Publications by authors named "Alicia Gonzalez-Mena"
Introduction: People with HIV (PWH) with poor immune response despite adequate antiretroviral treatment (ART) are susceptible to non-AIDS-related health issues. This study seeks to evaluate bone quality in Immunological Non-Responders (INRs) in comparison to those with proper immune response (IRs) using in vivo microindentation to quantify bone quality, in addition to conventional bone mineral density (BMD) evaluations.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Hospital del Mar in Barcelona from January 2019 to June 2023.
Article Synopsis
- HIV infection causes chronic inflammation, leading to accelerated aging and comorbidities, even with effective antiretroviral treatments (ART).
- This study analyzed circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in treatment-naïve HIV patients and found significant differences in miRNA levels compared to uninfected individuals, which persisted after one year on ART.
- Results showed elevated miR-21-5p and reduced levels of miR-6503-3p and miR-3135b in HIV patients, suggesting a connection between these miRNAs and inflammation/immune response, particularly with miR-21-5p indicating ongoing issues with inflammation and oxidative stress.
Background: This real-world study compared the safety and effectiveness of Dolutegravir/lamivudine (D/L) and Bictegravir/Emtricitabine/Tenefovir alafenamide (B/F/T) switch therapy regimens for people living with HIV (PLWH).
Methods: The retrospective study conducted from April 2019 to November 2022, included PLWH with < 50 copies/mL of HIV-RNA prior to recruitment who initiated either D/L or B/F/T switching therapy. The primary objective was to evaluate treatment discontinuation rates; safety and virologic outcomes were also evaluated.
Article Synopsis
- Long-term non-progressors (LTNPs) are HIV+ individuals whose viral replication is controlled but still face complications like bone remodeling impairment.
- A study measured bone strength components and inflammatory biomarkers among LTNPs, HIV+ progressors, and HIV-negative individuals, revealing that LTNPs had lower bone material strength (BMSi) and a distinct inflammatory profile.
- The findings indicate that LTNPs experience worse bone tissue quality compared to both HIV+ progressors and HIV-negative individuals, suggesting a broader impact of HIV infection on bone health.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates neurocognitive impairment (NI) and frailty in older adults living with HIV, focusing on risk factors associated with these conditions.
- Conducted with 40 HIV-positive individuals aged over 65 in Barcelona, it used clinical assessments and blood testing to measure NI and frailty.
- Results revealed that low education level, a nadir CD4+ T-cell count below 350 cells/mm, and the presence of comorbidities (especially diabetes) significantly increased the risk of neurocognitive disorders in this population.
Axial spondyloarthritis in HIV-positive patients raises specific treatment challenges as immunosuppressant and immunomodulating agents may adversely affect the course of the HIV infection and could increase the risk of opportunistic infections. The efficacy and safety of secukinumab in patients with HIV is unknown due to HIV patients were largely excluded from clinical trials and nowadays, the clinical evidence for the treatment with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) is provided from scarce case reports and case series. We hereby discuss a case of a male patient with concomitant axial spondyloarthritis and HIV infection successfully treated with secukinumab, achieving disease remission and without any associated complications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Bone mineral density (BMD) decreases with ART initiation with a tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-containing regimen, although bone tissue quality increases. The impact of dolutegravir (DTG)/abacavir (ABC)/lamivudine (3TC)-based ART initiation on bone health parameters is not clear.
Objectives: To study the impact of DTG/ABC/3TC-based therapy on bone health parameters in ART-naive individuals with HIV after 48 weeks of treatment.
Objecive: Bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is used to assess bone health in HIV patients. DXA measures the amount of mineral, but not other key aspects of bone strength such as bone microarchitecture or bone quality. Trabecular bone score (TBS) and in-vivo microindentation directly measure trabecular microarchitecture and bone tissue quality, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: HIV infection has been associated with reduced bone mineral density (BMD). Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has a deleterious effect on BMD, but its effect on bone fragility is not clear. The objective of this study is to analyze the BMD, microarchitecture, and tissue quality of bone in patients receiving long-term tenofovir- or abacavir-based ART.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHypovitaminosis D and secondary hyperparathyroidism are frequent among HIV-infected patients. As there are no data about the best supplementation therapy both in treatment and in maintenance, we conducted an observational study of 300 HIV-infected patients for whom vitamin D and parathormone (PTH) had been measured in order to validate a protocol of vitamin D supplementation in patients with HIV-infection. Patients with vitamin D deficiency (defined as 25(OH)D < 10 ng/mL), insufficiency (defined as 25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL), or hyperparathyroidism (PTH > 65 pg/mL) were supplemented with cholecalciferol 16.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLow bone mineral density (BMD) in HIV-infected individuals has been documented in an increasing number of studies. However, it is not clear whether it is the infection itself or the treatment that causes bone impairment. Microindentation measures bone material strength (Bone Material Strength index) directly.
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