Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of zidovudine (ZDV) and lymphoblastoid interferon (IFN)-alpha combination therapy compared with ZDV monotherapy in HIV-infected subjects with CD4+ cell counts between 150 and 500 x 10(6)/l.
Design: Open, randomized controlled trial with subjects stratified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 1986 classification of HIV disease (group II/III or IV). The study was amended to a sequential design in February 1992 to allow interim analyses to be conducted.
Setting: Outpatient clinics in 45 hospitals in Europe, Australia and Canada.
Participants: A total of 402 previously untreated subjects with symptomatic HIV infection (CDC group IV) and CD4+ count 150-500 x 10(6)/l or asymptomatic HIV infection (CDC group II/III) with CD4+ count 150-350 x 10(6)/l.
Interventions: ZDV 250 mg twice daily with or without 3 MU subcutaneous injections of lymphoblastoid IFN-alpha three times per week.
Main Outcome Measures: Time to development of a study endpoint defined as: progression from CDC group II/III to group IV, group IV non-AIDS to AIDS, or group IV AIDS to a second AIDS-defining condition; also CD4+ count to < 50 x 10(6)/l on two occasions at least 1 month apart or HIV-related death irrespective of CDC group on entry.
Results: There was no reduction in the rate of disease progression for patients receiving ZDV plus IFN-alpha compared with patients receiving ZDV alone. No major differences between the groups were seen for CD4+ counts or percentages, or p24 antigenaemia. In a subset of 70 patients, a similar proportion from both dose groups showed evidence of ZDV resistance after 48 weeks of treatment. More adverse experiences were seen in the ZDV/IFN-alpha group.
Conclusions: Combination therapy with low dose lymphoblastoid IFN-alpha and ZDV revealed no clinical benefit compared with ZDV monotherapy.
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Matern Child Health J
January 2025
Office of the Director, Office of Readiness and Response, CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of homelessness shortly before or during pregnancy and describe differences in maternal characteristics and adverse birth outcomes between people reporting homelessness and not reporting homelessness.
Methods: We used 2016-2020 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data from 31 sites to estimate the prevalence of self-reported homelessness during the 12 months before giving birth. We used logistic regression models to evaluate the association between homelessness and adverse birth outcomes, specifically small for gestational age (SGA), low birth weight (LBW), and preterm birth (PTB).
J Infect Dis
January 2025
Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Background: Pediatric respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-related acute lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) commonly requires hospitalization. The Clinical Progression Scale Pediatrics (CPS-Ped) measures level of respiratory support and degree of hypoxia across a range of disease severity, but it has not been applied in infants hospitalized with severe RSV-LRTI.
Methods: We analyzed data from a prospective surveillance registry of infants hospitalized for RSV-related complications across 39 U.
Lancet Reg Health West Pac
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Science, Beijing, PR China.
Background: As natural reservoirs of diverse pathogens, small mammals are considered a key interface for guarding public health due to their wide geographic distribution, high density and frequent interaction with humans.
Methods: All formally recorded natural occurrences of small mammals (Order: Rodentia, Eulipotyphla, Lagomorpha, and Scandentia) and their associated microbial infections in China were searched in the English and Chinese literature spanning from 1950 to 2021 and geolocated. Machine learning models were applied to determine ecological drivers for the distributions of 45 major small mammal species and two common rodent-borne diseases (RBDs), and model-predicted potential risk locations were mapped.
Int J Surg
December 2024
Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico Health Sciences, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are a significant vascular pathology in older adults, often asymptomatic but with high mortality upon rupture. Despite advancements in diagnostic imaging and surgical interventions, AAAs remain a public health concern. This research letter analyzed CDC WONDER data on AAA-related deaths (ICD-10 I71.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) are a significant health concern, with the true prevalence likely underestimated due to undiagnosed cases. Outcomes in TAA are influenced by factors like age, sex, and comorbidities such as hypertension. This study examines mortality trends and disparities associated with TAA in US adults.
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