HIV Immunodeficiency Research Articles

Health service quality of human immunodeficiency virus voluntaries’ counselling and testing

United Nations & AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2019 stated that 38 million individuals in the world were suffering from human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. Since it was discovered in 1987, the number of HIV cases in Indonesia until mid-2020 was 436,948 cases, of which 64,990 people have died. This study aims to assess the quality of health services with the service quality (SERVQUAL) analysis model on voluntary HIV counseling and testing. A quantitative study was conducted with a descriptive observational analytic approach and a cross-sectional design on 120 respondents. The variables were measured using a service quality questionnaire and Likert scale. The results showed a difference between the expectations and perceptions of respondents on the service quality of voluntary HIV counseling and testing. The statistical analysis (p=0.000) shows that the health services for voluntary HIV counseling and testing have poor quality. However, the respondents gave good scores on responsiveness and assurance of the services. Managers and relevant authorities need to plan and pay special attention to other yet optimal variables.

Malaria an opportunistic infection in HIV/AIDS patients? - A Nigerian experience.

HIV and malaria interact at the level of the host's susceptibility to infection, but little is known about the effect of HIV on malaria infection in Nigeria. This study estimated the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia and its relationship with HIV immunodeficiency. This cross-sectional study was conducted in two hospitals in Abuja, Nigeria between October 2012 and March 2013 among 600 respondents, comprising 200 HIV-negative controls, 200 HIV-positive patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 200 HIV-positive patients not on ART. Malaria parasites, malaria density and absolute CD4 counts were carried out on all three groups. Participants with CD4 counts below 350 cells/mm3 were considered immunocompromised and likely to develop opportunistic infections. Most study participants were aged 21-40 years (65.2%). The mean CD4 counts of HIV-positive patients not on ART (300 ± 211 cells/mm3) and those on ART (354 cells/mm3) were significantly lower than among controls (834 cells/mm3) (p < 0.001). Malaria prevalence was not statistically different between the controls (44.5%), patients on ART (40.5%), and those not on ART (39.5%) (p = 0.562). Compared to 7% immunodeficiency among controls, 56% of patients on ART and 65.5% of those not on ART had a CD4 count < 350 cells/mm3 (p < 0.001). The prevalence of malaria parasitaemia among immunodeficient individuals (42.4%) was similar to prevalence among those with CD4 counts > 350 cells/mm3 (40.8%; p = 0.695). These findings suggest that malaria parasitaemia is not an opportunistic infection among HIV-positive individuals in Nigeria.

The Clinic trials of Human Immunodeficiency Virus

This review paper looks for future improvement for HIV. It is obvious that HIV has become a pandemic disease and causes serious problems to human life quality, social stability and public health. However, there are still a lot people get infected by HIV and the mortality of HIV patients has decreased compared with the time that the disease was discovered. By understanding the virus structure and the mechanisms when the pathogen enters the body, humans can find ways to solve AIDS infection in these ways, from the source of the pathogen, the transmission path, and patients infected by HIV. Second, by analyzing two successful cases of HIV cured patients and the failure cases, humans find out that not everybody is suitable for the same treatments as the two successful cased did. Although, nowadays, scientists are working on HIV vaccines, the process is very slow as there are still a lot of mysteries in human immunodeficiency virus and HIV vaccines. Few types of vaccines were undergoing clinical trials. Humans still have a long way to go to overcome HIV, but as more and more attention are paid to HIV patients and the projects which are trying to overcome it, HIV patients’ life quality had improved a lot and their life cycles are prolonged.

Anemia and thrombocytopenia in HIV-positive pregnant women

BACKGROUND: During pregnancy and childbirth, anemia and thrombocytopenia are twice as common among HIV-positive women as in the general population. It has not been yet clear to what extent HIV affects the incidence of cytopenias, therefore, the correlation between the incidence and the HIV RNA level and CD4 count in HIV-positive pregnant women, as well as the role of antiretroviral therapy, requires further study.&#x0D; AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the HIV RNA level and CD4 count on the frequency of anemia and thrombocytopenia in HIV-positive pregnant women.&#x0D; MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we analyzed social and demographic features, epidemiological personal history data, the frequency of pregnancy and delivery complications, and the timing of the initiation of antiretroviral therapy in 303 HIV-positive pregnant women, as well as the data of screening for HIV infection of their children. The study included 27 mother-child pairs with perinatal HIV transmission and 276 mother-child pairs without mother-to-child transmission of HIV. All pregnant women were divided into groups depending on the CD4 count and HIV RNA level. A comparative analysis of anemia and thrombocytopenia frequencies was carried out in the study groups.&#x0D; RESULTS: A direct correlation was revealed between the frequency of anemia and thrombocytopenia in HIV-positive pregnant women and markers of HIV infection: severe immunodeficiency (CD4 200 cells/l, p 0.01) and high HIV RNA levels (more than 100,000 copies / ml, p 0.01) in peripheral blood.&#x0D; CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed the high frequency of cytopenias in HIV-positive pregnant women, which exceeds the general population level. In addition, we demonstrated the effectiveness of prescribing antiretroviral therapy among women of reproductive age who planned to become pregnant or did not exclude the possibility of pregnancy (who did not use the effective methods of contraception), as a means of anemia and thrombocytopenia prevention during pregnancy.

Microbial Protein Binding to gC1qR Drives PLA2G1B-Induced CD4 T-Cell Anergy.

The origin of the impaired CD4 T-cell response and immunodeficiency of HIV-infected patients is still only partially understood. We recently demonstrated that PLA2G1B phospholipase synergizes with the HIV gp41 envelope protein in HIV viremic plasma to induce large abnormal membrane microdomains (aMMDs) that trap and inactivate physiological receptors, such as those for IL-7. However, the mechanism of regulation of PLA2G1B activity by the cofactor gp41 is not known. Here, we developed an assay to directly follow PLA2G1B enzymatic activity on CD4 T-cell membranes. We demonstrated that gp41 directly binds to PLA2G1B and increases PLA2G1B enzymatic activity on CD4 membrane. Furthermore, we show that the conserved 3S sequence of gp41, known to bind to the innate sensor gC1qR, increases PLA2G1B activity in a gC1qR-dependent manner using gC1qR KO cells. The critical role of the 3S motif and gC1qR in the inhibition of CD4 T-cell function by the PLA2G1B/cofactor system in HIV-infected patients led us to screen additional microbial proteins for 3S-like motifs and to study other proteins known to bind to the gC1qR to further investigate the role of the PLA2G1B/cofactor system in other infectious diseases and carcinogenesis. We have thus extended the PLA2G1B/cofactor system to HCV and Staphylococcus aureus infections and additional pathologies where microbial proteins with 3S-like motifs also increase PLA2G1B enzymatic activity. Notably, the bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis, which is associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), encodes such a cofactor protein and increased PLA2G1B activity in PDAC patient plasma inhibits the CD4 response to IL-7. Our findings identify PLA2G1B/cofactor system as a CD4 T-cell inhibitor. It involves the gC1qR and disease-specific cofactors which are gC1qR-binding proteins that can contain 3S-like motifs. This mechanism involved in HIV-1 immunodeficiency could play a role in pancreatic cancer and several other diseases. These observations suggest that the PLA2G1B/cofactor system is a general CD4 T-cell inhibitor and pave the way for further studies to better understand the role of CD4 T-cell anergy in infectious diseases and tumor escape.

Manifestations of epidemic process of tuberculosis among HIV-infected patients and dependence of infection frequency on immunodeficiency level and HIV viral load

Objective. To assess the manifestations of the epidemic process of tuberculosis (TB) in HIV-infected persons and the frequency of infection depending on the level of immunodeficiency and viral load.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The epidemiological manifestations of TB incidence among HIV-infected and HIV-negative population of the Perm Region for 20142019 were studied. The frequency of TB in HIV-infected patients was determined depending on the level of immunodeficiency (96 patients) and viral load (61 patients).&#x0D; Results. On average, the incidence of TB among HIV-infected persons was by 36 times higher than that of noninfected persons. Among those infected and noninfected with HIV, TB was registered significantly more often among adults, and mainly men. The incidence of TB among HIV-infected persons is higher among urban population, while HIV-negative among rural residents. The incidence of TB in HIV-infected persons increases with an increase in the immunodeficiency and viral load.&#x0D; Conclusions. Persons with HIV infection are at risk for TB. The incidence of TB in HIV-infected persons increases with an increase in immunodeficiency and viral load.

Non-neutralizing Antibodies May Contribute to Suppression of SIVmac239 Viremia in Indian Rhesus Macaques

The antiviral properties of broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV are well-documented but no vaccine is currently able to elicit protective titers of these responses in primates. While current vaccine modalities can readily induce non-neutralizing antibodies against simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and HIV, the ability of these responses to restrict lentivirus transmission and replication remains controversial. Here, we investigated the antiviral properties of non-neutralizing antibodies in a group of Indian rhesus macaques (RMs) that were vaccinated with vif, rev, tat, nef, and env, as part of a previous study conducted by our group. These animals manifested rapid and durable control of viral replication to below detection limits shortly after SIVmac239 infection. Although these animals had no serological neutralizing activity against SIVmac239 prior to infection, their pre-challenge titers of Env-binding antibodies correlated with control of viral replication. To assess the contribution of anti-Env humoral immune responses to virologic control in two of these animals, we transiently depleted their circulating antibodies via extracorporeal plasma immunoadsorption and inhibition of IgG recycling through antibody-mediated blockade of the neonatal Fc receptor. These procedures reduced Ig serum concentrations by up to 80% and temporarily induced SIVmac239 replication in these animals. Next, we transferred purified total Ig from the rapid controllers into six vaccinated RMs one day before intrarectal challenge with SIVmac239. Although recipients of the hyperimmune anti-SIV Ig fraction were not protected from infection, their peak and chronic phase viral loads were significantly lower than those in concurrent unvaccinated control animals. Together, our results suggest that non-neutralizing Abs may play a role in the suppression of SIVmac239 viremia.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Combining Medical and Mental Health Services for Older Adults with HIV in New York City.

Older adults with the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV (OAWH), people 50 years and older, are aging with the disease and experience low quality of life. Mental health disorders trigger and worsen health inequalities with larger impacts on the quality of life of OAWH. This paper evaluated two rival health interventions using a standard decision-analytic model and quantified the cost per quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) to understand the differential in cost and effectiveness of an additional unit of perfect health. HIV medical care was compared with a combined strategy that includes both HIV medical and behavioral care. Primary data from a convenience sample (n=139) collected in New York City and outcomes for healthy older adults from the literature were used in this study. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) evaluating the economic cost and health benefits of the new intervention was $36,166 per QALY, which is less than the willingness to pay ($75,000). The ICER for Hispanics was $35,325 and for White/Caucasians was $40,499. Integrated medical plus behavioral care is cost-effective and improves quality of life among OAWH. Given the high rates of mental health disorders along with an underutilization of behavioral care among OAWH, timely and effective mental health programs are paramount to increase quality of life.

A broadly neutralizing macaque monoclonal antibody against the HIV-1 V3-Glycan patch.

A small fraction of HIV-1- infected humans develop broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) against HIV-1 that protect macaques from simian immunodeficiency HIV chimeric virus (SHIV). Similarly, a small number of macaques infected with SHIVs develop broadly neutralizing serologic activity, but less is known about the nature of simian antibodies. Here, we report on a monoclonal antibody, Ab1485, isolated from a macaque infected with SHIVAD8 that developed broadly neutralizing serologic activity targeting the V3-glycan region of HIV-1 Env. Ab1485 neutralizes 38.1% of HIV-1 isolates in a 42-pseudovirus panel with a geometric mean IC50 of 0.055 µg/mLl and SHIVAD8 with an IC50 of 0.028 µg/mLl. Ab1485 binds the V3-glycan epitope in a glycan-dependent manner. A 3.5 Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of Ab1485 in complex with a native-like SOSIP Env trimer showed conserved contacts with the N332gp120 glycan and gp120 GDIR peptide motif, but in a distinct Env-binding orientation relative to human V3/N332gp120 glycan-targeting bNAbs. Intravenous infusion of Ab1485 protected macaques from a high dose challenge with SHIVAD8. We conclude that macaques can develop bNAbs against the V3-glycan patch that resemble human V3-glycan bNAbs.

The Impact of Markers of HIV Infection on Change in Liver Stiffness in People With HIV and Hepatitis C Virus Co-infection After Treatment and Cure of Hepatitis C.

Markers of HIV disease severity are associated with increased liver fibrosis in HIV/Hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infected individuals. HCV treatment may reverse liver fibrosis, but evidence among HIV/HCV-co-infected populations and the impact of HIV parameters on fibrosis regression is limited. We aimed to assess the influence of surrogate markers of HIV-infection and other determinants of liver stiffness before HCV treatment and changes after HCV cure in people living with HIV. We used data from an HCV treatment implementation study aiming for HCV micro-elimination among gay and bisexual men with HIV in Melbourne, Australia (co-EC Study). We obtained liver stiffness measurements (LSM) before and after direct-acting antiviral treatment using transient elastography (FibroScan). Linear mixed models were used to evaluate determinants of pretreatment LSM and changes in LSM following cure with duration in years between pre- and post-LSM assessment as main exposure variable. At least one LSM was available in 173 participants, and 98 participants had 2 LSMs. Median pre- and post-treatment LSMs were 5.7 and 5.1 kPa, respectively. Median time between transient elastography measurements was 1.3 years (interquartile range = 0.9-2.1). In multivariable analysis, longer duration of known HIV infection, a lower CD4 and CD8 T-cell count and hazardous alcohol consumption were associated with higher LSM values before treatment initiation. Successfully treated patients had a 6% (95% confidence interval = -10% to -2%) annual decrease (0.34 kPa predicted decrease) in LSM following cure. Changes in LSM values did not depend on any of the pretreatment HIV markers or other factors. Low levels of liver stiffness were observed before treatment initiation and a small decrease (6%) in LSM following HCV cure in people living with HIV. No clear predictors affecting change in LSM following cure were found in this study, including markers of HIV infection. However, markers of advanced HIV immunodeficiency and hazardous alcohol consumption remained associated with higher LSM values even after HCV cure.

Epidemiology, Clinical and Microbiologic Profile and Risk Factors for Inpatient Mortality in Pediatric Severe Sepsis in the United States From 2003 to 2014: A Large Population Analysis.

To evaluate the national trends in pediatric severe sepsis in the United States from 2003 to 2014. For this study, we included nonoverlapping years of Kids Inpatient database and National Inpatient Sample database while including hospitalizations of children between 1 and 20 years of age from more than 4200 hospitals across the United States. We identified patient hospitalizations with severe sepsis using specific ICD codes and modified Angus Criteria. Trend analysis of various factors associated with severe sepsis was calculated using the Cochrane-Armitage test. Associated foci of infection and comorbid conditions were identified using specific ICD codes, and a multivariate regression analysis with death as outcome variable was done to evaluate for in hospital predictors of mortality. Totally, 109,026 episodes of severe sepsis were identified during the study period between 2003 and 2014. Incidence of severe sepsis hospitalizations increased by 2.5 times (0.64-1.57 per 10,000 population) over the study period with notable concurrent significant decrease in mortality by more than 50%. Lower age, African American, Hispanic ethnicity, complex neurologic conditions, infective endocarditis, immunodeficient states including primary immunodeficiency disorder, HIV, burns, malignancy and transplant status are associated with mortality. There is a significant increase in use of healthcare resources (P < 0.001) with mean charges of 94,966$ despite a notable decrease in mean length of stay (22 vs. 16 days, P < 0.001) over the study period. Incidence of pediatric severe sepsis is high leading to a significant use of healthcare resources. This study provides a detailed analysis of associated inpatient factors and comorbidities associated with mortality.

Screening of Anxiety and Depression Related CD4 Count of People Living with HIV/AIDS with Anti-Retroviral in Medan, Indonesia.

BACKGROUND:HIV, which causes AIDS, infects the immune system cells, by destroying or damaging the function of the CD4. PLWHA will have twice the risk of experiencing mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety compared with the general population, thereby suppressing immune function, decreasing their quality of life, decreasing the level of adherence to treatment, and contributing significantly to the occurrence of premature death.AIM:To determine the correlation Anxiety and Depression symptoms and CD4 levels in PLWHA who are undergoing Anti-Retroviral treatment at the HIV/AIDSMETHODS:The study was a cross-sectional study, which assesses the correlation between Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores (HADS) and CD4 levels in PLWHA who are receiving ARV in the HIV/AIDS Special Services Polyclinic Medan Haji general hospital.RESULTS:It was found that the average HADS-A score, PLWHA was 15.286 and the SD ± 2.244. This shows that PLWHA is in moderate to severe anxiety and moderate to severe depression. The mean CD4 level of people with HIV/AIDS/PLWHA was 288.171 and SD ± 88.955. According to WHO criteria, regarding the classification of HIV immunodeficiency in adults, are classified as moderate immunodeficiency. There was a significant correlation between the HADS-A score and CD4 level with a correlation value of r = -0.592 indicating a negative correlation with a moderate correlation strength, and the correlation between HADS-D score and CD4 level. The strength of the relationship between HADS-D score and CD4 level is r = -0.650, shows a negative correlation with strong correlation strength.CONCLUSION:from this study, it was found that there is a relationship between depression and anxiety symptom and CD4 level.

Perbandingan Hasil Peramalan Jumlah Kasus HIV Berdasarkan Jenis Kelamin di Kota Malang dengan Metode Exponential Smoothing

Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV is still one of the most serious problems especially in developing countries. This study used HIV cases that recorded in Health Departement of Malang City, East Java, as one of the variables to determine the forecasting results using Exponential Smoothing. Goals from this study was for showed the results of forecasting with Exponential smoothing method’s that hoped could be a consideration to HIV prevention’s program.This study was a non reactive research using secondary data of male and female HIV cases from January 2012 to December 2016 as a variable that would show the results of forecasting. The result of forecasting with single exponential smoothing method on parameter value α=0.5 for male HIV cases and α = 0.6 for female HIV cases. The accuracy value in this forecasting can be seen on MAPE value at parameter α = 0.5 is 27.87 for male HIV cases and parameter α = 0.6 is 47.06 for female HIV cases. The results of the forecast could be concluded that in 2017 the number of HIV cases in man and woman were totally increased from the last years, need to arrange a suitable programs that which aim to resolve the problem.

Rationale for an Association Between PD1 Checkpoint Inhibition and Therapeutic Vaccination Against HIV

The pathogenesis of HIV immunodeficiency is mainly dependent on the cytopatic effects exerted by the virus against infected CD4+ T cells. However, CD4+ T cell loss cannot be the only pathogenic factor since severe opportunistic infections may develop in HIV infected patients with normal CD4+ T cell counts and since the recent START study indicated that absolute CD4+ T cell counts are not predictive for AIDS and non-AIDS events. Recently our group demonstrated that CD8+CD28-CD127lowCD39+ regulatory T lymphocytes, previously found highly concentrated within tumor microenvironment, circulate with elevated frequency in the peripheral blood of HIV infected patients. Here, we show that these cells, that at least in part are HIV specific, express the PD1 immune checkpoint. Based on these evidences and considerations, in this Perspective article we speculate on the opportunity to treat HIV infected patients with anti-PD1 immune checkpoint inhibitors as a way to counteract the T regulatory cell compartment and to unleash virus-specific immune responses. In order to potentiate the immune responses against HIV we also propose the potential utility to associate immune checkpoint inhibition with HIV-specific therapeutic vaccination, reminiscent of what currently applied in oncologic protocols. We suggest that such an innovative strategy could permit drug-sparing regimens and, perhaps, lead to eradication of the infection in some patients.

Therapeutic Antibody-Like Immunoconjugates against Tissue Factor with the Potential to Treat Angiogenesis-Dependent as Well as Macrophage-Associated Human Diseases.

Accumulating evidence suggests that tissue factor (TF) is selectively expressed in pathological angiogenesis-dependent as well as macrophage-associated human diseases. Pathological angiogenesis, the formation of neovasculature, is involved in many clinically significant human diseases, notably cancer, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), endometriosis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Macrophage is involved in the progression of a variety of human diseases, such as atherosclerosis and viral infections (human immunodeficiency virus, HIV and Ebola). It is well documented that TF is selectively expressed on angiogenic vascular endothelial cells (VECs) in these pathological angiogenesis-dependent human diseases and on disease-associated macrophages. Under physiology condition, TF is not expressed by quiescent VECs and monocytes but is solely restricted on some cells (such as pericytes) that are located outside of blood circulation and the inner layer of blood vessel walls. Here, we summarize TF expression on angiogenic VECs, macrophages and other diseased cell types in these human diseases. In cancer, for example, the cancer cells also overexpress TF in solid cancers and leukemia. Moreover, our group recently reported that TF is also expressed by cancer-initiating stem cells (CSCs) and can serve as a novel oncotarget for eradication of CSCs without drug resistance. Furthermore, we review and discuss two generations of TF-targeting therapeutic antibody-like immunoconjugates (ICON and L-ICON1) and antibody-drug conjugates that are currently being tested in preclinical and clinical studies for the treatment of some of these human diseases. If efficacy and safety are proven in current and future clinical trials, TF-targeting immunoconjugates may provide novel therapeutic approaches with potential to broadly impact the treatment regimen of these significant angiogenesis-dependent, as well as macrophage-associated, human diseases.

S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) for Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Clinician-Oriented Review of Research.

A systematic review on S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) for treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions and comorbid medical conditions. Searches were conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and Google Scholar databases between July 15, 2015, and September 28, 2016, by combining search terms for SAMe (s-adenosyl methionine or s-adenosyl-l-methionine) with terms for relevant disease states (major depressive disorder, MDD, depression, perinatal depression, human immunodeficiency virus, HIV, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, dementia, anxiety, schizophrenia, psychotic, 22q11.2, substance abuse, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, hepatitis, or cirrhosis). Additional studies were identified from prior literature. Ongoing clinical trials were identified through clinical trial registries. Of the 174 records retrieved, 21 were excluded, as they were not original investigations. An additional 21 records were excluded for falling outside the scope of this review. Of the 132 studies included in this review, 115 were clinical trials and 17 were preclinical studies. A wide range of studies was included in this review to capture information that would be of interest to psychiatrists in clinical practice. This review of SAMe in the treatment of major depressive disorder found promising but limited evidence of efficacy and safety to support its use as a monotherapy and as an augmentation for other antidepressants. Additionally, preliminary evidence suggests that SAMe may ameliorate symptoms in certain neurocognitive, substance use, and psychotic disorders and comorbid medical conditions. S-adenosylmethionine holds promise as a treatment for multiple neuropsychiatric conditions, but the body of evidence has limitations. The encouraging findings support further study of SAMe in both psychiatric and comorbid medical illnesses.

Understanding the strategies employed to cope with increased numbers of AIDS-orphaned children in families in rural settings: a case of Mbeya Rural District, Tanzania

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to understand the strategies employed by families that adopt Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)-orphaned children (Adoptive families) for coping with and mitigating the impact of AIDS in Mbeya Rural District, Tanzania. High numbers of AIDS-orphaned children aged below 18 years in Mbeya Region have led to increasing the burden of families caring for them. Understanding the coping strategies and impact mitigation activities employed by adoptive families is important in order to develop programmes to help them.MethodsThis study employed a qualitative method for data collection (one-on-one in-depth interviews). The respondents included 12 male and 8 female heads of families that provide essential care for AIDS-orphaned children in Mbeya Rural District in Tanzania. The framework approach was used to analyse the data that were collected from 15 July to 15 August 2010.ResultsThe study findings revealed that adoptive families faced several challenges including financial constraints due to increased needs for basic essentials such as health care expenses, school fees and food. Further impacts on adoptive families included shortage of work opportunities and limited time to address these challenges. To mitigate these challenges, adoptive families employed a range of coping strategies including selling family assets and renting out parts of cultivable land for extra cash. Task reallocation which involved the AIDS-orphaned children entering the labour force was also employed as a strategy to mitigate challenges and involved de-enrolling of children from schools so they could take part in income-generating activities in order to earn supplementary family income. The creation of additional income-generating activities such as poultry farming were other coping mechanisms employed, and these received support from both non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and governmental organisations, including the Isangati Agricultural Development Organization (local NGO) and the local government respectively.ConclusionsThe current study identified challenges that adoptive families as well as the AIDS-orphaned children themselves faced in Mbeya Rural District, Tanzania. Recognition of these issues highlights the need for targeted interventions to address the underlying social determinants of human immunodeficiency virus or HIV and AIDS in affected populations in order to prevent further imposition of social, cultural and economic disadvantages on families that provide care for AIDS-orphaned children and the children themselves. These findings may prove useful in provoking discussions that may lead to HIV/AIDS prevention and the development of broader mitigation strategies to alleviate the impact of this scourge on families and communities in rural Tanzania, and in similar settings across the world.

Prevalence of DNA viruses in maxillofacial area of HIV-infected

DNA viruses have high oncogenic risk viruses; they cause emergence of Kaposi sarcoma, Lymphoma, Squamous cell carcinoma. HIV immunodeficiency promotes increase in frequency of such tumors. Etiotropic therapy of HIV patients considerably reduces prevalence of DNA viruses and a viral malignization.

DNA Prime-Boost Vaccine Regimen To Increase Breadth, Magnitude, and Cytotoxicity of the Cellular Immune Responses to Subdominant Gag Epitopes of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus and HIV.

HIV sequence diversity and the propensity of eliciting immunodominant responses targeting variable regions of the HIV proteome are hurdles in the development of an effective AIDS vaccine. An HIV-derived conserved element (CE) p24gag plasmid DNA (pDNA) vaccine is able to redirect immunodominant responses to otherwise subdominant and often more vulnerable viral targets. By homology to the HIV immunogen, seven CE were identified in SIV p27Gag Analysis of 31 rhesus macaques vaccinated with full-length SIV gag pDNA showed inefficient induction (58% response rate) of cellular responses targeting these CE. In contrast, all 14 macaques immunized with SIV p27CE pDNA developed robust T cell responses recognizing CE. Vaccination with p27CE pDNA was also critical for the efficient induction and increased the frequency of Ag-specific T cells with cytotoxic potential (granzyme B+ CD107a+) targeting subdominant CE epitopes, compared with the responses elicited by the p57gag pDNA vaccine. Following p27CE pDNA priming, two booster regimens, gag pDNA or codelivery of p27CE+gag pDNA, significantly increased the levels of CE-specific T cells. However, the CE+gag pDNA booster vaccination elicited significantly broader CE epitope recognition, and thus, a more profound alteration of the immunodominance hierarchy. Vaccination with HIV molecules showed that CE+gag pDNA booster regimen further expanded the breadth of HIV CE responses. Hence, SIV/HIV vaccine regimens comprising CE pDNA prime and CE+gag pDNA booster vaccination significantly increased cytotoxic T cell responses to subdominant highly conserved Gag epitopes and maximized response breadth.

Human papilloma virus prevalence in HIV patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The implication of human papilloma virus (HPV) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is well established, especially in oropharyngeal SCC. HIV patients have a higher risk of persistent HPV infection. We investigated the role of HPV in HNSCC carcinogenesis in HIV population. Retrospective monocentric study. We studied HIV patients who presented with HNSCC between 1994 and 2014. For each patient, tumor characteristics, HIV disease, and survival information were collected. Tumor HPV testing was performed using p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC), in-situ hybridization and PCR. We assessed the percentage of HPV in this population of HIV patients with HNSCC and compared HIV disease characteristics based on HPV status. Forty-seven patients were included: 11 women/36 men, the median age was 50 years. Tumor HPV testing was performed in 40 patients. Tumors were located in oropharynx (32%), oral cavity (32%), larynx (21%), and hypopharynx (11%). At the time of diagnosis, median CD4 level was 385 cells/μl, 31% of the patients were stage (Centers for Disease Control, stage C). The percentage of HPV linked to HNSCC for all locations in HIV patients was 30% (n = 12). HPV16 accounted for 50% of all HPV genotypes. HPV positive status was associated with a CD4 nadir of less than 200 (P = 0.026), but not with CD4 level at time of diagnosis (P = 0.414). HPV-negative tumors tend to be associated with poorer 5-year overall survival (hazard ratio = 2.9, P = 0.0711). HPV plays a critical role in HNSCC development in HIV population. HIV immunodeficiency may increase HPV persistence and progression of HNSCC.