Low Hepatitis C Virus Prevalence among Men Who Have Sex with Men Attending Public Health Services in The Netherlands.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence is high among men who have sex with men (MSM) with HIV in the Netherlands. Large reductions in HCV incidence among MSM with HIV, however, have occurred since treatment with direct-acting antivirals. Over the years, a broader understanding of the HCV epidemic has shown that HCV infections are not solely restricted to MSM with HIV, but they also occur among HIV-negative MSM.

COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Outpatient Therapy to Prevent Outpatient Hospitalization: A Meta-analysis of Individual Participant Data From Five Randomized Trials.

Background: Monoclonal antibody and antiviral treatments for COVID-19 disease remain largely unavailable worldwide, and existing monoclonal antibodies may be less active against circulating omicron variants. Although treatment with COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) is promising, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) among outpatients have shown mixed results.

Methods: We conducted an individual participant data meta-analysis from all outpatient CCP RCTs to assess the overall risk reduction for all-cause hospitalizations by day 28 in all participants who had transfusion initiated.

Hyperimmune Globulin for Severely Immunocompromised Patients Hospitalized With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Background: The aim of this randomized, controlled trial is to determine whether antisevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 hyperimmune globulin (COVIG) protects against severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in severely immunocompromised, hospitalized, COVID-19 patients.

Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive COVIG or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) without SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

Results: Severe COVID-19 was observed in 2 of 10 (20%) patients treated with COVIG compared to 7 of 8 (88%) in the IVIG control group (P = .

Transmission of NS5A-Inhibitor Resistance-Associated Substitutions Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Recently Infected with Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1a.

The transmission of direct-acting antiviral resistance-associated substitutions (RAS) could hamper hepatitis C virus (HCV) cure rates and elimination efforts. A phylogenetic analysis of 87 men who have sex with men recently infected with HCV genotype 1a placed one-third (28/87) in a large cluster, in which 96% harbored NS5A M28V RAS.

Declining Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Incidence in Dutch Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men After Unrestricted Access to HCV Therapy.

Background: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAa) cure hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in 95% of infected patients. Modeling studies predict that universal HCV treatment will lead to a decrease in the incidence of new infections but real-life data are lacking. The incidence of HCV among Dutch human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) has been high for >10 years.

Limited overlap between phylogenetic HIV and hepatitis C virus clusters illustrates the dynamic sexual network structure of Dutch HIV-infected MSM.

Objective: MSM are at increased risk for infection with HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Is HIV/HCV coinfection confined to specific HIV transmission networks?

Design And Methods: A HIV phylogenetic tree was constructed for 5038 HIV-1 subtype B polymerase (pol) sequences obtained from MSM in the AIDS therapy evaluation in the Netherlands cohort. We investigated the existence of HIV clusters with increased HCV prevalence, the HIV phylogenetic density (i.

Dolutegravir as maintenance monotherapy: first experiences in HIV-1 patients.

Background: Dolutegravir is recommended as part of combination ART (cART) for HIV-1-infected patients. Toxicities, drug interactions and costs related to cART still warrant the search for improved treatment options. Dolutegravir's high resistance barrier might make it suitable as antiretroviral maintenance monotherapy.

Echinocandin to fluconazole step-down therapy in critically ill patients with invasive, susceptible Candida albicans infections.

Invasive Candida spp. infections are increasingly diagnosed in critically ill patients. For initial treatment, an echinocandin is recommended with a possible step-down to fluconazole when the patients' condition is improving and the isolate appears susceptible, but there are no data to support such policy.

Boceprevir, peginterferon and ribavirin for acute hepatitis C in HIV infected patients.

Background & Aims: Acute hepatitis C virus infections (AHCV) are prevalent among HIV positive men having sex with men and generally treated with pegylated interferon-alpha (PegIFN) and ribavirin (RBV) during 24weeks. The addition of a protease inhibitor could shorten therapy without loss of efficacy.

Methods: We performed an open-label, single arm study to investigate the efficacy and safety of a 12-week course of boceprevir, PegIFN and RBV for AHCV genotype 1 infections in 10 Dutch HIV treatment centers.

Diagnosis and management of aspergillosis in the Netherlands: a national survey.

A survey of diagnosis and treatment of invasive aspergillosis was conducted in eight University Medical Centers (UMCs) and eight non-academic teaching hospitals in the Netherlands. Against a background of emerging azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus routine resistance screening of clinical isolates was performed primarily in the UMCs. Azole resistance rates at the hospital level varied between 5% and 10%, although rates up to 30% were reported in high-risk wards.

Risk Factors for Sexual Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Case-Control Study.

Background.  Since 2000, incidence of sexually acquired hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infection has increased among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men who have sex with men (MSM). To date, few case-control and cohort studies evaluating HCV transmission risk factors were conducted in this population, and most of these studies were initially designed to study HIV-related risk behavior and characteristics.

Renal Toxicity of Concomitant Exposure to Tenofovir and Inhibitors of Tenofovir's Renal Efflux Transporters in Patients Infected With HIV Type 1.

Background: Exposure to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) may cause renal toxicity. Inhibitors of TDF's apical multidrug-resistance-associated protein efflux-transporters (MRPs) in the renal proximal tubule could enhance this unwanted effect.

Methods: We performed a cohort study involving patients with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) infection.

Aerosolised liposomal amphotericin B to prevent aspergillosis in acute myeloid leukaemia: Efficacy and cost effectiveness in real-life.

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia can be complicated by invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). In 2008, liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) inhalation was shown to prevent IPA in a placebo-controlled trial. Patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) are the subset of haematology patients at high risk for IPA.

Short communication: Lipids and cardiovascular risk after switching HIV-1 patients on nevirapine and emtricitabine/tenofovir-DF to rilpivirine/emtricitabine/tenofovir-DF.

Antiretroviral therapy-related dyslipidemia increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is less frequently observed with nevirapine. Whether substituting rilpivirine for nevirapine has dyslipidemic consequences and alters CVD risk is unknown. The aim of this prospective open-label clinical trial was to evaluate serum lipids, cardiovascular risks, and lipid treatment goals over 48 weeks after switching from nevirapine to rilpivirine.

Validation of a new Aspergillus real-time PCR assay for direct detection of Aspergillus and azole resistance of Aspergillus fumigatus on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.

Azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus is increasingly reported. Here, we describe the validation of the AsperGenius, a new multiplex real-time PCR assay consisting of two multiplex real-time PCRs, one that identifies the clinically relevant Aspergillus species, and one that detects the TR34, L98H, T289A, and Y121F mutations in CYP51A and differentiates susceptible from resistant A. fumigatus strains.

The efficacy, pharmacokinetics, safety and cardiovascular risks of switching nevirapine to rilpivirine in HIV-1 patients: the RPV switch study.

Introduction: Nevirapine (NVP) induces cytochrome P450 3A4 by which rilpivirine (RPV) is metabolized. Switching NVP to RPV could result in decreased RPV exposure with subsequent virological failure and dyslipidemia because NVP is regarded as the least dyslipidemic, non-nucleoside, reverse transcriptase inhibitor. This trial evaluated the efficacy, pharmacokinetics, safety and cardiovascular risks of switching NVP to RPV.