Effect of valaciclovir on CD4 count decline in untreated HIV: an international randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To determine the impact of valaciclovir on HIV disease progression in treatment-naive HIV-positive adults.

Methods: In this fully blind, multicentre, 1:1 randomized placebo-controlled trial, treatment-naive HIV-1-positive adults with CD4 counts 400-900 cells/mm3 and not meeting contemporaneous recommendations for combination ART (cART) were randomized to valaciclovir 500 mg or placebo twice daily, and followed quarterly until having two consecutive CD4 counts ≤350 cells/mm3 or initiating cART for any reason. The primary analysis compared the rate of CD4 count decline by study arm after adjusting for baseline CD4 count and viral load (VL).

Beyond viral suppression of HIV - the new quality of life frontier.

Background: In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a new Global Health Sector Strategy on HIV for 2016-2021. It establishes 15 ambitious targets, including the '90-90-90' target calling on health systems to reduce under-diagnosis of HIV, treat a greater number of those diagnosed, and ensure that those being treated achieve viral suppression.

Discussion: The WHO strategy calls for person-centered chronic care for people living with HIV (PLHIV), implicitly acknowledging that viral suppression is not the ultimate goal of treatment.

Broadening sexual health horizons in Georgia.

The 25th International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infection (IUSTI) Europe conference was the first to be held in the former Soviet Union. The location of Tblisi, Georgia, proved to be a tremendous choice and the conference title 'Broadening your Horizons' appropriately referred to the scientific content, as well as to over 350 conference delegates experiencing Georgia and wonderful Georgian hospitality for the first time.

A double-blind, randomized controlled trial of the use of imiquimod cream for the treatment of anal canal high-grade anal intraepithelial neoplasia in HIV-positive MSM on HAART, with long-term follow-up data including the use of open-label imiquimod.

Objective: To determine whether imiquimod was more effective than placebo for the treatment of high-grade anal canal intraepithelial neoplasia (HG-ACIN).

Design: Double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Methods: Sixty-four HIV-positive patients were randomized to self-application of imiquimod cream or matched placebo into the anal canal three times a week for 4 months.

The clinical management of recurrent genital herpes: current issues and future prospects.

This article reports the proceedings of an expert panel discussion on current clinical management practices for the treatment of recurrent genital herpes. The panel reviewed the effectiveness of primary and specialist care settings in the UK and USA and identified the principal clinical needs of patients with recurrent genital herpes. The ideal alternative to daily suppressive nucleoside analogue therapy is a treatment with long-term impact on the natural history and prognosis of recurrent genital herpes.