In our study population, CMV/HIV coinfection was associated with the risk of severe non-AIDS-defining events/non-AIDS-related death, especially with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, independently of other prognostic factors. This finding supports a potential independent role of CMV coinfection in vascular/degenerative organ disorders in HIV-infected subjects.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a growing problem in HIV population and a comparison with the general population may help screening and prevention. In this cross-sectional study the authors determined the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in 4,249 HIV-infected subjects attending the San Raffaele Infectious Diseases Department compared with 9,148 healthy controls recruited in 15 Italian regions, and identified risk factors associated with of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was defined as reported diabetes, a fasting plasma glucose concentration ≥7.0 mmol/l, or current use of anti-diabetic medication. Prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was higher in HIV-infected than healthy subjects (4.1 vs. 2.5 %; P < 0.0001). At multivariable analysis, HIV-infected subjects (odds ratio 1.70, 95 % CI, 1.12-2.51; P = 0.009), older age (P < 0.0001), higher BMI (P < 0.0001) and hypertension (P = 0.039) were associated with a higher risk of diabetes. Among HIV-infected patients, the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus increased with older age (P < 0.0001), higher BMI (P = 0.003), higher triglycerides (P = 0.015) lower total cholesterol (P = 0.008), longer duration of HIV infection (P = 0.036) lower nadir CD4 (P = 0.027). Prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in HIV-infected subjects was almost two-fold increased than healthy subjects and it was associated with the typical risk factors of the general population and also to longer duration of HIV infection and lower nadir CD4.

Migrant and Italian HIV-infected patients (n = 5773) enrolled in the ICONA cohort in 2004-2014 were compared for disparities in access to an initial antiretroviral regimen and/or risk of virologic failure (VF), and determinants of failure were evaluated. Variables associated with initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) were analysed. Primary endpoint was time to failure after at least 6 months of ART and was defined as: VF, first of two consecutive virus loads (VL) >200 copies/mL; treatment discontinuation (TD) for any reason; and treatment failure as confirmed VL >200 copies/mL or TD. A Poisson multivariable analysis was performed to control for confounders. Migrants presented significantly lower CD4 counts and more frequent AIDS events at baseline. When adjusting for baseline confounders, migrants presented a lower likelihood to begin ART (odds ratio 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67-0.95, p 0.012). After initiating ART, the incidence VF rate was 6.4 per 100 person-years (95% CI 4.8-8.5) in migrants and 2.7 in natives (95% CI 2.2-3.3). Multivariable analysis confirmed that migrants had a higher risk of VF (incidence rate ratio 1.90, 95% CI 1.25-2.91, p 0.003) and treatment failure (incidence rate ratio 1.16, 95% CI 1.01-1.33, p 0.031), with no differences for TD. Among migrants, variables associated with VF were age, unemployment and use of a boosted protease inhibitor-based regimen versus nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Despite the use of more potent and safer drugs in the last 10 years, and even in a universal health care setting, migrants living with HIV still present barriers to initiating ART and an increased risk of VF compared to natives.

Residual viraemia assessed by kPCR was not associated with virological rebound during 1 year of follow-up. However, the patients attaining <1 HIV RNA copy/mL showed a small but statistically significant improvement in CD4+ cell recovery.

We prospectively evaluated 28 triple-class experienced HIV-1-infected patients harbouring R5 virus, who received maraviroc, raltegravir and etravirine. By on-treatment analysis, 26 (92%) had less than 50 copies HIV-RNA/ml at week 48. The median (interquartile range) 48-week increase in CD4 cell counts was 267 (136-355) cells/microl. Three serious adverse events occurred: one recurrence of mycobacterial spondylodiscitis, one anal cancer, one Hodgkin lymphoma. Although long-term safety needs further study, this protease inhibitor and nucleoside analogue-sparing regimen showed sustained efficacy.