Patterns of daily oral HIV PrEP adherence among people who inject drugs in Ukraine: an analysis of biomarkers.

Introduction: Daily oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) is recommended for people who inject drugs (PWID) but coverage is low. The real-life effectiveness of PrEP among PWID is unknown as previous studies were conducted in controlled settings and mainly relied on self-report. Analysis of PrEP metabolites-tenofovir diphosphate (TFVdp) and emtricitabine triphosphate (FTCtp)-offers an objective measure of adherence.

High rates of deferring antiretroviral treatment for patients with HIV and substance use disorders: Results from a national sample of HIV physicians in Ukraine.

Background: HIV incidence and mortality are increasing in Ukraine despite their reductions globally, in part due to suboptimal antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage in key populations of people with HIV (PWH) where the epidemic is concentrated. As physicians are gatekeepers to ART prescription, stigma and discrimination barriers are understudied as a key to meeting HIV treatment targets in key populations.

Methods: A national sample (N = 204) of ART-prescribing physicians in Ukraine were surveyed between August and November 2019.

Identification of novel antistaphylococcal hit compounds.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common nosocomial biofilm-forming pathogens worldwide that has developed resistance mechanisms against majority of the antibiotics. Therefore, the search of novel antistaphylococcal agents with unexploited mechanisms of action, especially with antibiofilm activity, is of great interest. Seryl-tRNA synthetase is recognized as a promising drug target for the development of antibacterials.

RNA Polymerase Inhibitor Enisamium for Treatment of Moderate COVID-19 Patients: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter, Double-Blind Phase 3 Clinical Trial.

Enisamium is an orally available therapeutic that inhibits influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2 replication. We evaluated the clinical efficacy of enisamium treatment combined with standard care in adult, hospitalized patients with moderate COVID-19 requiring external oxygen. Hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were randomly assigned to receive either enisamium (500 mg per dose, four times a day) or a placebo.

Low daily oral PrEP adherence and low validity of self-report in a randomized trial among PWID in Ukraine.

Background: The efficacy of daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in preventing HIV transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID) was demonstrated over a decade ago. However, only a few studies among PWID have since measured PrEP adherence using laboratory markers.

Methods: In this trial, we randomized recently injecting PWID in Kyiv, Ukraine, to receive daily oral TDF/FTC with or without SMS reminders.

Rapid antiretroviral treatment start seems as vital and cost-effective strategy in Central and Eastern Europe.

Background: It is essential to deliver specialist human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care with maximum effectiveness, but also minimum time delay. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether rapid linkage to care defined as starting combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) on the day of the first visit at the HIV clinic is a costeffective approach.

Methods: In the analysis, Markov's lifetime model presented in our previous study was implemented.

Chronic Kidney Disease and Nephrology Care in People Living with HIV in Central/Eastern Europe and Neighbouring Countries-Cross-Sectional Analysis from the ECEE Network.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The Central and East Europe (CEE) region consists of countries with highly diversified HIV epidemics, health care systems and socioeconomic status. The aim of the present study was to describe variations in CKD burden and care between countries.

HIV treatment strategies across Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe: New times, old problems.

Introduction: In the last decade, substantial differences in the epidemiology of, antiretroviral therapy (ART) for, cascade of care in and support to people with HIV in vulnerable populations have been observed between countries in Western Europe, Central Europe (CE) and Eastern Europe (EE). The aim of this study was to use a survey to explore whether ART availability and therapies have evolved in CE and EE according to European guidelines.

Methods: The Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe (ECEE) Network Group conducted two identical multicentre cross-sectional online surveys in 2019 and 2021 concerning the availability and use of antiretroviral drugs (boosted protease inhibitors [bPIs], integrase inhibitors [INSTIs] and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors [NRTIs]), the introduction of a rapid ART start strategy and the use of two-drug regimens (2DRs) for starting or switching ART.

The Management of HIV Care Services in Central and Eastern Europe: Data from the Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe Network Group.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging time for medical care, especially in the field of infectious diseases (ID), but it has also provided an opportunity to introduce new solutions in HIV management. Here, we investigated the changes in HIV service provision across Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries before and after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Methods: The Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe Network Group consists of experts in the field of ID from 24 countries within the CEE region.

The Presence of Either Typical or Atypical Radiological Changes Predicts Poor COVID-19 Outcomes in HIV-Positive Patients from a Multinational Observational Study: Data from Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe Network Group.

HIV-positive patients may present lungs with multiple infections, which may hinder differential diagnoses and the choice of treatment in the course of COVID-19, especially in countries with limited access to high-standard healthcare. Here, we aim to investigate the association between radiological changes and poor COVID-19 outcomes among HIV-positive patients from Central and Eastern Europe. Between November 2020 and May 2021, the Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe Network Group started collecting observational data on HIV and COVID-19 co-infections.

Identification of novel small-molecular inhibitors of Staphylococcus aureus sortase A using hybrid virtual screening.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most dangerous pathogens commonly associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality. Sortase A is considered as a promising molecular target for the development of antistaphylococcal agents. Using hybrid virtual screening approach and FRET analysis, we have identified five compounds able to decrease the activity of sortase A by more than 50% at the concentration of 200 µM.

Identification of Novel Antistaphylococcal Hit Compounds Targeting Sortase A.

() is a causative agent of many hospital- and community-acquired infections with the tendency to develop resistance to all known antibiotics. Therefore, the development of novel antistaphylococcal agents is of urgent need. Sortase A is considered a promising molecular target for the development of antistaphylococcal agents.

Tracking SARS-COV-2 Variants Using Nanopore Sequencing in Ukraine in Summer 2021.

Since spring 2020, Ukraine has experienced at least two COVID-19 waves and has just entered a third wave in autumn 2021. The use of real-time genomic epidemiology has enabled the tracking of SARS-CoV-2 circulation patterns worldwide, thus informing evidence-based public health decision making, including implementation of travel restrictions and vaccine rollout strategies. However, insufficient capacity for local genetic sequencing in Ukraine and other Lower and Middle-Income countries limit opportunities for similar analyses.

Retrospective evaluation of an observational cohort by the Central and Eastern Europe Network Group shows a high frequency of potential drug-drug interactions among HIV-positive patients receiving treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Objectives: The aim of this international multicentre study was to review potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) for real-life coadministration of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-specific medications.

Methods: The Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe Network Group initiated a retrospective, observational cohort study of HIV-positive patients diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Data were collected through a standardized questionnaire and DDIs were identified using the University of Liverpool's interaction checker.

National strategies for vaccination against COVID-19 in people living with HIV in Central and Eastern European region.

Introduction: People living with HIV (PLWH) are at higher risk of poorer COVID-19 outcomes. Vaccination is a safe and effective method of prevention against many infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Here we investigate the strategies for national COVID-19 vaccination programmes across central and eastern Europe and the inclusion of PLWH in vaccination programmes.

Proteflazid® effectiveness for prevention and treatment of acute viral respiratory infections in the conditions of COVID-19.

Unlabelled: The original antiviral drug Proteflazid® has been used in clinical practice since the early 2000s for the etiotropic treatment of acute respiratory viral diseases, due to its property of blocking viral RNA and DNA polymerases. Considering that at the beginning of the global COVID- 19 pandemic, caused by RNA-containing virus of SARS-CoV-2 species in 2020, the ability of the drug active substance to inhibit the activity of 3CL- protease of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus was shown by molecular docking and, subsequently, to confirm the property of the active substance to block the reproduction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in cell cultures in vitro. It was extremely important to test the effectiveness of the drug Proteflazid, drops for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 disease at "off labell use".

Enisamium is an inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase and shows improvement of recovery in COVID-19 patients in an interim analysis of a clinical trial.

Pandemic SARS-CoV-2 causes a mild to severe respiratory disease called Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Control of SARS-CoV-2 spread will depend on vaccine-induced or naturally acquired protective herd immunity. Until then, antiviral strategies are needed to manage COVID-19, but approved antiviral treatments, such as remdesivir, can only be delivered intravenously.

Phylodynamics Helps to Evaluate the Impact of an HIV Prevention Intervention.

Assessment of the long-term population-level effects of HIV interventions is an ongoing public health challenge. Following the implementation of a Transmission Reduction Intervention Project (TRIP) in Odessa, Ukraine, in 2013-2016, we obtained HIV gene sequences and used phylogenetics to identify HIV transmission clusters. We further applied the birth-death skyline model to the sequences from Odessa ( = 275) and Kyiv ( = 92) in order to estimate changes in the epidemic's effective reproductive number () and rate of becoming uninfectious (.

Ultrastructural features of herpesvirus-induced aortic intima damage in mice fed the high-fat diet.

Objective: The aim: To study the effect of a high-fat diet (HFD) on the structural changes in the aortic intima in intact and HSV-1-infected mice using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Patients And Methods: Materials and methods: In experiments Balb/c mice were infected with the HVS-1 and fed high-fat diet and 12 weeks later aortic ultrastructure was examined by SEM and TEM methods. The animals were subdivided into four experimental groups: 1st group - HSV-1-infected animals; 2nd - animals consuming high-fat diet (HFD); 3rd - infected animals that were subsequently consuming a high-fat diet (HSV / HFD); 4th - animals consuming a high-fat diet that were subsequently infected with HSV-1 (HFD / HSV) (n = 6); and control group - intact animals.

The epidemiological signature of influenza B virus and its B/Victoria and B/Yamagata lineages in the 21st century.

We describe the epidemiological characteristics, pattern of circulation, and geographical distribution of influenza B viruses and its lineages using data from the Global Influenza B Study. We included over 1.8 million influenza cases occurred in thirty-one countries during 2000-2018.

PROTEFLAZID®: clinical studies as evidence base of its antiviral activity.

The article contains the results of many years of clinical studies of efficiency and safety of the preparation Proteflazid®, obtained from the wild cereals Deschampsia caespitosa L. and Calamagrotis epigeios L. Proteflazid® has direct antiviral and anti-relapsing effects in various disease of viral etiology, registered in more than 230 clinical studies.