COVID-19 clinical phenotypes in vaccinated and nonvaccinated solid organ transplant recipients: a multicenter validation study.

Clinical phenotypes of COVID-19, associated with mortality risk, have been identified in the general population. The present study assesses their applicability in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR) hospital-admitted by COVID-19. In a cohort of 488 SOTR, nonvaccinated (n = 394) and vaccinated (n = 94) against SARS-CoV-2, we evaluated 16 demographic, clinical, analytical, and radiological variables to identify the clinical phenotypes A, B, and C.

Syndemic conditions and quality of life in the PISCIS Cohort of people living with HIV in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands: a cross sectional study.

Background: People living with HIV (PLWH) face structural and psychosocial factors that affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We aimed to evaluate how syndemic conditions affected HRQoL in PLWH.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 861 PLWH, to determine whether syndemic conditions (monthly income; sexual satisfaction; depressive symptoms; social role satisfaction; social isolation; cognitive function; nicotine dependence; perception of stigma) have an effect on HRQoL.

Perception of quality of care using patient reported experience measures (PREMs) in a cohort of adults with HIV: A cross-sectional study.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is considered a chronic disease. Antiretroviral therapy has allowed persons with HIV (PLWHIV) to achieve the 90-90-90 objectives proposed by the World Health Organization for 2020; but an additional challenge is getting an adequate health-related quality of life. A determining factor in the health-related quality of life of PLWHIV is the health care they perceive to receive.

Associations between integrase strand-transfer inhibitors and cardiovascular disease in people living with HIV: a multicentre prospective study from the RESPOND cohort consortium.

Background: Although associations between older antiretroviral drug classes and cardiovascular disease in people living with HIV are well described, there is a paucity of data regarding a possible association with integrase strand-transfer inhibitors (INSTIs). We investigated whether exposure to INSTIs was associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Methods: RESPOND is a prospective, multicentre, collaboration study between 17 pre-existing European and Australian cohorts and includes more than 32 000 adults living with HIV in clinical care after Jan 1, 2012.

The association between hepatitis B virus infection and nonliver malignancies in persons living with HIV: results from the EuroSIDA study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on non-liver malignancies in people living with HIV (PLWH).

Methods: All persons aged ≥ 18 years with known hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) status after the latest of 1 January 2001 and enrolment in the EuroSIDA cohort (baseline) were included in the study; persons were categorized as HBV positive or negative using the latest HBsAg test and followed to their first diagnosis of nonliver malignancy or their last visit.

Results: Of 17 485 PLWH included in the study, 1269 (7.

Echocardiography and FDG-PET/CT scan in Gram-negative bacteremia and cardiovascular infections.

Purpose Of Review: Current evidence on cardiovascular infections in Gram-negative blood stream infections (GNBSI) with focus on the use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose - positron emission tomography/Computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) in the diagnostic workup.

Recent Findings: Most evidence focuses on characteristics of diagnosed cardiovascular infections and the proportion caused by GNBSI. These proportions are low (1-5%) when it comes to native and prosthetic valve endocarditis as well as cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) infections whereas the proportion of vascular graft infections caused by GNBSI seems substantially higher (30-40%).

CNS Considerations in ART Simplification Strategies.

Purpose Of The Review: This review summarizes current knowledge on central nervous system (CNS) considerations in ART simplification strategies.

Recent Findings: Antiretroviral therapies (ART) showing efficacy in plasma will usually show efficacy in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). ART simplification may virologically fail if the new regimen has less than two active drugs, the genetic barrier of drugs is not high, and the patient may harbour archived resistance.

Potent Induction of Envelope-Specific Antibody Responses by Virus-Like Particle Immunogens Based on HIV-1 Envelopes from Patients with Early Broadly Neutralizing Responses.

Longitudinal studies in HIV-1-infected individuals have indicated that 2 to 3 years of infection are required to develop broadly neutralizing antibodies. However, we have previously identified individuals with broadly neutralizing activity (bNA) in early HIV-1 infection, indicating that a vaccine may be capable of bNA induction after short periods of antigen exposure. Here, we describe 5 HIV-1 envelope sequences from individuals who have developed bNA within the first 100 days of infection (early neutralizers) and selected two of them to design immunogens based on HIV-1-Gag virus-like particles (VLPs).

Differences in response to antiretroviral therapy in HIV-positive patients being treated for tuberculosis in Eastern Europe, Western Europe and Latin America.

Background: Efavirenz-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens are preferred for treatment of adult HIV-positive patients co-infected with tuberculosis (HIV/TB). Few studies have compared outcomes among HIV/TB patients treated with efavirenz or non-efavirenz containing regimens.

Methods: HIV-positive patients aged ≥16 years with a diagnosis of tuberculosis recruited to the TB:HIV study between Jan 1, 2011, and Dec 31, 2013 in 19 countries in Eastern Europe (EE), Western Europe (WE), and Latin America (LA) who received ART concomitantly with TB treatment were included.

Which ante mortem clinical features predict progressive supranuclear palsy pathology?

Background: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neuropathologically defined disease presenting with a broad spectrum of clinical phenotypes.

Objective: To identify clinical features and investigations that predict or exclude PSP pathology during life, aiming at an optimization of the clinical diagnostic criteria for PSP.

Methods: We performed a systematic review of the literature published since 1996 to identify clinical features and investigations that may predict or exclude PSP pathology.

Clinical diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy: The movement disorder society criteria.

Background: PSP is a neuropathologically defined disease entity. Clinical diagnostic criteria, published in 1996 by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/Society for PSP, have excellent specificity, but their sensitivity is limited for variant PSP syndromes with presentations other than Richardson's syndrome.

Objective: We aimed to provide an evidence- and consensus-based revision of the clinical diagnostic criteria for PSP.

Safety and efficacy of the C-Tb skin test to diagnose Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, compared with an interferon γ release assay and the tuberculin skin test: a phase 3, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial.

Background: Targeted screening and treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection substantially reduces the risk of developing active tuberculosis. C-Tb (Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark) is a novel specific skin test based on ESAT-6 and CFP10 antigens. We investigated the safety and diagnostic potential of C-Tb compared with established tests in the contact-tracing setting.

Major Challenges in Clinical Management of TB/HIV Coinfected Patients in Eastern Europe Compared with Western Europe and Latin America.

Objectives: Rates of TB/HIV coinfection and multi-drug resistant (MDR)-TB are increasing in Eastern Europe (EE). We aimed to study clinical characteristics, factors associated with MDR-TB and predicted activity of empiric anti-TB treatment at time of TB diagnosis among TB/HIV coinfected patients in EE, Western Europe (WE) and Latin America (LA).

Design And Methods: Between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2013, 1413 TB/HIV patients (62 clinics in 19 countries in EE, WE, Southern Europe (SE), and LA) were enrolled.

Feasibility of transvaginal NOTES-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy.

Background: Recently, the feasibility of a transvaginal hybrid natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) nephrectomy was demonstrated in a 23-yr-old woman with a nonfunctional atrophic kidney.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and reproducibility of transvaginal NOTES-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy in female patients with and without renal cancer.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Between March 2008 and June 2009, 14 female patients were submitted to transvaginal NOTES-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy for T1-T3a N0M0 renal cancer (n=10), lithiasis (n=2), or renal atrophy (n=2) at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain.

Impact of valganciclovir prophylaxis on the development of severe late-cytomegalovirus disease in high-risk solid organ transplant recipients.

Background: With the introduction of prolonged prophylaxis with valganciclovir in cytomegalovirus (CMV) donor/recipient serodiscordance (D+/R-) patients, concerns about a high incidence of late and invasive CMV disease associated with mortality have emerged. We compared the characteristics of CMV disease in D+/R- patients receiving prolonged valganciclovir prophylaxis with R+ patients.

Methods: We prospectively followed all solid organ transplant recipients from January 2004 to December 2005.

Bloodstream infections among transplant recipients: results of a nationwide surveillance in Spain.

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant recipients. The aim of this study is to describe the incidence, microbiology and outcomes of BSIs in transplant recipients in Spain. The Spanish Network for Research on Infection in Transplantation (RESITRA) is formed by 16 centers with transplant program in Spain.