The association of previous advanced immunosuppression with prevalent and sustained impairment suggests that there is a non-reversible component of neural injury that tracks with a history of disease progression. The association of sustained impairment with worse current immune status (low CD4 cell count) suggests that restoring immunocompetence increases the likelihood of neurocognitive recovery. Finally, the lack of association between incident neurocognitive impairment and virological and immunological indicators implies that neural injury continues in some patients regardless of the success of antiretroviral therapy on these laboratory measures.
BackgroundSexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a major public health problem among young people and can lead to the spread of HIV. Previous studies have primarily addressed barriers to STD care for symptomatic patients. The purpose of our study was to identify perceptions about existing barriers to and ideal services for STDs, especially asymptomatic screening, among young people in a southeastern community.MethodsEight focus group discussions including 53 White, African American, and Latino youth (age 14–24) were conducted.ResultsPerceived barriers to care included lack of knowledge of STDs and available services, cost, shame associated with seeking services, long clinic waiting times, discrimination, and urethral specimen collection methods. Perceived features of ideal STD services included locations close to familiar places, extended hours, and urine-based screening. Television was perceived as the most effective route of disseminating STD information.ConclusionsFurther research is warranted to evaluate improving convenience, efficiency, and privacy of existing services; adding urine-based screening and new services closer to neighborhoods; and using mass media to disseminate STD information as strategies to increase STD screening.
Objective-Differences in antiretroviral (ARV) distribution into the central nervous system (CNS) may impact neurocognitive status. We assessed the relationship between estimates of ARV therapy penetration into the CNS, using a published ranking system, and neurocognitive status in HIV-positive subjects with plasma HIV-1 RNA (vRNA) suppression.Design-Subjects with ≥6 weeks ongoing ARV use and vRNA<50 copies/mL (N=2,636; 83% male, median baseline CD4 T-cells: 244 cells/uL) had ≥1 neuroscreen assessment (Trailmaking A,B, WAIS-R Digit Symbol) at 10,413 neurovisits. Neuroscreen test scores were demographically adjusted and converted to Z-scores (NPZ3: lower scores imply more impairment). CNS penetration-effectiveness (CPE) ranks of 0.0(low), 0.5(medium) or 1.0(high) were assigned to ARVs and summed per regimen, per neurovisit. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Role of author:Marlene Smurzynski: study and conceptual design, assisted with data analysis, interpretation of findings, wrote and edited manuscript, finalized manuscript for publication Kunling Wu: data analysis, created figures and tables, interpretation of findings, reviewed manuscript Scott Letendre: study and conceptual design, interpretation of findings, contributed to manuscript development, edited manuscript Kevin Robertson: study and conceptual design, interpretation of findings, edited manuscript Ronald J. Bosch: assisted with data analysis, interpretation of findings, edited manuscript David B. Clifford: interpretation of findings, edited manuscript Scott Evans: assisted with data analysis, interpretation of findings, reviewed manuscript Ann C. Collier: interpretation of findings, edited manuscript Michael Taylor: completed the normalized neurocognitive test scores (NPZ3 scores), reviewed manuscript Ronald Ellis: study and conceptual design, interpretation of findings, contributed to manuscript development, edited manuscript NIH Public Access Methods-Multivariate linear regression models using generalized estimating equations assessed NPZ3 scores with respect to ARV regimen. Covariates were retained if p≤0.1.Results-A final model demonstrated that better NPZ3 scores were associated with higher CPE among subjects taking >3 ARVs (+0.07 per one unit increase in CPE score; p=0.004) but not among subjects with ≤3 ARVs in the regimen (+0.01; p=0.5). Results were adjusted for demographics, injection drug use, HCV serostatus, CD4 count (current and nadir), baseline vRNA, ARV experience and years since first ARV use.Conclusions-Use of ARVs with better estimated CNS penetration may be associated wi...
Background The relationship between efavirenz use and suicidality is not well defined. Objective Compare time to suicidality with efavirenz-containing versus efavirenz-free antiretroviral regimens for initial treatment of HIV. Design Participant-level data were analyzed from four AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) antiretroviral-naïve studies conducted from 2001 to 2010. Within each study, participants were randomly assigned to an efavirenz-containing (n=3241) or efavirenz-free regimen (n=2091). Setting ACTG sites; 74% enrolled in the United States. Patients Antiretroviral-naïve participants. Intervention Efavirenz versus efavirenz-free regimens. Measurements Suicidality was defined as suicidal ideation, attempted or completed suicide. Groups were compared with a hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) estimated from a Cox model stratified by study. Results 73% were men, median age was 37 years; 32% had documented psychiatric history or received psychoactive medication within 30 days prior to study entry. Median follow-up was 96 weeks. Suicidality incidence per 1000 person-years was 8.08 (47 events) in the efavirenz group and 3.66 (15 events) in the efavirenz-free group, HR: 2.28 (95% CI: 1.27 to 4.10, p=0.006). Incidence of attempted or completed suicide was 2.90 (17 events) and 1.22 (5 events) in the efavirenz and efavirenz-free groups, respectively, HR: 2.58 (95% CI: 0.94 to 7.06, p=0.065). Eight suicide deaths in the efavirenz group and one in the efavirenz-free group were reported. Limitations There was not a standardized questionnaire regarding suicidal ideation or attempt. Efavirenz was open-label in three of four studies. Conclusions Initial treatment with an efavirenz-containing antiretroviral regimen was associated with a two-fold increased hazard of suicidality compared to a regimen without efavirenz.
These findings suggest the widespread diagnosis of acute HIV infections in a routine testing population is not only possible but feasible using specimen pooling and nucleic acid testing. These additional procedures may increase diagnostic yield by approximately 10% compared with conventional HIV antibody testing.
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