Prognostic value of liver stiffness in HIV/HCV-Coinfected patients with decompensated cirrhosis.

Background: Little is known about the utility of transient elastography (TE) for assessing the prognosis of patients with decompensated cirrhosis (DC).

Methods: We analyzed HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with DC who underwent TE as part of their routine follow-up between 2006 and 2015. We also calculated the liver stiffness spleen diameter-to-platelet score (LSPS), FIB-4 index, albumin, MELD score, and Child-Pugh score.

Thymic Function Failure Is Associated With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Disease Progression.

Background: Thymic function has been mainly analyzed with surrogate peripheral markers affected by peripheral T-cell expansion, making it difficult to assess the role of thymic failure in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease progression. The assay of signal-joint/DβJβ T-cell rearrangement excision circles (sj/β-TREC ratio) overcomes this limitation but has only been assayed in small cohorts. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the role of thymic function, measured by the sj/β-TREC ratio, on CD4 T-cell maintenance in prospective HIV cohorts that include patients with a wide age range and different immunological phenotypes.

Lessons from the history of the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic among Spanish drug injectors.

In Spain, approximately 10 years passed between the time when human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) harm-reduction programs should have been developed with sufficient coverage to have an optimum impact on public health (before the HIV/AIDS epidemic's explosion in 1984) and the date of their actual implementation. This delay yielded an enormous cost for the country. The introduction of the virus in drug injector networks during a period of widespread diffusion of heroin injection and the lack of political awareness of the growing problem were 2 important factors that contributed to the important diffusion of the HIV infection among Spanish injection drug users.

Late diagnosis of HIV infection in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy: consequences for AIDS incidence.

Objective: To assess the repercussion of late diagnosis of HIV infection on AIDS incidence in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Design: Analysis of AIDS surveillance data.

Setting: Spain.