Thymosin Alpha-1 Has no Beneficial Effect on Restoring CD4+ and CD8+ T Lymphocyte Counts in COVID-19 Patients.

Dysregulation of immune response was observed in COVID-19 patients. Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) is used in the management of COVID-19, because it is known to restore the homeostasis of the immune system during infections and cancers. We aim to observe the longitudinal changes in T lymphocyte subsets and to evaluate the efficacy of Tα1 for COVID-19.

Prevalence and risk factors of metabolic associated fatty liver disease among people living with HIV in China.

Background And Aim: The new definition for metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), formerly named non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), would undoubtedly have significant influence on diagnosis, epidemiology, and new drug research. We investigated the prevalence and risk factors of MAFLD among people living with HIV (PLWH).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, transient elastography was performed in PLWH without significant alcohol intake and hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection.

A clinical pilot study on the safety and efficacy of aerosol inhalation treatment of IFN-κ plus TFF2 in patients with moderate COVID-19.

Background: The outbreak of a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) poses a great challenge to global public health. New and effective intervention strategies are urgently needed to combat the disease.

Methods: We conducted an open-label, non-randomized, clinical trial involving moderate COVID-19 patients according to study protocol.

Clinical Features of Cytomegalovirus Retinitis in HIV Infected Patients.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical features and related laboratory indicators of cytomegalovirus retinitis in HIV infected patients in order to find a suitable laboratory reference guide to aid in the early diagnosis of CMVR, which should improve the prognosis of the severe retinitis. PLHIVs who were admitted to our hospital from January 2010 to December 2016 were included. The diagnosis of AIDS follows the AIDS Treatment Guidelines.

A Review of Long-Term Toxicity of Antiretroviral Treatment Regimens and Implications for an Aging Population.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a chronic infectious disease currently requiring lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART). People living with HIV (PLWH) face an increased risk of comorbidities associated with aging, chronic HIV, and the toxicity arising from long-term ART. A literature review was conducted to identify the most recent evidence documenting toxicities associated with long-term ART, particularly among aging PLWH.

Role of Serologic and Molecular Diagnostic Assays in Identification and Management of Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

The drugs available for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) have evolved to provide shorter treatment duration and higher rates of sustained virologic response (SVR), and the role of HCV infection diagnostic tests has had to evolve in order to meet changing clinical needs. This review gives an overview on the role of HCV infection diagnostic testing (molecular and serological tools) used in the diagnosis and management of HCV infection. All of this critical information guides physician decisions to optimize patient clinical outcomes.

Sequence conservation of the region targeted by the Abbott RealTime HCV viral load assay.

The Abbott RealTime (RT) HCV assay targets the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of the HCV genome. Here, we analyzed the sequence variability of the assay target regions from 1,092 specimens. Thermodynamic modeling of the percentage of primers/probes bound at the assay annealing temperature was performed to assess the potential effect of sequence variability.

Efficacy and safety of etravirine (TMC125) in patients with highly resistant HIV-1: primary 24-week analysis.

Objective: TMC125-C223 is an open-label, partially blinded, randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two dosages of etravirine (TMC125), a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) with activity against wild-type and NNRTI-resistant HIV-1.

Design: A total of 199 patients were randomly assigned 2: 2: 1 to twice-daily etravirine 400 mg, 800 mg and control groups, respectively. The primary endpoint was a change in viral load from baseline at week 24 in the intention-to-treat population.

Efficacy of the protease inhibitors tipranavir plus ritonavir in treatment-experienced patients: 24-week analysis from the RESIST-1 trial.

Background: Improved treatment options are needed for patients infected with multidrug-resistant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). The nonpeptidic protease inhibitor tipranavir has demonstrated antiviral activity against many protease inhibitor-resistant HIV-1 isolates. The Randomized Evaluation of Strategic Intervention in multi-drug reSistant patients with Tipranavir (RESIST-1) trial is an ongoing, open-label study comparing the efficacy and safety of ritonavir-boosted tipranavir (TPV/r) with an investigator-selected ritonavir-boosted comparator protease inhibitor (CPI/r) in treatment-experienced, HIV-1-infected patients.

The safety and tolerability of Z-100 in patients infected with HIV-1.

Z-100 is an extract of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain Aoyama B, which contains various polysaccharides. Aoyama B has previously been shown to induce a T helper 1-type cytokine response in various murine oncological models and has also demonstrated inhibitory activity against HIV-1 in vitro. This multicentre study primarily determined the safety of Z-100 in early HIV-1-infected patients who were treatment naive; were treatment experienced, but had elected to discontinue highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) 8 weeks or longer before the study; or were stable on their first or second HAART regimen for at least 12 weeks before the study.

Treating morphologic and metabolic complications in HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy. A consensus statement of an advisory committee of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care.

Objective: Clinicians are increasingly challenged by presentation of morphologic and metabolic complications in HIV-infected patients. These complications are associated with HIV infection and/or combination antiretroviral therapy. This Consensus Statement is intended to offer guidance to clinicians actively involved in HIV/AIDS care.

Strategies for initiating combination antiretroviral therapy.

Numerous potent antiretroviral regimens have proven successful as initial therapy in treatment-naive HIV-infected patients. As the development of new agents makes possible new treatment regimens, providers are faced with increasingly complex questions of when to initiate treatment and which regimen to select for individual patients. Clinical trial data provide a foundation for choosing an initial regimen and play a key role in the formation of treatment guidelines issued by the United States Public Health Service and other organizations.

A randomized study of emtricitabine and lamivudine in stably suppressed patients with HIV.

Background: Once daily (QD) dosing facilitates regimen simplification and adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Emtricitabine (FTC) QD is a newly approved nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor compared in this study to twice daily lamivudine (3TC BID).

Methods: Controlled, open label equivalence trial of 440 HIV-1-infected patients with plasma HIV-1 RNA stably suppressed on a regimen of 3TC 150 mg BID, stavudine or zidovudine, and a protease inhibitor or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor.

Recent advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

In industrialized countries, highly active antiretroviral therapy has resulted in significant reductions in morbidity and mortality in patients with HIV/AIDS. At the same time, the management of the HIV-infected individual has become exceedingly complex due to the increasing number of antiretroviral medications and resistance to them. New medications are needed that are effective against the drug-resistant virus.

Atazanavir.

Objective: To review the pharmacology, virology, pharmacokinetics, resistance profile, clinical efficacy, safety, and drug interactions of atazanavir.

Data Sources: A PubMed and NLMGateway search (1966-June 2004) utilizing the key words atazanavir and BMS-232632 was performed. Abstracts from scientific meetings, including the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment, Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, were also reviewed.

Risks of cardiovascular disease in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection: implications for treatment.

As mortality rates decrease in the HIV/AIDS population because of antiretroviral therapies, modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease take on increased significance. There is compelling evidence that the patient population treated for HIV infection is at an increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. While a portion of this risk appears to be related to traditional cardiac risk factors, there is also evidence that iatrogenic factors play a role.

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in nucleoside-resistant HIV-1 infection: a randomized trial.

Background: Resistance to antiretroviral agents remains a leading cause of treatment failure for patients infected with HIV-1.

Objective: To describe the efficacy and safety of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (tenofovir DF) compared with placebo in patients with detectable viral replication despite current antiretroviral therapy.

Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study through 24 weeks.

Once-daily antiretroviral therapies for HIV infection: Consensus Statement of an Advisory Committee of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care.

Objective: Adherence is essential to successful virologic outcome of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Documented factors contributing to poor adherence include toxicity, food requirements, and pill burden. Once-daily antiretroviral therapies for HIV infection offer potential benefit by decreasing pill burden and dosing frequency, which may subsequently improve treatment adherence.