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Background: We assessed the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on HIV suppression rates in people living with HIV (PLWH) attending a large Italian HIV clinic. Setting: The HIV outpatient clinic of the Infectious Diseases Department of Luigi Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy, which serves more than 5000 PLWH per year. Methods: A before and after quasi -experimental study design was used to make a retrospective assessment of the monthly trend of HIV-RNA determinations of ≥50 among the PLWH attending our clinic, with "before" being the period from January 1, 2016 to February 20, 2020, and "after" being the period from February 21, 2020 to December 31, 2020 (the COVID-19 period). Interrupted time series analysis was used to evaluate any changes in the trend. Results: During the study period, 70,349 HIV-RNA viral load determinations were made, and the percentage of HIV-RNA viral load determinations of <50 copies/mL increased from 88.4% in 2016 to 93.2% in 2020 (P < 0.0001). There was a significant monthly trend toward a decrease in the number of HIV-RNA determinations of ≥50 copies/mL before the pandemic (β −0.084; standard error 0.015; P < 0.001), and this did not significantly change after it started (β −0.039, standard error 0.161; P = 0.811). Conclusions: A high prevalence of viral suppression was maintained among the PLWH referring to our clinic, despite the structural barriers raised by the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of simplified methods of delivering care (such as teleconsultations and multiple antiretroviral treatment prescriptions) may have contributed to preserving this continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To assess the impact of syphilis infection on the risk of HIV-RNA elevation in people living with HIV (PLWH) with current HIV-RNA ≤50 copies/mL. Setting: The Italian Cohort Naive Antiretrovirals. Methods: All PLWH (2009-2020) under antiretroviral treatment with at least 2 consecutive HIV-RNA values ≤50 copies/mL before the date of syphilis diagnosis and at least 1 HIV-RNA determination after the syphilis event were enrolled. A control group of PLWH without syphilis was matched for mode of HIV transmission. Outcomes were defined using the first HIV-RNA measure in the time window ranging between -2 and +6 months of the diagnosis/index date. The primary outcome used a single value >200 copies/mL to define HIV-RNA elevation associated with risk of transmission. The association between syphilis infection and the protocol defined outcome was evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Results: Nine hundred twenty-six PLWH with a syphilis event were enrolled and matched with a random sample of 1370 PLWH without syphilis. Eighteen of the 926 (1.9%) with syphilis had ≥1 HIV-RNA >200 copies/mL in the window vs. 29/1370 (2.1%) of the not exposed (P = 0.77). In the multivariable analysis adjusted for age, year of diagnosis/index date, and clinical site, syphilis infection was not associated with the risk of HIV-RNA >200 copies/mL (adjusted odds ratio 0.81; 95% confidence interval 0.43-1.52, P = 0.508). Conclusions: We did not find any evidence for an association between syphilis infection and viral elevation >200 copies/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an antiseizure medication known to induce the expression of cytochrome P4503A metabolic enzymes. Here, we describe a man living with HIV who underwent several changes in the daily dose of CBZ, which resulted in different induction effects on darunavir trough concentrations., Methods: A 59-year-old man with HIV, successfully undergoing maintenance antiretroviral treatment with darunavir/cobicistat once daily (combined with raltegravir), was prescribed CBZ for recurrent trigeminal neuralgia. Over subsequent months, the patient underwent various changes in the doses (from 200 to 800 mg/d) and trough concentrations (from 3.6 to 18.0 mg/L) of CBZ, guided by clinical response to trigeminal neuralgia., Results: A highly significant inverse association was observed between darunavir trough concentration and both CBZ dose or trough concentration (coefficient of determination >0.75, P < 0.0001). Ultimately, the darunavir dose was increased to 600 mg twice daily with ritonavir and dolutegravir to ensure optimal antiretroviral coverage, anticipating potential further uptitration of CBZ doses., Conclusions: The impact of CBZ on boosted darunavir exposure seemed to be dose- and concentration-dependent. The management of such drug-drug interactions in daily practice was facilitated through therapeutic drug monitoring. This case underscores the importance of a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates both antiretroviral and nonantiretroviral comedications contributing to the optimal management of polypharmacy in individuals living with HIV., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.