Four Decades of HIV: Global Trends, Testing Assays, Treatment, and Challenges

Abstract

More than 77 million individuals have been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and approximately 37.6 million people are living with HIV infection. HIV infection may increase susceptibility to cancer, cardiovascular disease, bone disease, and other co-morbid conditions. Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs are extremely potent HIV replication inhibitors. Combination ARV therapy suppresses the viral load and prolongs the lifespan of individuals who can acquire and adhere to ARV drug regimens. Indeed, viral suppression can nearly eliminate the risk of developing acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). ARV drugs reduce the risk of HIV transmission in uninfected individuals. In addition to a vital role in prevention strategies, viral transmission is still common in unprotected populations, especially in injection drug users, female sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM), and transgender individuals. The history and timeline provide key milestones in HIV research leading to improved and advanced approaches to resolve the issue of HIV transmission. Nevertheless, it is essential to pursue breakthroughs, innovative treatments, improved prevention methods, and the development of vaccines. This article summarizes the 40-year timeline of HIV, testing assays, global burden, prevalence, treatment, and challenges related to HIV/AIDS.

Association between TB delay and TB treatment outcomes in HIV-TB co-infected patients: a study based on the multilevel propensity score method

“…Notably, about 167,000 people died of HIV-associated TB in 2022. The percentage of notified TB patients who had a documented HIV test result in 2022 was 80%, up from 76% in 2021 [ 3 ], thus imposing a substantial public health burden [ 4 – 6 ]. China is classified as one of the 30 high-burden countries in terms of HIV-associated TB, with most of the cases coming from Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture (Liangshan Prefecture) [ 7 ], which faces challenges due to its remote location, limited access to medical services and low residents health literacy [ 8 , 9 ].…”

Prevalence and transmission of pretreatment drug resistance in people living with HIV-1 in Shanghai China, 2017–2021

“…The antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage in China is relatively high among low- and middle-income countries [ 1 ], and the national scale-up of ART has markedly reduced HIV-associated morbidity and mortality [ 2 ]. However, the new challenge is the rapid emergence and spread of HIV-1 drug resistance (DR), which limits the effectiveness of first-line ART regimens [ 3 , 4 ]. HIV-1 DR includes acquired drug resistance (ADR), and pretreatment drug resistance (PDR).…”