Sustained HIV remission after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with wild-type CCR5 donor cells.

HIV cure has been reported for five individuals who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) with cells from CCR5Δ32 homozygous donors. By contrast, viral rebound has occurred in other people living with HIV who interrupted antiretroviral treatment after undergoing allo-HSCT, with cells mostly from wild-type CCR5 donors. Here we report the case of a male individual who has achieved durable HIV remission following allo-HSCT with cells from an unrelated HLA-matched (9 of 10 matching for HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 alleles) wild-type CCR5 donor to treat an extramedullary myeloid tumor.

The build-up of stock of stable integrated proviruses overtime explains the difficulty in reducing HIV-1 DNA levels when treatment is initiated at the chronic stage of the infection.

Background: Understanding factors affecting the size and the evolution of the HIV reservoir is essential for the development of curative strategies. This study aimed to assess the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiated during primary infection (PHI) chronic infection (CHI) on the levels and dynamics of integrated HIV-1 DNA, a biomarker of viral persistence.

Methods: Integrated and total HIV-1-DNA were measured in the blood of 92 patients treated during PHI (early group) and 41 during CHI (deferred group), at diagnosis, ART initiation, and 12-24 months on treatment.

Antiretroviral therapy for HIV controllers: Reasons for initiation and outcomes in the French ANRS-CO21 CODEX cohort.

Background: Less than 1% of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected individuals are able to achieve spontaneous viral control without requiring antiretroviral therapy (ART). Whether these HIV controllers (HIC) are at risk of HIV-associated comorbidities and could benefit from ART is debated, but recent studies reported decreased -cell activation upon ART initiation. We report the frequency of ART initiation, reasons to treat, treatment outcome on immunovirological parameters, and rate of side-effects and treatment discontinuation in the French cohort of HIC.

Performance of 30 commercial SARS-CoV-2 serology assays in testing symptomatic COVID-19 patients.

We report evaluation of 30 assays' (17 rapid tests (RDTs) and 13 automated/manual ELISA/CLIA assay (IAs)) clinical performances with 2594 sera collected from symptomatic patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 rRT-PCR on a respiratory sample, and 1996 pre-epidemic serum samples expected to be negative. Only 4 RDT and 3 IAs fitted both specificity (> 98%) and sensitivity (> 90%) criteria according to French recommendations. Serology may offer valuable information during COVID-19 pandemic, but inconsistent performances observed among the 30 commercial assays evaluated, which underlines the importance of independent evaluation before clinical implementation.

Immunoblots may not be effective in confirming the recency of HIV-1 infection.

Recently, immunoblots (IBs) have tended to substitute Western blots (WBs) for HIV infection diagnosis. Several studies have confirmed IBs' high sensitivity to confirm HIV infection for every stage. Since the nature and pattern of the antigens of IBs are different from those of WB, the abilities of IBs and WBs to distinguish the stages of recent seroconversion and open-ended chronic infection might differ.

Association between cellular HIV-1 DNA level and mortality in HIV-1 infected African adults starting ART with high CD4 counts.

Background: High HIV-1 DNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were associated with a higher risk of severe morbidity and a faster decline in CD4 count in ART-naive patients. We report the association between HIV-1 DNA and mortality in HIV-infected adults in a trial of early ART in West Africa.

Methods: In the Temprano trial, HIV-infected adults were randomly assigned to start ART immediately or defer ART.

False-negative Results of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Rapid Testing in HIV Controllers.

Serological assays were performed on 85 human immunodeficiency virus-controller samples . 6% presented a negative rapid screening test 7% presented an indeterminate Western blot. The enzyme immunoassay ratio decreased in controllers who had continual negative ultrasensitive HIV RNA results since inclusion.

Genital Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 RNA and DNA Shedding in Virologically Suppressed Individuals Switching From Triple- to Dual- or Monotherapy: Pooled Results From 2 Randomized, Controlled Trials.

Background: Increasingly, people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) benefit from lower drug regimens (LDRs). Exploring viral genital shedding during LDRs is crucial to ensure their safety.

Methods: We pooled genital sub-studies from 2 clinical trials in this area.

Dynamics in HIV-DNA levels over time in HIV controllers.

Introduction: HIV controllers (HIC) maintain viraemia at low levels without antiretroviral treatment and have small HIV reservoirs. Nevertheless, they are heterogeneous regarding their risk of infection progression. The study of reservoirs can help elucidate this control.