Breaking the Dogma of Intravenous Treatment for Infective Endocarditis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The treatment of infective endocarditis (IE) is based on long intravenous administration of antibiotics. This is still a hard-to-die dogma. Throughout the years, different researchers have attempted to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of an oral switch of the antibiotic regimen, with only scarce success.

Neurophysiological gradient in the Parkinsonian subthalamic nucleus as a marker for motor symptoms and apathy.

Sensing-based deep brain stimulation should optimally consider both the motor and neuropsychiatric domain to maximize quality of life of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Here we characterize the neurophysiological properties of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in 69 PD patients using a newly established neurophysiological gradient metric and contextualize it with motor symptoms and apathy. We could evidence a STN power gradient that holds most of the spectral information between 5 and 30 Hz spanning along the dorsal-ventral axis.

Late re-engagement into HIV care among adults in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

Introduction: Little is known about the clinical status of persons with HIV (PWH) who re-engage in care after an interruption. We evaluated the immunological and clinical characteristics of individuals re-engaging in care within the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

Methods: Participants who re-engaged in care after an interruption >14 months with a viral load ≥100 copies/mL were classified as having interrupted ART.

Booster-free anti-retroviral therapy for persons living with HIV and multidrug resistance (B-Free): protocol for a multicentre, multistage, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial.

Introduction: Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) simplification strategies are needed for treatment-experienced people with HIV (PWH) and multidrug-resistant viruses. These individuals are commonly treated with boosted ART regimens and are thereby at risk for harmful drug-drug interactions (DDI). In this trial, we aim to assess the efficacy of the combination doravirine, dolutegravir and lamivudine (DOR/DTG/3TC) among people with a history of virological failure who receive boosted ART.

HIV-1 low-level viremia predicts viral failure in participants on antiretroviral therapy in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

Background: Most individuals on combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) have HIV plasma viral loads below the limit of detection. However, episodes of low-level viremia (LLV) are observed in subsets of individuals, risk factors and clinical significance of which remain debated.

Methods: We included participants enrolled in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study, starting ART between July 1999 and April 2023, with HIV RNA <200 copies/ml six months post ART initiation.

Transcriptional profile of infection in people living with HIV.

In people with HIV-1 (PWH), (MTB) infection poses a significant threat. While active tuberculosis (TB) accelerates immunodeficiency, the interaction between MTB and HIV-1 during asymptomatic phases remains unclear. Analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) transcriptomic profiles in PWH, with and without controlled viral loads, revealed distinct clustering in MTB-infected individuals.

Efficacy and Safety of Dolutegravir Plus Emtricitabine vs Combined Antiretroviral Therapy for the Maintenance of HIV Suppression: Results Through Week 144 of the SIMPL'HIV Trial.

The SIMPL'HIV study investigated whether switching to dolutegravir (DTG) + emtricitabine (FTC) was noninferior to continuing combined antiretroviral therapy for maintaining HIV-1 suppression at 144 weeks. The study demonstrated that viral suppression, CD4 gains, adverse events, quality of life, and patient satisfaction were comparable between groups, confirming DTG + FTC's safety and efficacy for long-term management of HIV-1 infection.

Evidence-Based Data on the Diagnostic Role and Clinical Usefulness of [F]FDG PET/CT in Endocarditis and Cardiac Device Infections.

Infective endocarditis and infection of cardiac devices are conditions characterized by high morbidity and mortality, thus requiring a prompt diagnosis. Advanced imaging modalities are often required in the management of infectious endocarditis according to guidelines. The aim of this review is to collect and describe evidence-based knowledge about the diagnostic role and clinical usefulness of [F]FDG PET/CT in endocarditis and cardiac device infections based on published systematic reviews and meta-analyses on this topic and on recent guidelines.

Gender Disparities in Statin Prescriptions in People With HIV With Low/Moderate to High Cardiovascular Risk.

The REPRIEVE trial suggests that primary cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention could be considered among people with HIV at low CVD risk. We found cisgender women with low/moderate and high CVD risk are less likely to receive statins than cisgender men. Efforts are needed to guarantee equal access to statin-based CVD prevention.

Benthic foraminifera diversity from the south Atlantic Ocean: Tierra del Fuego and surrounding waters (South America).

The present study provides a detailed record of foraminiferal fauna and their ecological implications from surface sediments from Atlantic shelf of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. The foraminiferal assemblage is mostly composed by four main hyaline genera, such as Cibicidoides, Cibicides, Globocassidulina and Buccella, which allowed the identification of three environmental zones. Zone 1 (Z1, 37 to 90 m) encompasses the eastern Beagle Channel and San Sebastian Bay.

Using viral diversity to identify HIV-1 variants under HLA-dependent selection in a systematic viral genome-wide screen.

The pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection is governed by a highly dynamic, time-dependent interaction between the host and the viral genome. In this study, we developed a novel systematic approach to assess the host-virus interaction, using average pairwise viral diversity as a proxy for time since infection, and applied this method to nearly whole viral genome sequences (n = 4,464), human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotyping data (n = 1,044), and viral RNA load (VL) measurements during the untreated chronic phase (n = 829) of Swiss HIV Cohort Study participants. Our systematic genome-wide screen revealed for 98 HLA/viral-variant pairs a signature of immune-driven selection in the form of an HLA-dependent effect of infection time on the presence of HIV amino acid variants.

Prevalence of HIV-related stigma among people with HIV in Switzerland: addressing the elephant in the room.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the prevalence of HIV-related stigma among people with HIV (PWH) in Switzerland.

Design: A cross-sectional multicenter study nested within the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS).

Methods: We included adult PWH enrolled in the SHCS, attending follow-up between March 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021.

Loss of tolerance precedes triggering and lifelong persistence of pathogenic type I interferon autoantibodies.

Autoantibodies neutralizing type I interferons (IFN-Is) can underlie infection severity. Here, we trace the development of these autoantibodies at high-resolution using longitudinal samples from 1,876 well-treated individuals living with HIV over a 35-year period. Similar to general populations, ∼1.

Self-reported neurocognitive complaints in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study: a viral genome-wide association study.

People with HIV may report neurocognitive complaints, with or without associated neurocognitive impairment, varying between individuals and populations. While the HIV genome could play a major role, large systematic viral genome-wide screens to date are lacking. The Swiss HIV Cohort Study biannually enquires neurocognitive complaints.

Circulating HBV RNA and Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen Trajectories in Persons With HIV/HBV Coinfection and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Loss During Tenofovir Therapy.

Background: We evaluated long-term trajectories of circulating hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA and hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) in persons with and without hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss during tenofovir therapy in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

Methods: We included 29 persons with HIV with HBsAg loss and 29 matched persons with HIV without HBsAg loss. We compared HBV RNA and HBcrAg decline and assessed the cumulative proportions with undetectable HBV RNA and HBcrAg levels during tenofovir therapy using Kaplan-Meier estimates.

Weight, Anthropometric and Metabolic Changes After Discontinuing Antiretroviral Therapy Containing Tenofovir Alafenamide in People With HIV.

Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART)-related weight gain is of particular concern in people with HIV (PWH). Although weight gain was observed among PWH receiving tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), little is known about the potential reversibility after TAF discontinuation. We evaluated weight and metabolic changes 12 months after TAF discontinuation in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

Population Pharmacokinetics of Cabotegravir Following Oral Administration and Long-Acting Intramuscular Injection in Real-World People with HIV.

Long-acting cabotegravir has been studied mainly in the stringent framework of clinical trials, which does not necessarily reflect the situation of people with HIV (PWH) in routine clinical settings. The present population pharmacokinetic analysis aims to build real-world reference percentile curves of cabotegravir concentrations, accounting for patient-related factors that may affect cabotegravir exposure. The second objective is to simulate whether dosing interval adjustments of cabotegravir could be considered in specific subpopulations.

Genetic Diversity From Proviral DNA as a Proxy for Time Since HIV-1 Infection.

HIV-1 RNA genetic diversity predicts time since infection, which is important for clinical care and research. It is unclear, however, whether proviral DNA genetic diversity sampled under suppressive antiretroviral therapy can be used for this purpose. We tested whether proviral genetic diversity from next-generation sequencing predicts time since infection and recency in 221 people with HIV-1 with known infection time.

Immune response to the recombinant herpes zoster vaccine in people living with HIV over 50 years of age compared to non-HIV age-/gender-matched controls (SHINGR'HIV): a multicenter, international, non-randomized clinical trial study protocol.

Background: The burden of herpes zoster (shingles) virus and associated complications, such as post-herpetic neuralgia, is higher in older adults and has a significant impact on quality of life. The incidence of herpes zoster and post-herpetic neuralgia is increased in people living with HIV (PLWH) compared to an age-matched general population, including PLWH on long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) with no detectable viremia and normal CD4 counts. PLWH - even on effective ART may- exhibit sustained immune dysfunction, as well as defects in cells involved in the response to vaccines.