Pathogenesis, clinical course, and recent issues in HIV-1-infected Japanese hemophiliacs: a three-decade follow-up.

Nearly 30% of Japanese hemophiliacs were infected with HIV-1 in the early 1980s. They have unique characteristics compared to HIV-1-infected individuals through other routes, including date of infection of 1986 or earlier, mean age of nearly 50 years, and common co-infection with hepatitis C, but rarely with other sexually transmitted diseases. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) was introduced in Japan in 1997.

Clinical Improvement by Switching to an Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitor in Hemophiliac Patients with HIV: The Japan Cohort Study of HIV Patients Infected through Blood Products.

Objective: This study aimed to determine improvement in HIV RNA levels and the CD4 cell count by switching to an antiretroviral regimen with an integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) in patients with HIV.

Method: This study was conducted on Japanese patients with HIV who were infected by blood products in the 1980s. Data were collected between 2007 and 2014.

What Triggers a Diagnosis of HIV Infection in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area? Implications for Preventing the Spread of HIV Infection in Japan.

Background: Japan has not succeeded in reducing the annual number of new HIV-infected patients, although the prevalence of HIV infection is low (0.02%).

Methods: A single-center observational study was conducted at the largest HIV clinic in Tokyo, which treats 15% of the total patients in Japan, to determine the reasons for having diagnostic tests in newly infected individuals.

High prevalence of illicit drug use in men who have sex with men with HIV-1 infection in Japan.

Objective: To examine the prevalence of illicit drug use among men who have sex with men (MSM) with HIV-1 infection in Japan, where the life-time prevalence of illicit drug use in the general population is only 2.9%.

Design: A single-center cross-sectional study at a large HIV clinic in Tokyo, which treats approximately 15% of HIV-1 infected patients in Japan.

Illicit drug use is a significant risk factor for loss to follow up in patients with HIV-1 infection at a large urban HIV clinic in Tokyo.

Background: Loss to follow up (LTFU) is an important prognostic factor in patients with HIV-1 infection. The impact of illicit drug use on LTFU of patients with HIV-1 infection is unknown in Japan.

Methods: A single center observational study was conducted to elucidate the impact of illicit drug use on LTFU at a large HIV clinic in Tokyo.

Process and contents of telephone consultations between registered nurses and clients with HIV/AIDS in Japan.

Antiviral therapy is essential for HIV/AIDS patients, but many variables impede patients' adherence to therapy. To facilitate adherence, trained registered nurses in Japan provided consultation by phone at the AIDS Clinical Center. This study describes the process and content of this intervention and explores the predictors for length of time of phone consultations.