Retrospective study on the outcome of two-drug regimens based on dolutegravir plus one reverse transcriptase inhibitor in virologically-suppressed HIV-infected patients.

This was a retrospective study on the efficacy and drug resistance mutations selected at virological failure (VF) in prospectively-followed HIV-infected patients switched to dolutegravir plus rilpivirine (DTG+RPV) or lamivudine (DTG+3TC) while virologically suppressed (HIV-RNA <50 copies/mL). VF was defined as HIV-RNA >50 copies/mL in two consecutive determinations or in a single determination if followed by treatment modification, or >1000 copies/mL in a single determination. Totally, 374 patients were analysed (307 switched to DTG+3TC and 67 to DTG+RPV); 220 had documented historical resistance.

Incidence and Predictors of Serological Treatment Response in Early and Late Syphilis Among People Living With HIV.

Background: Few studies have investigated predictors of serological response to syphilis treatment in people living with HIV (PLWH).

Methods: This was a retrospective, longitudinal study on PLWH who were diagnosed with and treated for syphilis who had an assessable serological response between January 2004 and June 2016. Serological treatment response (TR) was defined as a ≥4-fold decline in rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titers or a reversion to nonreactive (if RPR ≤1:4 at diagnosis) 12 months after treatment for early syphilis and 24 months after treatment for late syphilis.

Brief Report: Hyperbilirubinemia Is Associated With a Decreased Risk of Carotid Atherosclerosis in HIV-Infected Patients on Virological Suppression.

Objective: To investigate the association between total, direct, and indirect bilirubin and the presence of carotid lesions in a large sample of HIV-1-infected patients on virological suppression.

Design: Retrospective study on adult HIV-1-infected patients, with a carotid ultrasound (CUS) examination performed between January 2008 and August 2016, with HIV-RNA <50 copies per milliliter at CUS and without previous cardiovascular events.

Methods: Intima media thickness was measured in 4 segments: carotid common artery and bifurcation on the left and right sides.

Efficacy and safety in clinical practice of a rilpivirine, tenofovir and emtricitabine single-tablet regimen in virologically suppressed HIV-positive patients on stable antiretroviral therapy.

Introduction: Switching to a rilpivirine, tenofovir and emtricitabine (RTE) single-tablet regimen (STR) has been evaluated in a limited number of virologically suppressed patients. The aim of this study was to describe clinical outcomes in HIV-positive patients switched from a suppressive antiretroviral regimen to RTE STR in routine clinical practice.

Methods: In this retrospective study of antiretroviral-treated patients with <50 copies of HIV RNA/mL switched to RTE STR, virological failure (VF) was defined as two consecutive measurements of ≥50 copies/mL or a single measurement of ≥50 copies/mL followed by any change in treatment.

Predictors of lack of serological response to syphilis treatment in HIV-infected subjects.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with lack of serological response (LSR) to treatment of syphilis among HIV-infected subjects.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective, longitudinal study on HIV-infected subjects diagnosed and treated for syphilis and with an assessable serological response between 1 January 2004 and 15 September 2013. LSR was defined as a <4-fold decline of rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titer or a failed reversion to nonreactive (if RPR ≤1:4 at diagnosis) after one year since treatment.

Leishmania infection can hamper immune recovery in virologically suppressed HIV-infected patients.

An HIV-infected patient started combination antiretroviral therapy with 13 CD4+ cells/microL. Despite sustained virological suppression over the following four years, the anemia did not resolve, and the CD4+ cell counts always remained below 200/microL until co-infection with Leishmania was diagnosed in October 2006 when the patient started complaining of persistent mild fever and asthenia. Once treatment for leishmaniasis was started with miltefosine, CD4+ cell count rose above 400/microL.

In vivo dynamics of the K103N mutation following the withdrawal of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-infected patients.

To investigate the dynamics of the K103N mutation following the withdrawal of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), we selected the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected patients with the mutation at the time or after the failure of an NNRTI-containing regimen from an observational database. Of 62 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria, 39 continued antiretroviral treatment without NNRTIs (group A), whereas 23 discontinued all antiretrovirals after NNRTI failure (group B). A total of 149 tests were analysed, with a median (IQR) of two (2-3) tests/patient.