, -0.48 to 0.07 μg/mL fibrinogen equivalent units; P = .14), soluble CD14 level (AMD, -38.01 ng/mL; 95% CI, -166.90 to 90.88 ng/mL; P = .56), intestinal fatty acid binding protein level (AMD, 0.08 pg/mL; 95% CI, -0.07 to 0.22 pg/mL; P = .32), and lipopolysaccharide binding protein level (AMD, -0.09 ng/mL; 95% CI, -0.23 to 0.06 ng/mL; P = .24). In the per-protocol analyses, zinc supplementation statistically significantly affected changes in the VACS Index score at 18 months (AMD, -7.49; 95% CI, -13.74 to -1.23; P = .02); however, the adherence rate to zinc supplementation was 51%. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Zinc supplementation did not reduce mortality risk, CD4 cell counts, cardiovascular disease risk, and levels of inflammation or microbial translocation in people with heavy alcohol use who are living with HIV/AIDS. Zinc supplementation did not change the VACS Index score but may have been limited by low adherence. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01934803.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Freiberg
- Vanderbilt Center for Clinical Cardiovascular Trials Evaluation (V-C3REATE), Cardiovascular Division, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Authority Health Care System, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Debbie M. Cheng
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Natalia Gnatienko
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elena Blokhina
- First Pavlov State Medical University of St Petersburg, St Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Sharon M. Coleman
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center (BEDAC), Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Margaret F. Doyle
- Larner College of Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Vermont, Colchester
| | - Tatiana Yaroslavtseva
- First Pavlov State Medical University of St Petersburg, St Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Carly Bridden
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kaku So-Armah
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Russell Tracy
- Larner College of Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Vermont, Colchester
| | - Kendall Bryant
- HIV/AIDS Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Dmitry Lioznov
- First Pavlov State Medical University of St Petersburg, St Petersburg, Russian Federation
- Research Institute of Influenza, St Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Evgeny Krupitsky
- First Pavlov State Medical University of St Petersburg, St Petersburg, Russian Federation
- Department of Addictions, V.M. Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, St Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Jeffrey H. Samet
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Blokhina E, Krupitsky EM, Cheng DM, Walley AY, Toussova O, Yaroslavtseva T, Gnatienko N, Bridden C, Forman LS, Bendiks S, Samet JH. Evolution of illicit opioid use among people with HIV infection in St Petersburg, Russia, in the period 2004-2015. HIV Med 2019; 20:450-455. [PMID: 31034141 DOI: 10.1111/hiv.12741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In the late 1990s, when the current Russian opioid epidemic began, illicit opioids used in Russia consisted almost exclusively of heroin. The type of opioids used has evolved in the early 21st Century. The objective of this study was to describe the evolution of illicit opioid use among people living with HIV (PLWH) reporting recent opioid use in St Petersburg, Russia. METHODS We examined baseline data from four research studies conducted in the period 2004-2015 that included PLWH who used opioids [Partnership to Reduce the Epidemic Via Engagement in Narcology Treatment (PREVENT; 2004-2005; n = 17), HIV Evolution in Russia-Mitigating Infection Transmission and Alcoholism in a Growing Epidemic (HERMITAGE; 2007-2010; n = 281), Linking Infectious and Narcology Care (LINC; 2013-2014; n = 119) and Russia Alcohol Research Collaboration on HIV/AIDS (Russia ARCH; 2012-2015; n = 121)] and reported recent use of heroin and other opioids. RESULTS Although these studies spanned more than a decade, the participants represented similar birth cohorts; the mean age was 24.5 years in 2004 and 33.3 years in 2014. The use of opioid types, however, evolved across cohorts, with the use of any illicit drug other than heroin increasing from 6% [95% confidence interval (CI) 000.2, 29%] in PREVENT (2004-2005) to 30% (95% CI 25, 36%) in HERMITAGE (2007-2010) to 70% (95% CI 61, 78%) in LINC (2013-2014) to 77% (95% CI 68, 84%) in ARCH (2012-2015). Any heroin use consistently decreased over the 10-year period in the cohorts, from 100% (95% CI 80, 100%) in 2004-2005 to 54% (95% CI 44, 63%) in 2012-2015. CONCLUSIONS Among PLWH who use opioids in St Petersburg, Russia, illicit use of opioids other than heroin appears to be more common than heroin use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E Blokhina
- Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Addictions, First Pavlov State Medical University, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - E M Krupitsky
- Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Addictions, First Pavlov State Medical University, St Petersburg, Russia.,Department of Addictions, V. M. Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - D M Cheng
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - A Y Walley
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - O Toussova
- Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Addictions, First Pavlov State Medical University, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - T Yaroslavtseva
- Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Addictions, First Pavlov State Medical University, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - N Gnatienko
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - C Bridden
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - L S Forman
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - S Bendiks
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J H Samet
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Krupitsky E, Blokhina E, Zvartau E, Verbitskaya E, Lioznov D, Yaroslavtseva T, Palatkin V, Vetrova M, Bushara N, Burakov A, Masalov D, Mamontova O, Langleben D, Poole S, Gross R, Woody G. Slow-release naltrexone implant versus oral naltrexone for improving treatment outcomes in people with HIV who are addicted to opioids: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial. Lancet HIV 2019; 6:e221-e229. [PMID: 30880163 DOI: 10.1016/s2352-3018(18)30362-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Untreated opioid addiction in people with HIV is associated with poor HIV treatment outcomes. Slow-release, long-acting, implantable naltrexone might improve these outcomes. Here, we present results of a study aimed to test this hypothesis. METHODS We did a 48 week double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, phase 3, randomised trial with men and women addicted to opioids who were starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV and whose viral loads were higher than 1000 copies per mL. Participants were seeking treatment at two HIV and two narcology programme centres in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and the surrounding Leningrad region. The Pavlov statistical department created a table with stratification on gender distribution, viral load, and CD4 cell count. We stratified participants according to gender, viral load, and CD4 cells per μL, and randomly assigned (1:1) them to addiction treatment with a naltrexone implant and oral naltrexone placebo (implant group) or oral naltrexone and placebo implant (oral group). The primary outcome was plasma viral load of less than 400 copies per mL at 24 weeks and 48 weeks. We included all randomly assigned participants in outcome analyses (intention to treat). Treatment staff and patients were masked to group assignment. The study is complete and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01101815. FINDINGS Between July 14, 2011, and April 14, 2014, 238 potential participants were recruited and screened, 35 were excluded for not meeting inclusion criteria, three declined to participate, and 200 were randomly assigned to treatment (100 to each group). At week 24, 38 (38) participants in the implant group and 35 (35%) in the oral group had viral loads less than 400 copies per mL (risk ratio 1·1, 95% CI 0·76-1·56; p=0·77). At week 48, 66 participants in the implant group and 50 in the oral group had viral loads less than 400 copies per mL (risk ratio 1·32, 95% CI 1·04-1·68; p=0·045). There were seven serious adverse events: three deaths in the implant group (one due to heart disease, one trauma, and one AIDS), and four in the oral group (two overdoses, one pancreatic cancer, and one AIDS). The overdose deaths occurred 9-10 months after the last naltrexone dose. INTERPRETATION The longer the blockade of opioid effects, the more protection an individual gets from missed ART doses and impulsive behaviours that lead to relapse and poor, even fatal, outcomes. Commercial development of implants could result in a meaningful addition to addiction treatment options. FUNDING National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Penn Centre for AIDS Research, and Penn Mental Health AIDS Research Centre.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny Krupitsky
- First Pavlov State Medical University of Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia; VM Bekhterev National Medical Research Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Elena Blokhina
- First Pavlov State Medical University of Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Edwin Zvartau
- First Pavlov State Medical University of Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Elena Verbitskaya
- First Pavlov State Medical University of Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Dmitri Lioznov
- First Pavlov State Medical University of Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Vladimir Palatkin
- First Pavlov State Medical University of Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Marina Vetrova
- First Pavlov State Medical University of Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Natalia Bushara
- First Pavlov State Medical University of Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Andrei Burakov
- First Pavlov State Medical University of Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Dmitri Masalov
- First Pavlov State Medical University of Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Olga Mamontova
- First Pavlov State Medical University of Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Daniel Langleben
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sabrina Poole
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert Gross
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - George Woody
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Gnatienko N, Freiberg MS, Blokhina E, Yaroslavtseva T, Bridden C, Cheng DM, Chaisson CE, Lioznov D, Bendiks S, Koerbel G, Coleman SM, Krupitsky E, Samet JH. Design of a randomized controlled trial of zinc supplementation to improve markers of mortality and HIV disease progression in HIV-positive drinkers in St. Petersburg, Russia. HIV Clin Trials 2018; 19:101-111. [PMID: 29663871 DOI: 10.1080/15284336.2018.1459344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background Russia continues to have an uncontrolled HIV epidemic and its per capita alcohol consumption is among the highest in the world. Alcohol use among HIV-positive individuals is common and is associated with worse clinical outcomes. Alcohol use and HIV each lead to microbial translocation, which in turn results in inflammation. Zinc supplementation holds potential for lowering levels of biomarkers of inflammation, possibly as a consequence of its impact on intestinal permeability. This paper describes the protocol of a double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial of zinc supplementation in St. Petersburg, Russia. Methods Participants (n = 254) were recruited between October 2013 and June 2015 from HIV and addiction clinical care sites, and non-clinical sites in St. Petersburg, Russia. Participants were randomly assigned, to receive either zinc (15 mg for men; 12 mg for women) or placebo, daily for 18 months. The following outcomes were assessed at 6, 12, and 18 months: (1) mortality risk (primary outcome at 18 months); (2) HIV disease progression; (3) cardiovascular risk; and (4) microbial translocation and inflammation. Adherence was assessed using direct (riboflavin) and indirect (pill count, self-report) measures. Conclusion Given the limited effectiveness of current interventions to reduce alcohol use, zinc supplementation merits testing as a simple, low-cost intervention to mitigate the consequences of alcohol use in HIV-positive persons despite ongoing drinking.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Gnatienko
- a Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine , Boston Medical Center, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Matthew S Freiberg
- b Vanderbilt Center for Clinical Cardiovascular Trials Evaluation (V-C3REATE) , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , TN , USA
| | - Elena Blokhina
- c First Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg , St. Petersburg , Russian Federation
| | - Tatiana Yaroslavtseva
- c First Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg , St. Petersburg , Russian Federation
| | - Carly Bridden
- a Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine , Boston Medical Center, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Debbie M Cheng
- d Department of Biostatistics , Boston University School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Christine E Chaisson
- e Data Coordinating Center , Boston University School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Dmitry Lioznov
- c First Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg , St. Petersburg , Russian Federation.,f Research Institute of Influenza , St. Petersburg , Russian Federation
| | - Sally Bendiks
- a Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine , Boston Medical Center, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Glory Koerbel
- g Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , PA , USA
| | - Sharon M Coleman
- e Data Coordinating Center , Boston University School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Evgeny Krupitsky
- c First Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg , St. Petersburg , Russian Federation.,h St. Petersburg Bekhterev Research Psychoneurological Institute , St. Petersburg , Russian Federation
| | - Jeffrey H Samet
- i Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit , Boston University , Boston , MA , USA.,j Department of Community Health Sciences , Boston University School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Forman LS, Patts GJ, Coleman SM, Blokhina E, Lu J, Yaroslavtseva T, Gnatienko N, Krupitsky E, Samet JH, Chaisson CE. Use of an android phone application for automated text messages in international settings: A case study in an HIV clinical trial in St. Petersburg, Russia. Clin Trials 2017; 15:36-43. [PMID: 28795584 DOI: 10.1177/1740774517726067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Reproducible outcomes in clinical trials depend on adherence to study protocol. Short message service (also known as text message) reminders have been shown to improve clinical trial adherence in the United States and elsewhere. However, due to systematic differences in mobile data plans, languages, and technology, these systems are not easily translated to international settings. METHODS To gauge technical capabilities for international projects, we developed SMSMessenger, an automated Android application that uses a US server to send medication reminders to participants in a clinical trial in St. Petersburg, Russia (Zinc for HIV disease among alcohol users-a randomized controlled trial in the Russia Alcohol Research Collaboration on HIV/AIDS cohort). The application is downloaded once onto an Android study phone. When it is time for the text message reminders to be sent, study personnel access the application on a local phone, which in turn accesses the existing clinical trial database hosted on a US web server. The application retrieves a list of participants with the following information: phone number, whether a message should be received at that time, and the appropriate text of the message. The application is capable of storing multiple outgoing messages. With a few clicks, text messages are sent to study participants who can reply directly to the message. Study staff can check the local phone for incoming messages. The SMSMessenger application uses an existing clinical trial database and is able to receive real-time updates. All communications between the application and server are encrypted, and phone numbers are stored in a secure database behind a firewall. No sensitive data are stored on the phone, as outgoing messages are sent through the application and not by messaging features on the phone itself. Messages are sent simultaneously to study participants, which reduces the burden on local study staff. Costs and setup are minimal. The only local requirements are an Android phone and data plan. CONCLUSION The SMSMessenger technology could be modified to be applied anywhere in the world, in any language, script, or alphabet, and for many different purposes. The novel application of this existing low-cost technology can improve the usefulness of text messaging in advancing the goals of international clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leah S Forman
- 1 Data Coordinating Center, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gregory J Patts
- 1 Data Coordinating Center, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sharon M Coleman
- 1 Data Coordinating Center, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elena Blokhina
- 2 Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Addictions, Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - John Lu
- 1 Data Coordinating Center, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tatiana Yaroslavtseva
- 2 Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Addictions, Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Natalia Gnatienko
- 3 Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Evgeny Krupitsky
- 2 Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Addictions, Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia.,4 Department of Addictions, Bekhterev Research Psychoneurological Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Jeffrey H Samet
- 3 Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.,5 Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christine E Chaisson
- 1 Data Coordinating Center, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Patts GJ, Cheng DM, Emenyonu N, Bridden C, Gnatienko N, Lloyd-Travaglini CA, Ngabirano C, Yaroslavtseva T, Muyindike WR, Weiser SD, Krupitsky EM, Hahn JA, Samet JH. Alcohol Use and Food Insecurity Among People Living with HIV in Mbarara, Uganda and St. Petersburg, Russia. AIDS Behav 2017; 21:724-733. [PMID: 27699595 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-016-1556-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Food insecurity (FI) is a documented problem associated with adverse health outcomes among HIV-infected populations. Little is known about the relationship between alcohol use and FI. We assessed whether heavy alcohol use was associated with FI among HIV-infected, antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve cohorts in Uganda and Russia. Inverse probability of treatment weighted logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association using cross-sectional baseline data. FI was experienced by half of the Russia cohort (52 %) and by a large majority of the Uganda cohort (84 %). We did not detect an association between heavy alcohol use and FI in either cohort (Russia: AOR = 0.80, 95 % CI 0.46, 1.40; Uganda: AOR = 1.00, 95 % CI 0.57, 1.74) or based on the overall combined estimate (AOR = 0.89, 95 % CI 0.60, 1.33). Future studies should explore the determinants of FI in HIV-infected populations to inform strategies for its mitigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J Patts
- Data Coordinating Center, Boston University School of Public Health, 85 East Newton St., M921, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
| | - Debbie M Cheng
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Nneka Emenyonu
- Division of HIV, Infectious Disease and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, USA
| | - Carly Bridden
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Boston Medical Center, Boston, USA
| | - Natalia Gnatienko
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Boston Medical Center, Boston, USA
| | - Christine A Lloyd-Travaglini
- Data Coordinating Center, Boston University School of Public Health, 85 East Newton St., M921, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Christine Ngabirano
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Tatiana Yaroslavtseva
- Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Addictions, First St. Petersburg Pavlov State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Winnie R Muyindike
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Sheri D Weiser
- Division of HIV, Infectious Disease and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, USA
| | - Evgeny M Krupitsky
- Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Addictions, First St. Petersburg Pavlov State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Addictions, Bekhterev Research Psychoneurological Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Judith A Hahn
- Division of HIV, Infectious Disease and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Samet
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Boston Medical Center, Boston, USA
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Pecoraro A, Mimiaga M, O'Cleirigh C, Safren SA, Blokhina E, Verbitskaya E, Yaroslavtseva T, Ustinov A, Lioznov DA, Zvartau E, Krupitsky E, Woody GE. Depression, substance use, viral load, and CD4+ count among patients who continued or left antiretroviral therapy for HIV in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation. AIDS Care 2014; 27:86-92. [PMID: 25264710 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2014.959464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) became more widely available in the Russian Federation in 2006 when the Global Fund made a contribution to purchase ART with a mandate to increase numbers of patients receiving it. Funds were distributed to AIDS Centers and selected hospitals, and numbers quickly increased. Though ART is highly effective for adherent patients, dropout has been a problem; thus understanding characteristics of patients who remain on ART vs. those who leave treatment may provide information to facilitate engagement. We retrospectively assessed depression, hopelessness, substance use, viral load, and CD4+ counts of 120 patients who dropped out of ART for ≥12 months (Lost-to-Care, LTCs) and 120 who continued for ≥12 months (Engaged-in-Care, EICs). As expected, LTCs had higher viral loads and depression, lower CD4+ counts, more alcohol, heroin, and injection drug use in the past 30 days. A binary logistic regression with Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression score, Beck Hopelessness score, whether drugs/alcohol had ever prevented them from taking ART, and past 30 days' alcohol use [χ(2)(4) = 64.27, p = .0.000] correctly classified 74.5% of participants as LTC or EIC, suggesting that integrated treatment for substance use, psychiatric, and HIV could reduce dropout and improve outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Pecoraro
- a School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , PA , USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|