Virological Outcome Measures During Analytical Treatment Interruptions in Chronic HIV-1-Infected Patients.

Background: Analytical treatment interruptions (ATIs) are essential in research on HIV cure. However, the heterogeneity of virological outcome measures used in different trials hinders the interpretation of the efficacy of different strategies.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of viral load (VL) evolution in 334 ATI episodes in chronic HIV-1-infected patients collected from 11 prospective studies.

Polypharmacy and potential drug-drug interactions in an HIV-infected elderly population.

Objective: Comorbidities associated with the ageing of the HIV+ population may require chronic treatment. Our aim is to determine the degree of polypharmacy and the number of potential drug-drug interactions, as well as the relationship between both variables in a HIV-infected population over the age of 65.

Methods: Descriptive transversal study targeting HIV+ patients aged ≥65, attended in a Spanish hospital in 2014.

HIV-1 promonocytic and lymphoid cell lines: an in vitro model of in vivo mitochondrial and apoptotic lesion.

To characterize mitochondrial/apoptotic parameters in chronically human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1)-infected promonocytic and lymphoid cells which could be further used as therapeutic targets to test pro-mitochondrial or anti-apoptotic strategies as in vitro cell platforms to deal with HIV-infection. Mitochondrial/apoptotic parameters of U1 promonocytic and ACH2 lymphoid cell lines were compared to those of their uninfected U937 and CEM counterparts. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was quantified by rt-PCR while mitochondrial complex IV (CIV) function was measured by spectrophotometry.

Mitochondrial toxicity and caspase activation in HIV pregnant women.

To assess the impact of HIV-infection and highly active anti-retroviral treatment in mitochondria and apoptotic activation of caspases during pregnancy and their association with adverse perinatal outcome. Changes of mitochondrial parameters and apoptotic caspase activation in maternal peripheral blood mononuclear cells were compared at first trimester of pregnancy and delivery in 27 HIV-infected and -treated pregnant women versus 24 uninfected pregnant controls. We correlated immunovirological, therapeutic and perinatal outcome with experimental findings: mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content, mitochondrial protein synthesis, mitochondrial function and apoptotic caspase activation.

MicroRNA Profile in CD8+ T-Lymphocytes from HIV-Infected Individuals: Relationship with Antiviral Immune Response and Disease Progression.

Background: The relationship between host microRNAs (miRNA), viral control and immune response has not yet been elucidated in the field of HIV. The aim of this study was to assess the differential miRNA profile in CD8+ T-cells between HIV-infected individuals who differ in terms of viral replication control and immune response.

Methods: miRNA profile from resting and CD3/CD28-stimulated CD8+ T-cells from uninfected individuals (HIV-, n = 11), Elite Controllers (EC, n = 15), Viremic Controllers (VC, n = 15), Viremic Progressors (VP, n = 13) and HIV-infected patients on therapy (ART, n = 14) was assessed using Affymetrix miRNA 3.

Prediction of higher cost of antiretroviral therapy (ART) according to clinical complexity. A validated clinical index.

Background: The financing of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is generally determined by the cost incurred in the previous year, the number of patients on treatment, and the evidence-based recommendations, but not the clinical characteristics of the population.

Objective: To establish a score relating the cost of ART and patient clinical complexity in order to understand the costing differences between hospitals in the region that could be explained by the clinical complexity of their population.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients receiving ART in a tertiary hospital between 2009 and 2011.

Changes in the etiology, incidence and prognosis of acute lower respiratory track infections in human immunodeficiency virus patients.

Aim: To describe the incidence, the changes in the etiology and the prognosis of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in HIV infected patients, presenting by the first time to the Emergency Department (ED), during years 2000-2010.

Study Design: Prospective collection of data.

Methods: Data were collected on the first visit of HIV-infected patients at our ED due to a LRTI, (defined according to the criteria of the European Respiratory Society), between 1/1/2000 and 31/12/2010.

Factors associated with the immune response to hepatitis A vaccination in HIV-infected patients in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Introduction: HIV seropositivity is considered a risk factor for complications in hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. HAV vaccination schedules are widely implemented in HIV-infected patients, but the immune response remains impaired.

Methods: We analysed the response to vaccination (antiHAV titres ≥20IU/l) in 282 HIV-infected patients included in a standard (1440 Elisa Units (EU) at 0, 6 months) or rapidly accelerated schedule (720 EU at 0, 7, 21 days and 6 months) between 1997 and 2009.

LDL subclasses and lipoprotein-phospholipase A2 activity in suppressed HIV-infected patients switching to raltegravir: Spiral substudy.

Objective: To analyze the effect of switching the ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (PI/r) in a stable combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) regimen to raltegravir on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles, and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2).

Design: Substudy of a multicenter randomized trial that compared the efficacy of switching a PI/r to raltegravir-based cART in stable HIV-infected patients.

Methods: LDL size and phenotype (by gel-gradient electrophoresis), Lp-PLA2 (by 2-thio-PAF [Cayman]), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) (by ELISA), and standard lipid parameters were measured at baseline and week 48.

Pre-clinical development of BCG.HIVA(CAT), an antibiotic-free selection strain, for HIV-TB pediatric vaccine vectored by lysine auxotroph of BCG.

In the past, we proposed to develop a heterologous recombinant BCG prime-recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) boost dual pediatric vaccine platform against transmission of breast milk HIV-1 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). In this study, we assembled an E. coli-mycobacterial shuttle plasmid pJH222.

Standardized representation, visualization and searchable repository of antiretroviral treatment-change episodes.

Background: To identify the determinants of successful antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, researchers study the virological responses to treatment-change episodes (TCEs) accompanied by baseline plasma HIV-1 RNA levels, CD4+ T lymphocyte counts, and genotypic resistance data. Such studies, however, often differ in their inclusion and virological response criteria making direct comparisons of study results problematic. Moreover, the absence of a standard method for representing the data comprising a TCE makes it difficult to apply uniform criteria in the analysis of published studies of TCEs.

Low rate of sustained virological response in an outbreak of acute hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients.

Recent reports have suggested an increased risk of acute hepatitis C (AHC) infection in homosexual HIV-infected men and that early treatment with interferon-alfa, alone or associated with ribavirin, significantly reduces the risk of chronic evolution. A retrospective analysis of 38 HIV-infected patients who were consecutively diagnosed as developing AHC, defined by both seroconversion of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies and detection of serum HCV-RNA in those with previous negative results. Thirty-six patients were men with history of unprotected sexual intercourse with men and two were women with sexual and nosocomial risk factors.

Low-density lipoprotein size and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 in HIV-infected patients switching to abacavir or tenofovir.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess changes in the size and cholesterol content of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and changes in lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) activity in HIV-infected patients switching to tenofovir + emtricitabine (TDF+FTC) or abacavir + lamivudine (ABC+3TC).

Methods: This was a substudy of a multicentre randomized trial comparing TDF+FTC with ABC+3TC-based regimens in patients with virological suppression. Fasting lipids and apolipoproteins (apo), LDL size and cholesterol content and Lp-PLA2 activity were measured at baseline and at week 48.

Newborn mice vaccination with BCG.HIVA²²² + MVA.HIVA enhances HIV-1-specific immune responses: influence of age and immunization routes.

We have evaluated the influence of age and immunization routes for induction of HIV-1- and M. tuberculosis-specific immune responses after neonatal (7 days old) and adult (7 weeks old) BALB/c mice immunization with BCG.HIVA(222) prime and MVA.

Mitochondrial damage in adipose tissue of untreated HIV-infected patients.

Objective: antiretrovirals, especially thymidine-analogue nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (tNRTIs), may cause the mitochondrial damage in adipose tissue that has been associated with lipodystrophy development. HIV itself may damage blood cell mitochondria. However, the viral capacity to induce adipose tissue mitochondrial lesion is still a matter of doubt.

Molecular characterization of heterologous HIV-1gp120 gene expression disruption in mycobacterium bovis BCG host strain: a critical issue for engineering mycobacterial based-vaccine vectors.

Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) as a live vector of recombinant bacterial vaccine is a promising system to be used. In this study, we evaluate the disrupted expression of heterologous HIV-1gp120 gene in BCG Pasteur host strain using replicative vectors pMV261 and pJH222. pJH222 carries a lysine complementing gene in BCG lysine auxotrophs.

Genetic and functional mitochondrial assessment of HIV-infected patients developing HAART-related hyperlactatemia.

Background: Mitochondrial damage of HIV and antiretrovirals, especially nucleoside-analogue interference on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication, is reported to underlay highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-related hyperlactatemia, but scarce approaches have been performed to correlate clinical manifestations and mitochondrial abnormalities.

Methods: We obtained lymphocytes and monocytes of 26 HIV-infected and treated patients who developed hyperlactatemia and after recovery, 28 nonhyperlactatemic HIV subjects on HAART, 31 naive individuals, and 20 uninfected controls. Mitochondrial replication and transcription analysis were performed by quantitative real-time PCR, mitochondrial translation quantification by western blot and mitochondrial enzymatic activities by spectrophotometry.

Enzymatic and extraenzymatic role of adenosine deaminase 1 in T-cell-dendritic cell contacts and in alterations of the immune function.

Adenosine deaminase 1 (ADA1) is an enzyme of the purine metabolism whose congenital defect leads to severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Although classically considered a cytosolic enzyme, early evidence from work in brain synaptosomes suggested that the enzyme could be an ectoenzyme. In lymphoid cells, ectoenzymatic activity of ADA1 was also found.

Improvement of psychosocial adjustment to HIV-1 infection through a cognitive-behavioral oriented group psychotherapy program: a pilot study.

The present study evaluated the efficacy of a group therapy program in improving psychosocial adjustment to HIV infection, and tried to identify variables predictive of greater improvement. The outcome of 47 completing patients was analyzed, comparing the measures between T1 (1 month before therapy), and T2 (first session), and between T2 and T3 (last session) using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test for each dimension of the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS). The therapy consisted of 16 weekly 2-hour sessions following a structured time-limited cognitive-behavioral group psychotherapy program.

Progress towards an HIV vaccine based on recombinant bacillus Calmette-Guérin: failures and challenges.

The need for an affordable, safe and effective HIV vaccine has never been greater. As the immunogenicity of all the vaccine vectors being evaluated currently in human populations is limited, novel vaccine strategies are needed to stimulate the innate immune system, to generate high levels of neutralizing antibodies and to induce strong cell-mediated and mucosal immunity. There is strong evidence for a role for cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the containment of HIV replication.

Predictive value of early virologic response in HIV/hepatitis C virus-coinfected patients treated with an interferon-based regimen plus ribavirin.

Background: As a result of adverse events, a moderate rate of virologic response, and high costs associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy, finding early markers of sustained treatment response is a clinical priority. In the HCV-monoinfected population, a reduction >or=2 log in plasma HCV RNA at week 12 of therapy (early virologic response [EVR]) predicts a sustained virologic response (SVR). Few data are available in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, however.

Effect of genetic variants of CCR2 and CCL2 on the natural history of HIV-1 infection: CCL2-2518GG is overrepresented in a cohort of Spanish HIV-1-infected subjects.

Background And Objectives: Polymorphisms in the genes that encode for the CCR2 chemokine receptor and its natural ligand CCL2 have been shown to influence the natural history of HIV-1 infection, although data are inconsistent. Our aim was to determine whether functionally active CCR2 and CCL2 genetic variants influence the risk of infection and disease progression in a cohort of white Spaniards.

Patients And Methods: This was a multicenter genetic association case-control study.