Current HIV Research最新文献

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Background: Sexual problems are rarely addressed in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) management, even though overt sexual dysfunctions are more prevalent in people living with HIV. This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) among HIVinfected men in a stable clinical state, examine the relationship between antiretroviral therapy (ART) exposure and sexual dysfunction, and identify the associated risk factors.

Method: This cross-sectional study recruited HIV-positive males who visited the Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) center of Imam Khomeini Hospital (Tehran) in 2020. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire was used to evaluate the ED in participants. Sociodemographic and clinical data were also collected.

Results: Of 65 patients who participated in this study, 27.7% had ED. The mean age of participants with and without ED was 39.4±11.5 and 40.4±7.6 years old, respectively. No significant difference was observed between patients with and without ED concerning the sociodemographic status and the use of ART drugs.

Conclusion: The prevalence of ED is relatively high among men living with HIV. Future research is recommended among HIV-positive males to identify the underlying causes and explore the potential impact that associated psychological distress could have on sexual dysfunction.

Background: The genetic diversity in HIV-1 genes affects viral pathogenesis in HIV-1 positive patients. Accessory genes of HIV-1, including vpu, are reported to play a critical role in HIV pathogenesis and disease progression. Vpu has a crucial role in CD4 degradation and virus release. The sequence heterogeneity in the vpu gene may affect disease progression in patients, therefore, the current study was undertaken to identify the role of vpu in patients defined as rapid progressors.

Objective: The objective of the study was to identify the viral determinants present on vpu that may be important in disease progression in rapid progressors.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from 13 rapid progressors. DNA was isolated from PBMCs and vpu was amplified using nested PCR. Both strands of the gene were sequenced using an automated DNA Sequencer. The characterization and analysis of vpu was done using various bioinformatics tools.

Results: The analysis revealed that all sequences had intact ORF and sequence heterogeneity was present across all sequences and distributed all over the gene. The synonymous substitutions, however, were higher than nonsynonymous substitutions. The phylogenetic tree analysis showed an evolutionary relationship with previously published Indian subtype C sequences. Comparatively, the cytoplasmic tail_{(77 - 86)} showed the highest degree of variability in these sequences as determined by Entropy- one tool.

Conclusion: The study showed that due to the robust nature of the protein, the biological activity of the protein was intact and sequence heterogeneity may promote disease progression in the study population.

Objective: HIV patients are prone to infection and difficult to treat, which mainly manifests itself in decreased CD4⁺ T cells in the body. Therefore, the predictive value of lymphocyte count and hemoglobin for CD4⁺ levels in HIV patients was discussed in the prospective study.

Methods: 125 HIV patients (aged >18 or < 80 years) were recruited. Pearson chi-square test was used to explore the correlation between CD4⁺ content and blood-related parameters in HIV patients. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to calculate ORs for each variable. In addition, receiver ROC curves were constructed to assess each factor's accuracy and sensitivity in diagnosing CD4⁺.

Results: Lymphocyte count and hemoglobin were significantly correlated with CD4⁺. In terms of multivariate logistic regression level, there was a significant correlation between lymphocyte count (OR = 3.170, 95% CI: 1.442-6.969, P = 0.004), hemoglobin (OR = 2.545, 95% CI: 1.148- 5.646, P = 0.022) and CD4⁺ content in HIV patients. Based on the neural network model, the level of lymphocyte and hemoglobin might be the predictive indexes of CD4⁺ level. We find the high-risk warning indicator of CD4⁺ level: 3 < lymphocyte (10⁹/L) < 3.6, and 150 < hemoglobin (g/L) < 200.

Conclusion: Better predictive value of lymphocyte count and hemoglobin for CD4⁺ level of HIV patients.

Background: HIV late-stage diagnoses have an important impact on mortality. Unfortunately, a significant number of patients are still diagnosed at late stages. On the other hand, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created an unprecedented crisis in healthcare systems worldwide, including HIV care services. The aim of this study was to compare time-trends in HIV late diagnosis, prevalence, and initial CD4 cell counts of newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals at the entry to HIV care in a General Hospital in Mexico City and to assess the Covid-19 pandemic possible effects on late diagnosis prevalence.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of HIV-infected patients (January 1999 to December 2021) to assess the prevalence of Late presentation (LP, CD4 count < 350 cells/mm3) and presentation with advanced HIV disease (AHIVD CD4 count < 200 cells/mm3). Differences across time were evaluated, focusing on years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Results: We included 348 newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals, of which 255 (73.2%) patients entered into care with LP, and 158 (45.4%) were on AHIVD. The proportion of patients with LP and AHIVD decreased significantly across the study period. Nevertheless, we found an increase in this proportion in the years 2020 (70% and 53%) and 2021 (86% and 68%).

Conclusion: Despite the progressive decrease in late diagnosis prevalence in our population, it remains high. Even more, our results documented a possible increase in the prevalence of late diagnosis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings highlight the need to prioritize interventions to evaluate and reverse pandemic effects on people living with HIV care.

Objective: The study aimed to compare the prevalence of surveillance HIV drug resistance mutations (SDRMs) across the main federal districts of Russia.

Methods: A pooled analysis was conducted to examine data on HIV primary drug resistance (HIV PrimDR). The analysis was based on published results primarily from Russian regional clinical and scientific laboratories, covering a span of 20 years.

Results: The findings indicate that three surveyed regions, namely Central, Far Eastern, and Volga, exhibit a low level of HIV PrimDR prevalence (not exceeding 5%), and this prevalence does not show a tendency to increase. In contrast, three major regions, namely Northwestern, Southern, and Siberian, demonstrate a significant and progressive increase in HIV PrimDR prevalence, with recent values surpassing 10%.

Conclusion: Consequently, it was concluded that a change in the HIV treatment strategy in these regions is imperative, emphasizing the need to expedite the transition to the utilization of secondgeneration integrase inhibitors.

Background: Alkaloids are nitrogen-containing compounds that are naturally occurring and have a variety of biological activities, including antimicrobial properties. In this study, the authors used a molecular docking approach to evaluate the anti-HIV potential of 64 alkaloids.

Methods: The authors used the Molegro Virtual Docker software to dock the alkaloids into the active sites of three HIV enzymes: protease, integrase, and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase (NNRT). The docking scores were used to assess the potential of the alkaloids to inhibit the enzymes.

Results: The results showed the alkaloids to have good potential to inhibit the enzymes. Tubocurarine and reserpine were found to be the most potent alkaloids, with docking scores of -123.776 and - 114.956, respectively.

Conclusion: The authors concluded that tubocurarine and reserpine could be further promoted as potential lead molecules for the development of new anti-HIV drugs.