Patterns of Transmitted Drug Resistance Mutations and HIV-1 Subtype Dynamics in ART-Naïve Individuals in Veneto, Italy, from 2017 to 2024.

This study investigates the prevalence and patterns of transmitted drug resistance mutations (TDRMs) and HIV-1 subtypes among antiretroviral therapy (ART) naïve individuals in Veneto, Italy, from 2017 to 2024. This research aims to understand the dynamic landscape of TDRMs and HIV-1 genetic diversity to inform treatment strategies effectively. We included all adult ART-naïve people with HIV (PWH) from seven infectious disease units in Veneto, Italy.

Bacterial hydrogen sulfide drives cryptic redox chemistry in gut microbial communities.

Microbial biochemistry contributes to a dynamic environment in the gut. Yet, how bacterial metabolites such as hydrogen sulfide (HS) mechanistically alter the gut chemical landscape is poorly understood. Here we show that microbially generated HS drives the abiotic reduction of azo (R-N = N-R') xenobiotics, which are commonly found in Western food dyes and drugs.

Correction: Cruciani et al. Ivermectin for Prophylaxis and Treatment of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2021, , 1645.

The correct affiliation 1 should be "Italian National Blood Centre, National Institute of Health, 00162 Rome, Italy" [...

Ivermectin for Prophylaxis and Treatment of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Ivermectin has received particular attention as a potential treatment for COVID-19. However, the evidence to support its clinical efficacy is controversial.

Objectives: We undertook a new systematic review of ivermectin for the treatment and prophylaxis of COVID-19, including new primary studies, outcomes other than mortality, and grading the quality of the available evidence following the Cochrane guidance for methodology.

Susceptibility to HIV-1 integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) in highly treatment-experienced patients who failed an INSTI-based regimen.

The aim of this study was to characterize the genotypic and phenotypic resistance profile to the integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) bictegravir (BIC) and other INSTIs in patients who previously failed twice-daily raltegravir (RAL)-based or twice-daily dolutegravir (DTG)-based regimens. Twenty-two samples were collected after failure on an INSTI-based regimen in 17 highly treatment-experienced patients with HIV-1 with multi-drug-resistant virus, recorded in the Italian PRESTIGIO registry. Genotypic resistance mutations and phenotypic susceptibility to INSTIs were detected by GeneSeqIN and PhenoSenseIN assays, respectively (Monogram Biosciences, San Francisco, CA, USA).

HIV-1-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders: Is HLA-C Binding Stability to β-Microglobulin a Missing Piece of the Pathogenetic Puzzle?

AIDS dementia complex (ADC) and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are complications of HIV-1 infection. Viral infections are risk factors for the development of neurodegenerative disorders. Aging is associated with low-grade inflammation in the brain, i.

Pre-slaughter mortality among turkeys related to their transport.

Overall mortality among turkeys transported for slaughter in the Czech Republic from 2009 to 2014 was 0.147%. The lowest mortality (0.

Combination dolutegravir-abacavir-lamivudine in the management of HIV/AIDS: clinical utility and patient considerations.

The current standard of care for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment is a three-drug regimen containing a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, a protease inhibitor, or an integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) plus two nucleoside/tide reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Given their potency, safety, and distinctive mechanism of action, INSTIs represent an important advance in HIV type 1 (HIV-1) therapy. Dolutegravir (DTG) is a new-generation INSTI recently approved for the treatment of HIV-1-infected adult patients, with distinct advantages compared with other available antiretroviral agents.

Virological efficacy of abacavir: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: The efficacy of abacavir/lamivudine has been reported to be inferior to tenofovir/emtricitabine. Several randomized clinical trials (RCTs) investigated the effectiveness and safety of abacavir/lamivudine and tenofovir/emtricitabine combined antiretroviral treatment (cART) and we have reviewed the available evidence.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs using standard Cochrane Collaboration methodologies.

Abacavir-based triple nucleoside regimens for maintenance therapy in patients with HIV.

Background: Regimen simplification can be defined as a change in established effective therapy to reduce pill burden and dosing frequency, to enhance tolerability, or to decrease specific food and fluid requirements. Many patients on suppressive antiretroviral therapy may be considered candidates for a simplification strategy and, among them, those who have achieved virologic suppression. Several clinical trials have evaluated the efficacy of triple nucleoside combination as a simplification therapy in patients who achieved virologic suppression

Objectives: The aim of this review is to combine randomised, controlled trials to examine whether in patients with undetectable viraemia on a Protease inhibitor (PI) based regimen simplification treatment with abacavir (ABC)-based triple-nucleoside combinations has similar rates of efficacy and tolerability compared with a PI regimen or simplification with a NNRTIs (efavirenz-EFV- or nevirapine-NVP) containing regimen.

Abacavir use and cardiovascular disease events: a meta-analysis of published and unpublished data.

Background: The use of abacavir (ABC) has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in some cohort studies. However, no excess risk of myocardial infarction (MI) with ABC therapy has been observed in individual randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and in the aggregated clinical trials database maintained by the manufacturer of ABC.

Objective: To combine all the evidence from RCTs by means of meta-analysis to estimate the effect of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) containing ABC on MI and overall major cardiovascular events (CVEs).

KSHV DNA viremia correlates with low CD4+ cell count in Italian males at the time of diagnosis of HIV infection.

To evaluate the relevance and the virological and immunological markers of Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus 8 (KSHV) viremia in Italian male patients at the time of diagnosis of infection with HIV-1, 481 men infected with HIV were recruited consecutively. The presence of KSHV DNA was evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in plasma and correlated with demographic and viro-immunological parameters. Seventy-four patients had KSHV DNA detected in PBMCs.

Rabies-free status of the Czech Republic after 15 years of oral vaccination.

Rabies in foxes was widespread in the Czech Republic after World War II, reaching its highest incidence in the 1980s. Applied control measures had only a limited effect and rabies incidence in wildlife continuously endangered both domestic animals and human beings. A significant improvement was noticed after the introduction of oral vaccination of foxes in 1989.

Effects of travel distance and the season of the year on death rates of broilers transported to poultry processing plants.

Death losses among broilers transported to processing plants are caused by poor welfare. The number of birds dying during transport and in processing plants shortly after arrival there may serve as an indicator of the quality of welfare during loading and transport. In the Czech Republic, shipments of broilers to processing plants were monitored from 1997 to 2004.

Variation in the mortality rate of turkeys during transport to the slaughterhouse with travel distance and month.

Failure to comply with animal welfare requirements during the transport of turkeys to the slaughterhouse increases stress in animals, which is manifested by increased mortality rate during transport. The numbers of turkeys that died during transport or soon after arrival may serve as an important parameter to indicate the level of animal welfare during transport of turkeys. The number of turkeys that died during transport to slaughterhouses in the Czech Republic in the period from 1997 to 2004 was investigated.

Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor as an adjuvant for hepatitis B vaccination: a meta-analysis.

The efficacy of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to enhance the immune response to hepatitis B virus vaccine has been object of several reports. We searched for randomized controlled clinical trials comparing GM-CSF given concomitantly to hepatitis B virus vaccine to vaccine given alone or with placebo. Data on rates of seroconversion (anti-HBs titers >10 IU/ml) from 13 studies (734 subjects) produced combined estimates that favored GM-CSF as compared to controls: rate ratio after a single immunization was 1.

Elimination of rabies in the Czech Republic.

Rabies in foxes was widespread in the territory of the Czech Republic after the Second World War. The first three cases of fox rabies appeared in North and South Bohemia in 1947. In the following year, a considerable increase in rabies incidence was reported and of the 146 cases, 106 (74 %) of the 117 wildlife cases were in foxes.

Antifungal prophylaxis in liver transplant patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

We performed a meta-analysis to determine whether antifungal prophylaxis decreases infectious morbidity and mortality in liver transplant patients. We searched for randomized trials dealing with prophylaxis with systemic antifungal agents. We used a fixed effect model, with risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI); we assessed study quality for heterogeneity and publication bias.

Painful neuropathy vasculitis in 2 patients with long-standing human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection.

We describe 2 most unusual cases of distal symmetrical painful polyneuropathy in patients with long-standing HIV-1 infection well controlled by HAART. Sural nerve biopsies revealed vasculitis in both cases and steroid therapy led to resolution of symptoms not influenced by analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs. These unusual cases outline the importance of nerve biopsies in order to reach a diagnosis.

Systematic review of the accuracy of the ParaSight-F test in the diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

Background: The Parasight-F test is a device for the rapid diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. In a number of field studies rather wide disparities in the performance of the test have been reported. To provide an evaluation of the quality of available reports and an overall summary of diagnostic accuracy of the Parasight-F test, we have performed a systematic review.

Meta-analysis of BACTEC MGIT 960 and BACTEC 460 TB, with or without solid media, for detection of mycobacteria.

In a meta-analysis of 10 studies, the BACTEC 960/MGIT and BACTEC 460 systems showed a sensitivity and specificity in detecting mycobacteria (1,381 strains from 14,745 clinical specimens) of 81.5 and 99.6% and 85.

Reappraisal with meta-analysis of the addition of Gram-positive prophylaxis to fluoroquinolone in neutropenic patients.

Purpose: Past reports and meta-analyses indicate that fluoroquinolones are highly effective in preventing Gram-negative infections in neutropenic cancer patients, but offer inadequate coverage for Gram-positive infections. We evaluated by meta-analysis the efficacy of the addition of antimicrobial agents with enhanced Gram-positive activity to prophylaxis with quinolones.

Materials And Methods: Randomized trials comparing fluoroquinolones alone (ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, pefloxacin, or norfloxacin) with fluoroquinolone in combination with Gram-positive prophylaxis (rifampin, vancomycin, amoxicillin, roxithromycin, or penicillin) were retrieved.

Meta-analysis of diagnostic procedures for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in HIV-1-infected patients.

Sputum induction is a simple and noninvasive procedure for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) diagnosis in human immunodeficiency virus-1-positive patients, although less sensitive than bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). In order to obtain an overview of the diagnostic accuracy of sputum induction, a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting the comparative sensitivity and specificity of BAL (the "gold standard") and sputum induction was performed. The odds ratio and related 95% confidence interval were calculated using summary receiving operating characteristic curves as well as fixed-effect and random-effect models.