Socio-Demographic and Adherence Factors Associated with Viral Load Suppression in HIV-Infected Adults Initiating Therapy in Northern Nigeria: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Peer Support Intervention.

Background: Virological suppression is the main goal of antiretroviral therapy. To achieve this goal, efficient interventions that promote treatment adherence are needed. This study was aimed at exploring the impact of peer-education on virological outcomes in Northern Nigeria.

Medicare and Medicaid enrollment and outside hospitalizations among HIV-infected and uninfected veterans engaged in VA care: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Many veterans engaged in care with the Veterans Administration (VA) health system are also enrolled in Medicare and/or Medicaid and may receive care both inside and outside of the VA. Use of dual health systems has been associated with worse outcomes. Veterans with HIV may have different rates of Medicare and Medicaid enrollment and may be at greater risk of poor outcomes related to non-VA use.

Successful management of latent tuberculosis infection in an underserved community by a student-run free clinic.

The management of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) most commonly consists of a nine-month course of isoniazid (INH) therapy and is complicated by low adherence and completion rates. The Latent Tuberculosis Initiative at the HAVEN Free Clinic was developed to provide LTBI treatment to an underserved, high-risk, foreign-born population. We conducted a retrospective chart review to evaluate the program.

A transgenic mouse model demonstrating the oncogenic role of mutations in the polycomb-group gene EZH2 in lymphomagenesis.

The histone methyltransferase EZH2 is frequently mutated in germinal center-derived diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. To further characterize these EZH2 mutations in lymphomagenesis, we generated a mouse line where EZH2(Y641F) is expressed from a lymphocyte-specific promoter. Spleen cells isolated from the transgenic mice displayed a global increase in trimethylated H3K27, but the mice did not show an increased tendency to develop lymphoma.

Improving quality of preventive care at a student-run free clinic.

Unlabelled: Student-run clinics increasingly serve as primary care providers for patients of lower socioeconomic status, but studies show that quality of care at student-run clinics has room for improvement.

Purpose: To examine change in provision of preventive services in a student-run free clinic after implementation of a student-led QI intervention involving prompting.

Method: Review of patient charts pre- and post-intervention, examining adherence to screening guidelines for diabetes, dyslipidemia, HIV, and cervical cancer.

Tenofovir-based regimens associated with less drug resistance in HIV-1-infected Nigerians failing first-line antiretroviral therapy.

Background: In resource-limited settings, HIV-1 drug resistance testing to guide antiretroviral therapy (ART) selection is unavailable. We retrospectively conducted genotypic analysis on archived samples from Nigerian patients who received targeted viral load testing to confirm treatment failure and report their drug resistance mutation patterns.

Methods: Stored plasma from 349 adult patients on non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) regimens was assayed for HIV-1 RNA viral load, and samples with more than 1000 copies/ml were sequenced in the pol gene.