Are current guidelines adapted for patient eligibility to PrEP? A case report.

Background: Despite effective antiretroviral therapy developed over the last decade, HIV infection remains a major worldwide public health problem. Recently, a promising preventive treatment has been made available for HIV prophylaxis, PrEP for pre-ExPosure Prophylaxis. Indeed, it was shown to significantly reduce the risk of HIV infection in patients exposed to high risk of infection such as men having sex with men (MSM), heterosexuals and people who inject drugs.

Highlights from the 20th International Symposium on HIV and Emerging Infectious Diseases (ISHEID) 16-18 May 2018, Marseille, France: from HIV and comorbidities to global health.

The 20th International Symposium on HIV and Emerging Infectious Diseases took place in Marseille, France. It had a refreshing European look with reinforced partnerships with the European AIDS Clinical Society and the British HIV Association and with international speakers and participants. Topics included HIV and global health, HIV and hepatitis cure, the microbiome and immunotherapies, clinical research and methodology, as well as chemsex, pre-exposure prophylaxis, sexually transmitted infections and emerging infectious diseases.

Highlights from the 8 International Workshop on HIV Persistence during Therapy, 12-15 December 2017, Miami, FL, USA.

Over 4 days, more than 500 scientists involved in HIV persistence research shared their new unpublished data and designed future perspectives towards ART-free HIV remission. This followed the format of past conferences but further focused on encouraging participation of young investigators, especially through submission of oral and poster presentations. The topic of the workshop was HIV persistence.

Real-World Efficacy of Daclatasvir and Sofosbuvir, With and Without Ribavirin, in HIV/HCV Coinfected Patients With Advanced Liver Disease in a French Early Access Cohort.

Background: Efficacious, well-tolerated, direct antiviral agents have drastically changed the prognosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) disease, but real-world data for oral treatments are limited in key populations such as HIV/HCV coinfection with advanced liver disease. Daclatasvir (DCV) efficacy and safety was assessed in the French "Autorisation Temporaire d'Utilisation" (ATU) program, providing DCV ahead of market authorization to patients with advanced HCV disease without other treatment options.

Methods: This was a subanalysis of HIV/HCV coinfected ATU patients treated with DCV plus sofosbuvir (SOF).

Highlights from the 2016 International Symposium on HIV & Emerging Infectious Diseases (ISHEID): 25-27 May, Marseille, France.

For three days in May 2016, the International Symposium on HIV & Emerging Infectious Diseases gathered participants from all over the world around the theme 'Fighting deadly viruses'. HIV infection remained the main topic of the meeting but hepatitis, Ebola and Zika viruses as well as other emergent pathogens were also extensively covered. In this article we have tried to summarise what was presented during the plenary lectures, the two keynote lectures, and some of the work accepted for oral presentation.

Highlights from the Seventh International Workshop on HIV Persistence during Therapy, 8-11 December 2015, Miami, Florida, USA.

Over 4 days, more than 270 scientists involved in HIV persistence research convened to share their data and discuss future avenues to control HIV without continuous antiretroviral therapy. This 7(th) International Workshop on HIV Persistence followed the format of the preceding conferences but more time was given for discussing abstracts submitted by the participants and selected by the Steering and Scientific Committees. The topic of the workshop is HIV persistence: consequently, issues of HIV reservoirs and HIV cure are also addressed.

Incidence and risk factors for liver enzymes elevations in highly treatment-experienced patients switching from enfuvirtide to raltegravir: a sub-study of the ANRS-138 EASIER trial.

Background: In the ANRS EASIER trial where treatment-experienced patients switched from enfuvirtide (ENF) to raltegravir (RAL), a high incidence of transaminase elevation was reported in the RAL arm.

Methods: We compared the incidence of emergent liver enzyme elevations (LEE) of grade 2 or more among patients randomized to the maintenance ENF arm or the switch RAL arm up to W24. We also assessed the overall incidence of LEE over the 48-week duration of the trial and baseline risk factors for grade 2 or more alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation using univariate and multivariate analyses.

Intensive five-drug antiretroviral therapy regimen versus standard triple-drug therapy during primary HIV-1 infection (OPTIPRIM-ANRS 147): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial.

Background: Early combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) initiation at the time of primary HIV-1 infection could restrict the establishment of HIV reservoirs. We aimed to assess the effect of a cART regimen intensified with raltegravir and maraviroc, compared with standard triple-drug cART, on HIV-DNA load.

Methods: In this randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial, we recruited patients from hospitals across France.

Failure of combined antiretroviral therapy intensification with maraviroc and raltegravir in chronically HIV-1 infected patients to reduce the viral reservoir: the IntensHIV randomized trial.

Background: Ongoing HIV-1 replication in lymphoid cells is one explanation of the persistence of HIV-1 reservoirs despite highly active antiretroviral therapy (cART). We tested the potential of cART intensification by Maraviroc plus Raltegravir to decrease proviral HIV-1 DNA levels in lymphoid cells during a randomized trial.

Patients And Methods: We randomly assigned for 48 weeks 22 patients to continue their current first line regimen of Truvada® plus Kaletra® or intensify it with Maraviroc and Raltegravir.

Highlights from the 2014 International Symposium on HIV & Emerging Infectious Diseases (ISHEID): from cART management to the end of the HIV pandemic.

The 2014 International Symposium on HIV and Emerging Infectious Diseases (ISHEID) provided a forum for investigators to hear the latest research developments in the clinical management of HIV and HCV infections as well as HIV cure research. Combined anti-retroviral therapy (c-ART) has had a profound impact on the disease prognosis and transformed this infection into a chronic disease. However, HIV is able to persist within the infected host and the pandemic is still growing.

Impact of IL28B on the treatment decision in naïve and experienced patients with genotype 1 and 4 chronic hepatitis C in real-life clinical practice: a prospective multicenter cohort.

Background: The impact of the IL28B genotype on the real-life treatment decisions for patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is unknown.

Objective: To prospectively analyze the impact of IL28B genotype in HCV genotype 1 (G1)- or 4 (G4)-infected patients using buccal epithelial cell samples in real-life clinical practices.

Patients And Methods: From October 2011 to March 2013, 1007 CHC patients were included among 127 French clinical centers.

Highlights from the 2012 International Symposium on HIV & Emerging Infectious Diseases (ISHEID): from cART management to the search of an HIV cure.

The 2012 International Symposium on HIV and Emerging Infectious Diseases (ISHEID) provided a forum for investigators to hear the latest research developments in the clinical management of HIV and HCV infections as well as HIV-1 reservoirs and cure research. Combined anti-retroviral therapy (c-ART) has had a profound impact on the disease prognosis of individuals living with HIV-1 infection. However, although these anti-retroviral regimens are able to reduce plasma viremia to below the limits of detection for sustained periods of time, there is a rapid recrudescence in plasma viremia if treatment is interrupted.

Towards an HIV cure: a global scientific strategy.

Given the limitations of antiretroviral therapy and recent advances in our understanding of HIV persistence during effective treatment, there is a growing recognition that a cure for HIV infection is both needed and feasible. The International AIDS Society convened a group of international experts to develop a scientific strategy for research towards an HIV cure. Several priorities for basic, translational and clinical research were identified.

Eliminating the HIV reservoir.

In the past few years, major advances have been achieved in understanding the nature and the maintenance mechanisms of the HIV reservoir. Although antiretroviral therapy works well in a majority of patients, it faces problems of compliance, resistance, toxicity, and cost. In most cases, the remaining HIV reservoir precluding antiretroviral cessation consists of a tiny cell pool that is long-lived and inaccessible to current therapies.

Conference highlights of the 5th international workshop on HIV persistence during therapy, 6-9 December 2011, St. Maartin, West Indies.

The December 2011 5th International Workshop on HIV Persistence during Therapy addressed the issue of HIV persistence among 210 scientists from 10 countries involved in the study of HIV reservoirs and the search of an HIV cure. High quality abstracts were selected and discussed as oral or poster presentations. The aim of this review is to distribute the scientific highlights of this workshop outside the group as analyzed and represented by experts in retrovirology, immunology and clinical research.

Potential strategies for an HIV infection cure.

Despite long-term viral suppression with antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV persists in reservoirs and sanctuary sites. Lifelong therapy is therefore necessary, leading to problems of compliance, toxicity, and cost. Over the last few years, important advances have been made in our understanding of the composition and the maintenance mechanisms of the HIV reservoir.

The search for a cure for persistent HIV reservoirs.

The persistence of prolonged HIV reservoirs in patients on effective antiretroviral therapy is the main hurdle to HIV eradication. However, major advances have been made over the last few years, both in basic and clinical science of HIV reservoirs. Consequently, the scientific community no longer banishes the term "cure".

Long-term immunovirologic control following antiretroviral therapy interruption in patients treated at the time of primary HIV-1 infection.

Five out of 32 patients who received very early and prolonged antiretroviral therapy displayed an unusual, sustained immunovirological control after treatment discontinuation (mean duration: 77 months). These 'post-treatment controllers' did not have the genetic characteristics of spontaneous 'elite' controllers, although they shared very low and stable level of viral reservoir. Treatment may have dramatically decreased this reservoir and preserved potent HIV-specific immunologic responses, inducing a new balance between the virus and the host's immune system in these patients.

Hepatitis E virus in HIV-infected patients.

Objectives: Many cases of acute autochthonous hepatitic E virus (HEV) hepatitis have been reported in France, mainly from the south. Chronic HEV infection has recently been described in immunosuppressed patients. Although a potential risk of chronicity exists in HIV-infected patients, no survey has been conducted in this population.

Rectal cell-associated HIV-1 RNA: a new marker ready for the clinic.

Gut-associated lymphoid tissue is a huge reservoir for HIV-1. Developing new strategies to target "residual" HIV-1 in patients on effective therapy brings the need for an evaluation of tissue reservoirs in the clinic. We measured cell-associated HIV-1 RNA and DNA in blood and rectal biopsies from 23 patients, including 14 with undetectable viremia on HAART, by using an adaptation of commercially available tests.