HIV Medicine最新文献

Background

Women with HIV are globally underrepresented in clinical research. Existing studies often focus on reproductive outcomes, seldom focus on older women, and are often underpowered to assess sex/gender differences. We describe CD4, HIV viral load (VL), clinical characteristics, comorbidity burden, and use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) among women with HIV in the RESPOND study and compare them with those of the men in RESPOND.

Methods

RESPOND is a prospective, multi-cohort collaboration including over 34 000 people with HIV from across Europe and Australia. Demographic and clinical characteristics, including CD4/VL, comorbidity burden, and ART are presented at baseline, defined as the latter of 1 January 2012 or enrolment into the local cohort, stratified by age and sex/gender. We further stratify men by reported mode of HIV acquisition, men who have sex with men (MSM) and non-MSM.

Results

Women account for 26.0% (n = 9019) of the cohort, with a median age of 42.2 years (interquartile range [IQR] 34.7–49.1). The majority (59.3%) of women were white, followed by 30.3% Black. Most women (75.8%) had acquired HIV heterosexually and 15.9% via injecting drug use. Nearly half (44.8%) were receiving a boosted protease inhibitor, 31.4% a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, and 7.8% an integrase strand transfer inhibitor. The baseline year was 2012 for 73.2% of women and >2019 for 4.2%. Median CD4 was 523 (IQR 350–722) cells/μl, and 73.6% of women had a VL <200 copies/mL. Among the ART-naïve population, women were more likely than MSM but less likely than non-MSM (p < 0.001) to have CD4 <200 cells/μL and less likely than both MSM and non-MSM (p < 0.001) to have VL ≥100 000 copies/mL. Women were also more likely to be free of comorbidity than were both MSM and non-MSM (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

RESPOND women are diverse in age, ethnicity/race, CD4/VL, and comorbidity burden, with important differences relative to men. This work highlights the importance of stratification by sex/gender for future research that may help improve screening and management guidelines specifically for women with HIV.

Background

The 2022 mpox outbreak continues, and while progress has been made in prevention strategies and potential treatment options, data on late sequelae following mpox are scarce.

Objective

This analysis aimed to assess the incidence of scar formation in individuals affected by the 2022 mpox outbreak.

Methods

All individuals diagnosed with mpox at the Department of Dermatology at the Medical University of Vienna in 2022 were included in this analysis. Follow-up data were collected throughout November 2023. ‘Scar formation’ was defined as having at least one scar at the former active mpox lesions.

Results

At our clinic, 28 cases of mpox presented between June 2022 and October 2022 and exclusively occurred in men who have sex with men (100%, 28/28), of whom 46% (13/28) were living with HIV, and 32% (9/28) were using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Secondary bacterial infection of mpox lesions was suspected in six individuals, and all received systemic antibiotics. Overall, 26 were followed up in November 2023 after a median time of 15 months, and scar formations were found in 43% of cases.

Conclusions

Our data provide insights into the late yet cumulating disease burden caused by the 2022 mpox outbreak. Highly effective prevention strategies are warranted to overcome the mpox epidemic and its potential late sequelae.

Introduction

Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are key to eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV). In men who have sex with men (MSM) with HIV co-infection, recently acquired HCV infection is common. Sexual practices and reinfection rates may hamper micro-elimination despite high treatment rates.

Methods

The cohort included MSM with recently acquired HCV infection from 2014 to 2021. The patients' demographic, clinical, behavioural, and laboratory data and treatment and reinfection outcomes were documented.

Results

A total of 237 men with recently acquired HCV infection were included: 216 (91%) had HIV. The median age was 46 years (interquartile range [IQR] 39–52), and the median CD4 count was 660/mm³ (IQR 527–835).

The annual incidence of recently acquired HCV remained between 0.28% and 0.43% but dropped to 0.02% in 2021 during the COVID pandemic, almost reaching micro-elimination. The reinfection incidence was 15.5 per 100 patient-years (95% confidence interval 12.6–18.8), and reinfection was associated with the use of crystal methamphetamine (p = 0.032) and ketamine (p = 0.042). In total, 31.3% had multiple reinfections, and four reinfections occurred in users of pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Conclusions

High treatment and cure rates did not lead to HCV elimination. A change in sexual behaviour, potentially imposed by COVID-19 restrictions, led to micro-elimination in the NoCo cohort. As recently acquired HCV is prevalent in MSM with and without HIV, surveillance is necessary to consolidate elimination goals.

Objectives

To identify sexual/sex-associated risk factors for hepatitis C transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM) and visualise behavioural trajectories from 2019 to 2021.

Methods

We linked a behavioural survey to a hepatitis C cohort study (NoCo), established in 2019 across six German HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment centres, and performed a case–control analysis. Cases were MSM with recent HCV infection, and controls were matched for HIV status (model 1) or proportions of sexual partners with HIV (model 2). We conducted conditional univariable and multivariable regression analyses.

Results

In all, 197 cases and 314 controls completed the baseline questionnaire and could be matched with clinical data. For regression models, we restricted cases to those with HCV diagnosed since 2018 (N = 100). Factors independently associated with case status included sex-associated rectal bleeding, shared fisting lubricant, anal douching, chemsex, intravenous and intracavernosal injections, with population-attributable fractions of 88% (model 1) and 85% (model 2). These factors remained stable over time among cases, while sexual partner numbers and group sex decreased during COVID-19 measures.

Conclusions

Sexual/sex-associated practices leading to blood exposure are key factors in HCV transmission in MSM. Public health interventions should emphasize the importance of blood safety in sexual encounters. Micro-elimination efforts were temporarily aided by reduced opportunities for sexual encounters during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective

The objective of this study was to gain insight into the barriers hindering the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in five cities in China.

Methods

MSM were recruited via community-based organizations in an online “snowball” manner. Participants completed the questionnaire anonymously and shared it with key MSM peers (seeds) in five cities in China. Based on the results of univariate analysis, we used a structural equation model to analyse the role of PrEP knowledge awareness, PrEP counselling, and other behavioural variables on PrEP use.

Results

The study collected a total of 4223 valid questionnaires, and 18.2% of participants reported PrEP use. The results of the standardized total effects showed that the following paths were statistically significant (p < 0.05): from the age of first sex with men to PrEP knowledge awareness (β = −0.113) and PrEP use (β = 0.042); from high-risk sexual behaviour scores to PrEP counselling (β = 0.039) and PrEP use (β = 0.103); from the number of HIV tests in the last year to PrEP knowledge awareness (β = 0.034), PrEP counselling (β = 0.170), and PrEP use (β = 0.197); from the level of self-perceived risk of HIV infection to PrEP counselling (β = −0.115); from PrEP knowledge awareness to PrEP use (β = −0.049); and from PrEP counselling to PrEP use (β = 0.420).

Conclusions

The proportion of PrEP use among MSM was relatively low. Age at first sex with men, number of HIV tests, high-risk sexual behaviour, and PrEP counselling had a positive effect on PrEP use, whereas PrEP knowledge awareness had an inverse effect on PrEP use.

Objective

Voluntary counselling and testing points (VCTs) offer anonymous and free HIV tests in Poland. They also play an essential role in educational initiatives focused on the prevention and diagnosis of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. However, no comprehensive data is available that summarizes the results of the work carried out by these VCTs. Therefore, our aim was to conduct a comparative analysis of epidemiological data obtained from VCTs and data reported by the epidemiological surveillance undertaken by the National Institute of Public Health NIH–National Research Institute (NIPH NIH–NRI) covering the period from 2015 to 2022.

Methods

This retrospective analysis was conducted on data from 258 071 people attending VCTs in Poland in 2015–2022.

Results

On average, 32 259 individuals underwent testing each year, with a notable increase in the number of people being tested in November. The average positivity rate was 1.39% (3576/258 071). The Masovian voivodeship conducted the most tests and had the highest number of positive results. The comparative analysis of the frequency of detecting positive results in VCTs and those reported in NIPH NIH–NRI data revealed that, on average, 31.49% (3576/11 356) of positive results in Poland between 2015 and 2022 were identified through tests conducted at VCTs.

Conclusion

The positive results identified in VCTs constituted approximately one-third of all results reported by the National Institute of Public Health NIH–National Research Institute, highlighting the importance of VCTs. Moreover, the high availability of testing in the Masovian voivodeship resulted in better detection of HIV. The educational actions performed during European Testing Week increased the number of tests performed in November.