Publications by authors named "Leslie Cockerham"

Sexual minority men are at increased risk for anal squamous cell carcinoma. Our objective was to compare screening engagement among individuals randomized to self-collect an anal canal specimen at home or to attend a clinic appointment. Specimen adequacy was then assessed for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA genotyping.

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Background: Circadian transcription factors that regulate cell-autonomous circadian clocks can also increase human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transcription in vitro. We aimed to determine whether circadian variation in HIV transcription exists in people with HIV (PWH) on antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Methods: We performed a prospective observational study of male PWH on ART, sampling blood every 4 hours for 24 hours.

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  • A pilot study was conducted to evaluate if adding lisinopril, an anti-fibrotic medication, to antiretroviral therapy (ART) could reverse gut tissue fibrosis and lower HIV levels in infected individuals.* -
  • Thirty participants were randomly assigned to receive either lisinopril or a placebo for 24 weeks, with their HIV RNA and DNA levels in rectal tissue being the primary focus of measurement before and after the treatment period.* -
  • Results showed that lisinopril did not significantly impact HIV levels, immune responses, or lymphoid fibrosis in participants, indicating a need for further research into other potential treatments for this condition.*
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  • Paecilomyces variotii can cause infections in both immunocompromised and healthy individuals, but cases are rare, leading to limited research on effective treatments.
  • A patient with pneumonia caused by this fungus was successfully treated with posaconazole after initial treatment with voriconazole failed.
  • The paper reviews existing literature on how to identify the fungus, its antifungal susceptibility, and strategies for managing infections from P. variotii.
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Descriptions of individuals who are able to control viral replication in the absence of antiretroviral therapy after receiving short-term therapy early in infection ("post-treatment controllers") has generated excitement and controversy within the field. As with natural or "elite" controllers, these cases provide hope that a long-term remission or "functional cure" might one day be possible. Here, we review what is known and not known about these cases and discuss the immunologic factors that may allow these unique individuals to be maintain viral control and may be important for future curative strategies.

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Objective: The eradication of HIV necessitates elimination of the HIV latent reservoir. Identifying host determinants governing latency and reservoir size in the setting of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is an important step in developing strategies to cure HIV infection. We sought to determine the impact of cell-intrinsic immunity on the HIV latent reservoir.

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A cure for HIV is still greatly needed and has become a global research priority. A unique subset of HIV-infected individuals who spontaneously control HIV exists, and these are known as 'elite controllers'. They may represent a natural model for a 'functional cure' in which there is long term control of viral replication and remission from symptoms of HIV infection in the absence of antiretroviral therapy.

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The association between the host immune environment and the size of the HIV reservoir during effective antiretroviral therapy is not clear. Progress has also been limited by the lack of a well-accepted assay for quantifying HIV during therapy. We examined the association between multiple measurements of HIV and T cell activation (as defined by markers including CD38, HLA-DR, CCR5 and PD-1) in 30 antiretroviral-treated HIV-infected adults.

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Determining the total amount of HIV DNA in people undergoing antiretroviral therapy could accelerate the development of novel therapies and potential cures for HIV infection.

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Individuals who are heterozygous for the CCR5-Δ32 mutation provide a natural model to examine the effects of reduced CCR5 expression on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persistence. We evaluated the HIV reservoir in 18 CCR5-Δ32 heterozygotes and 54 CCR5 wild-type individuals during suppressive antiretroviral therapy. Cell-associated HIV RNA levels (P=.

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Background: There is intense interest in the role of programmed death 1 (PD-1) in causing persistent T-cell dysfunction in HIV infection. However, the impact of HIV infection and antiretroviral treatment (ART) on the expression of PD-1 on T cells is still poorly defined.

Methods: PD-1 was measured longitudinally in a cohort of recently HIV-infected individuals (n = 121) who started ART early (<6 months after infection) vs.

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Objective: To determine the relationship of HIV infection, demographic, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors with mortality in the recent highly active antiretroviral therapy era.

Methods: Vital status was ascertained from 2004 to 2007 in 922 HIV infected and 280 controls in the Study of Fat Redistribution and Metabolic Change in HIV infection; 469 HIV infected were included in analysis comparing HIV with similar age controls. Multivariable exponential survival regression (adjusting for demographic and CVD factors) estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for death.

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