High quality of life, treatment tolerability, safety and efficacy in HIV patients switching from triple therapy to lopinavir/ritonavir monotherapy: A randomized clinical trial.

Trial Design: The QoLKAMON study evaluated quality of life, efficacy and treatment safety in HIV patients receiving lopinavir/ritonavir in monotherapy (MT) versus continuing combined antiretroviral triple treatment with a boosted protease inhibitor (TT).

Methods: This was a 24-week, open-label, multicentre study in virologically-suppressed HIV-infected participants (N = 225) with a 2:1 randomization: 146 patients who switched to MT were compared with 79 patients who remained on a TT regimen. The primary endpoint was change in patient-reported outcomes in quality of life as measured by the MOS-HIV and EQ-5D questionnaires.

Short communication: contribution of the immunovirological state and traditional cardiovascular risk factors to low HDL-cholesterol in HIV patients.

The prevalence of low HDL-C levels in an HIV population and its related factors was investigated. We undertook a multicenter, cross-sectional study of all HIV patients on regular follow-up in five hospitals (Southern Spain). A physical examination and fasting laboratory analysis were performed and a questionnaire about cardiovascular risk factors was provided.

[LDL-cholesterol levels in a series of HIV-infected patients].

Background And Objective: To analyse the prevalence of HIV-infected patients who do not reach their target LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels.

Patients And Methods: Multicenter, cross-sectional study of all HIV-infected patients on regular follow-up in 5 hospitals in the province of Malaga (March-August/07). They were classified depending on their target LDL-C levels (NCEP): group A:<160mg/dl, if /=2 CVRF; group C: <100mg/dl, if cardiovascular disease or equivalents or CVR at 10 years >20%).

Hepatic safety of tipranavir plus ritonavir (TPV/r)-based antiretroviral combinations: effect of hepatitis virus co-infection and pre-existing fibrosis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and risk factors of severe liver events among HIV-infected patients treated with drug combinations including tipranavir boosted with ritonavir (TPV/r).

Methods: One hundred and fifty patients were selected because they started a regimen that included TPV/r (500/200 mg twice a day) and had clinical visits at least every 3 months. Patients who discontinued TPV/r before their first visit were included.

High prevalence of hepatitis C virus subtypes 4c and 4d in Malaga (Spain): phylogenetic and epidemiological analyses.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major aetiological agent of chronic hepatitis and it may lead to the development of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV has been classified into six clades as a result of high genetic variability. A commercial procedure to genotype HCV in 678 patients from Carlos Haya Regional University Hospital, Malaga was used to study the distribution of HCV genotypes in Malaga, southern Spain.