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Background: \ud Imaging with β-amyloid (Aβ) positron emission tomography (PET) has the potential to aid the diagnosis of the cause of cognitive impairment affecting people living with HIV (PLWH) when neurodegenerative disorders are considered. We evaluated the clinical utility of [18F]Florbetaben (FBB) in PLWH with cognitive symptoms.\ud \ud Methods: \ud Imaging with FBB PET was performed in 20 patients with cognitive concerns about dementia. Neuropsychological testing, plasma neurofilament light protein, plasma Aβ40, Aβ42, and cerebrospinal fluid Aβ42, tau, and HIV RNA were obtained. FBB PET images were assessed visually by 3 readers blinded to the clinical diagnosis and quantitatively by obtaining a composite cortical to cerebellar cortex standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR). FBB SUVR from 10 age-matched healthy controls was compared with SUVR of PLWH.\ud \ud Results: \ud Most participants were men (90%) of white ethnicity (90%) with a median age (interquartile range) of 59 (43–79) years. Median CD4 count was 682 (74–1056). All patients were on combination antiretroviral therapy with plasma and cerebrospinal fluid HIV RNA

Fifteen punchy five–minute talks were given in quick succession at the Anniversary Conference this year, the datablitz session sticking to time thanks in part to the evidently well–functioning frontal lobes of those presenting, and in part to highly efficient and only very mildly aggressive chairing by Simon Prangnell (threats of water–pistol attacks on anyone exceeding their timeslot no doubt live long in the memory). The abstracts from those presentations are included for your enjoyment here. They cover an impressive range of topics and give a very positive impression of the service–based research being undertaken in neuropsychology departments across the UK.

As the HIV population ages, the prevalence of cognitive impairment (CI) is increasing, yet few services exist for the assessment and management of these individuals. Here we provide an initial description of a memory assessment service for people living with HIV and present data from a service evaluation undertaken in the clinic. We conducted an evaluation of the first 52 patients seen by the clinic. We present patient demographic data, assessment outcomes, diagnoses given and interventions delivered to those seen in the clinic. 41 patients (79%) of those seen in the clinic had objective CI: 16 (31%) met criteria for HIV-associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND), 2 (4%) were diagnosed with dementia, 14 (27%) showed CI associated with mental illness and/or drugs/alcohol, 7 (13%) had CI which was attributed to factors other than HIV and in 2 (4%) patients the cause remains unclear. 32 (62%) patients showed some abnormality on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain scans. Patients attending the clinic performed significantly worse than normative scores on all tests of global cognition and executive function. Interventions offered to patients included combination antiretroviral therapy modification, signposting to other services, case management, further health investigations and in-clinic advice. Our experience suggests that the need exists for specialist HIV memory services and that such a model of working can be successfully implemented into HIV patient care. Further work is needed on referral criteria and pathways. Diagnostic processes and treatment offered needs to consider and address the multifactorial aetiology of CI in HIV and this is essential for effective assessment and management.

Background Chronic airway inflammatory diseases, such as chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and asthma, show increased nasal Staphylococcus aureus colonization. Staphylococcus aureus –derived serine protease–like protein (Spl) D and other closely related proteases secreted by S aureus have recently been identified as inducers of allergic asthma in human subjects and mice, but their mechanism of action is largely unknown. Objective We investigated the role of recombinant SplD in driving T H 2-biased responses and IgE formation in a murine model of allergic asthma. Methods Allergic asthma was induced in C57BL/6 J wild-type mice, Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 knockout (Tlr4 −/− ) mice, and recombination-activating gene (Rag2) knockout (Rag2 −/− ) mice by means of repeated intratracheal applications of SplD. Inflammatory parameters in the airways were assessed by means of flow cytometry, ELISA, Luminex, and immunohistochemistry. Serum SplD-specific IgE levels were analyzed by using ELISA. Results We observed that repeated intratracheal exposure to SplD led to IL-33 and eotaxin production, eosinophilia, bronchial hyperreactivity, and goblet cell hyperplasia in the airways. Blocking IL-33 activity with a soluble ST2 receptor significantly decreased the numbers of eosinophils, IL-13 + type 2 innate lymphoid cells and IL-13 + CD4 + T cells and IL-5 and IL-13 production by lymph node cells but had no effect on IgE production. SplD-induced airway inflammation and IgE production were largely dependent on the presence of the functional adaptive immune system and independent of TLR4 signaling. Conclusion The S aureus –derived protein SplD is a potent allergen of S aureus and induces a T H 2-biased inflammatory response in the airways in an IL-33–dependent but TRL4-independent manner. The soluble ST2 receptor could be an efficient strategy to interfere with SplD-induced T H 2 inflammation but does not prevent the allergic sensitization.