Gonorrhea infections diagnosed among persons living with HIV/AIDS: identifying opportunities for integrated prevention services in New York City, Washington, DC, Miami/Dade County, and Arizona.

: Persons living with HIV/AIDS who acquire new sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) pose a risk for enhanced transmission of both HIV and STDs. To describe the frequency of HIV coinfection among gonorrhea cases (GC), HIV and GC surveillance databases (2000-2008) were cross-matched in New York City (NYC), Washington, DC (DC), Miami/Dade County (MDC), and Arizona (AZ). During 2000-2008, 4.

Needle in a haystack: the yield of syphilis outreach screening at 5 US sites-2000 to 2007.

Background: Screening for syphilis has been performed for decades, but it is unclear if the practice yields many cases at acceptable cost, and if so, at which venues. We attempted a retrospective study to determine the costs, yield, and feasibility of analyzing health department-funded syphilis outreach screening in 5 diverse US sites with significant disease burdens.

Methods: Data (venue, costs, number of tests, reactive tests, new diagnoses) from 2000 to 2007 were collected for screening efforts funded by public health departments from Philadelphia; New York City; Washington, District of Columbia; Maricopa County, Arizona (Phoenix); and the state of Florida.

HIV seropositivity and correlates of infection among heterosexually active adults in high-risk areas in South Florida.

The U.S. HIV/AIDS epidemic disproportionately impacts lower-income populations.

Infectious syphilis among adolescent and young adult men: implications for human immunodeficiency virus transmission and public health interventions.

Background: In 2008, an increase in syphilis among young black men was noted in New York City (NYC), Miami-Fort Lauderdale, and Philadelphia. To explore this trend, we examined infectious syphilis cases from 2000 to 2008 among adolescent and young adult men in these areas.

Methods: Descriptive analysis of male infectious syphilis cases reported to public health authorities in NYC, FL, and Philadelphia.

Reinfections during the Florida syphilis epidemic, 2000-2008.

Background: The last 3 syphilis epidemics in the United States peaked after 5 to 6 years, but rates have now increased for 8 years. We questioned whether persons with multiple syphilis diagnoses (repeaters) are fueling the epidemic.

Methods: The Florida Department of Health database of all syphilis cases reported between 2000 and 2008 was used to examine demographics and disease presentation of repeaters and nonrepeaters using bivariate and multivariate analyses.

Poor lymphoproliferative responses with low proportion of Gag-specific CD8 TEMRA cells in HIV-1-infected patients showing immunological and virological discordance despite prolonged suppression of plasma viremia.

We investigated in-vitro lymphoproliferative responses and T-cell subsets in 38 HIV-1-infected patients showing impaired restoration of CD4 T cells despite prolonged viral suppression (discordant), and in 42 HIV-1-infected patients showing positive immunological and virological responses to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) (concordant). In comparison to concordant patients, discordant patients showed poor lymphocyte proliferation, lower secretion of IL-2 and IFN-gamma, a lower percentage of perforin and granzyme-B-producing CD8 T cells, and poor differentiation of effector memory CD8 T(EM) cells into CD8 T(EMRA) cells in in-vitro stimulation assays, especially against HIV-1 Gag p24 and one of its peptide pools. Functional CD8 T-cell responses of discordant patients after stimulation with recall antigens, Candida albicans, and tetanus toxoid, were also inferior to concordant patients, but comparable to normal healthy controls.

Hospitalized HIV-infected patients in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

We interviewed 1038 HIV-positive inpatients in public hospitals in Miami, Florida, and Atlanta, Georgia, to examine patient factors associated with use of HIV care, use of antiretroviral therapy, and unprotected sexual intercourse. Multivariate analyses and multiple logistic regression models showed that use of crack cocaine and heavy drinking were associated with never having had an HIV-care provider, high-risk sexual behavior, and not receiving antiretroviral therapy. Inpatient interventions that link and retain HIV-positive persons in primary care services could prevent HIV transmission and unnecessary hospitalizations.

HIV/AIDS knowledge and health-related attitudes and behaviors among deaf and hearing adolescents in southern Brazil.

HIV/AIDS knowledge and health-related attitudes and behaviors among deaf and hearing adolescents in southern Brazil are described. Forty-two deaf students attending a special nonresidential public school for the deaf and 50 hearing students attending a regular public school, ages 15-21 years, answered a computer-assisted questionnaire. (There was simultaneous video translation of questions to Brazilian Sign Language.

Impaired restoration of plasmacytoid dendritic cells in HIV-1-infected patients with poor CD4 T cell reconstitution is associated with decrease in capacity to produce IFN-alpha but not proinflammatory cytokines.

We analyzed reconstitution characteristics of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs) and myeloid DCs-1 in 38 HIV-1-infected patients with impaired restoration of CD4 T cell counts despite prolonged suppression of plasma viremia (discordant) and compared them with 42 patients showing good immunological and virological responses following highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). While myeloid DCs showed spontaneous recovery following HAART in both the groups, the discordant patients demonstrated poor peripheral reconstitution of PDCs as compared with concordant patients. The ability of PDCs to produce IFN-alpha following stimulation with TLR7 ligand imiquimod and TLR9 ligand CpG ODN-2216 was also impaired in discordant patients even after 2 years following initiation of HAART.

High-risk behaviors in women who use crack: knowledge of HIV serostatus and risk behavior.

Purpose: To determine whether crack cocaine-using women who are aware of their HIV serostatus have made modifications in risk behaviors, we compared known HIV-positive (HIV+) and HIV-negative (HIV-) users with respect to sexual risk behaviors, prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and vaginitis, and correlates of unprotected sex.

Methods: We used a cross-sectional design with street outreach, recruitment, and interviews of sexually active crack cocaine using women. Women received testing for HIV, STIs, and vaginitis.

Initiating HIV care: attitudes and perceptions of HIV positive crack cocaine users.

There is limited data on the initiation and use of HIV care services by HIV-positive crack cocaine users. We analyzed data from a study of 286 recently infected HIV-positive persons recruited from 4 U.S.

Correlates of engaging in unprotected sex while experiencing dysuria or discharge: a study of men with confirmed gonorrhea.

Objectives: To identify the prevalence and correlates of engaging in unprotected sex while experiencing symptoms of gonorrhea among a sample of men with a laboratory confirmed diagnosis.

Methods: Cross-sectional interview data were analyzed from 237 men, reporting dysuria or discharge, with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of gonorrhea.

Results: A total of 21.

Hepatitis B virus infection risk factors and immunity among sexually transmitted disease clinic clients.

Background And Objectives: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a sexually transmitted infection that can be prevented with hepatitis B vaccination.

Goal: The goal was to determine prevalence and risk factors for HBV infection and immunity among sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic clients.

Study Design: In this cross-sectional study, consenting adult STD clinic clients were interviewed regarding HBV risk factors and vaccination history, and blood was drawn for HBV serologic testing.

Use of a public sexually transmitted disease clinic by known HIV-positive adults: decreased self-reported risk behavior and increased disease incidence.

High-risk sexual behavior by HIV-positive individuals is an important factor contributing to the spread of the HIV epidemic. We conducted a retrospective chart review to compare self-reported sexually transmitted disease (STD) risk behavior and clinic diagnoses of known HIV-positive clients attending Miami-Dade County STD clinics with those of uninfected controls. One hundred ninety-one HIV-positive clients and 191 HIV-negative controls, 130 (68.