Objective-Most antiretroviral treatment program in resource-limited settings use immunologic or clinical monitoring to measure response to therapy and to decide when to change to a second line regimen. Our objective was to evaluate immunologic failure criteria against gold standard virologic monitoring.

Background Daily suppression of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) reduces plasma HIV-1 concentrations and has been shown to delay HIV-1 disease progression modestly in one clinical trial. We investigated the impact of daily suppressive acyclovir on HIV-1 disease progression in Rakai, Uganda Methods In a single site trial, 440 HIV-1, HSV-2 dually infected consenting adults with CD4+ T-cell counts 300-400 cells/μL and not on antiretroviral therapy were randomized 1:1 to receive either acyclovir 400 mg orally twice daily or placebo; participants were followed for 24 months. The primary outcome was CD4 <250 or ART initiation for WHO stage IV disease. Intent-to-treat analysis used Cox proportional hazards (CPH) models, adjusting for baseline log10 viral load (VL), CD4 cell count, gender and age to assess the risk of disease progression. The impact of suppressive HSV-2 treatment by baseline VL was also investigated in a CPH model. This trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov, number NCT00405821. Findings Overall, 110 participants in the placebo arm and 95 participants in the treatment arm reached the primary endpoint (Adj HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.58-0.99; p=0.040). In a sub-analysis stratified by baseline VL quintile, participants with a baseline VL >= 50,000 copies/ml experienced a 38% reduction in HIV disease progression in the treatment compared to placebo arm (Adj HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.43-0.96;p=0.03). Interpretation Acyclovir reduced the rate of disease progression by 25%, with the greatest impact occurring among individuals with high baseline VL. Suppressive acyclovir may be warranted among HSV-2/HIV-1 dually infected individuals with viral loads >= 50,000 copies/ml prior to antiretroviral treatment.

The prevalence of HSV-2 shedding and GUD increased significantly after ART initiation, possibly because of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. Acyclovir significantly reduced both GUD and HSV-2 shedding and should be considered to mitigate these effects following ART initiation.

Objectives To assess the prevalence of hypertension, elevated blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors among HIV-positive individuals in rural Rakai District, Uganda. Methods We assessed 426 HIV-positive individuals in Rakai, Uganda from 2007 to 2010. Prevalence of hypertension and elevated blood pressure assessed by clinical measurement was compared to clinician-recorded hypertension in case report forms. Multiple logistic regression and z-tests were used to examine the association of hypertension and elevated blood pressure with age, sex, body mass index, CD4 cell count, and anti-retroviral treatment (ART) use. For individuals on anti-hypertensives, medication utilization was reviewed. Results The prevalence of hypertension (two elevated blood pressure readings at different time points) was 8.0% (95% CI: 5.4–10.6%), and that of elevated blood pressure (one elevated blood pressure reading) was 26.3% (95% CI: 22.1–30.5%). Age ≥50 years and higher body mass index were positively associated with elevated blood pressure. ART use, time on ART, and CD4 cell count were not associated with hypertension. 83% of subjects diagnosed with hypertension were on anti-hypertensive medications, most commonly beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers. Conclusions Hypertension is common among HIV-positive individuals in rural Uganda.