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BACKGROUND: Injectable cabotegravir (CAB)/rilpivirine (RPV) is the only combination long-acting (LA) antiretroviral regimen approved for HIV. RPV may not be effective among individuals with non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) resistance, which has >10% prevalence in many countries. Lenacapavir (LEN) is an LA capsid inhibitor given every 6 months, but has not been studied in combination with other LA agents. METHODS: We assembled a case series from 4 US academic medical centers where patients with adherence challenges were prescribed LEN subcutaneously every 26 weeks/CAB (+/- RPV) intramuscularly every 4 or 8 weeks. Descriptive statistics, including viral load (VL) outcomes, were summarized. RESULTS: All patients (n = 34: 76% male; 24% cis/trans female; 41% Black; 38% Latino/a; median age [range], 47 [28-75] years; 29% and 71% on CAB every 4 or 8 weeks) reported challenges adhering to oral ART. The reasons for using LEN/CAB with or without RPV were documented or suspected NNRTI mutations (n = 21, 59%), integrase mutations (n = 5, 15%), high VL (n = 6, 18%), or continued viremia on CAB/RPV alone (n = 4, 12%). Injection site reactions on LA LEN were reported in 44% (32% grade I, 12% grade 2). All patients but 2 (32/34; 94%) were suppressed (VL

Human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 (HIV-1 and HIV-2) diagnostic testing algorithms recommended by the Centers for Disease Control involve up to three tests and rely mostly on detection of viral antigen and host antibody responses. HIV-1 p24 antigen/HIV-1/HIV-2 antibody-reactive specimens are confirmed with an immunochromatographic HIV-1/HIV-2 antibody differentiation assay, and negative or indeterminate results from the differentiation assay are resolved by an HIV-1-specific nucleic acid amplification test (NAT). The performance of a proposed alternative algorithm using the cobas HIV-1/HIV-2 qualitative NAT as the differentiation assay was evaluated in subjects known to be infected with HIV-1 (n = 876) or HIV-2 (n = 139), at low (n = 6,017) or high (n = 1,020) risk of HIV-1 infection, or at high-risk for HIV-2 infection (n = 498) (study A). The performance of the cobas HIV-1/HIV-2 qualitative test was also evaluated by comparison to an HIV-1 or HIV-2 alternative NAT (study B). The HIV-1 and HIV-2 overall percent agreements (OPA) in study A ranged from 95% to 100% in all groups. The positive percent agreements (PPA) for HIV-1 and HIV-2 were 100% (876/876) and 99.4% (167/168), respectively, for known positive groups. The negative percent agreement in the HIV low-risk group was 100% for both HIV-1 and HIV-2. In study B, the HIV-1 and HIV-2 OPA ranged from 99% to 100% in all groups evaluated (n = 183 to 1,030), and the PPA for HIV-1 and HIV-2 were 100% and 99.5%, respectively, for known positive groups. The cobas HIV-1/HIV-2 qualitative assay can discriminate between HIV-1 and HIV-2 based on HIV RNA and can be included in an alternative diagnostic algorithm for HIV.

Objectives: Collaborative care models may improve outcomes for both HIV and depression. The model includes routine screening and re-assessment of depressive symptoms as well as care coordination services delivered by an ancillary provider focused on mental health. We sought to explore patient experiences and attitudes about the services received through the collaborative care model, including measurement-based care using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9.Methods: We conducted 17 qualitative interviews with patients in a collaborative care model implemented at an HIV primary care clinic in a safety-net hospital in the United States. Interviews were analyzed using Framework Analysis.Results: Our findings illustrate the ways in which the collaborative care model for depression may be meaningful to patients in HIV care settings. Participants appreciated the support offered through the collaborative care model. Most participants perceived measurement-based care as useful to their providers, and an additional subset used the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for their own self-management and awareness of depression. Over time, the collaborative care model appeared to motivate some patients to address depressive symptoms.Conclusion: The collaborative care model may be particularly helpful to patients in the way that it reinforces how depressive symptoms can be measured and managed. Furthermore, routine screening and re-measurement for depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 hold promise as an additional self-management tool to complement other clinical and supportive services.

BackgroundIn this phase 2 study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of oral gepotidacin, a novel triazaacenaphthylene bacterial type II topoisomerase inhibitor, for the treatment of uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhea.MethodsAdult participants with suspected urogenital gonorrhea were enrolled and completed baseline (day 1) and test-of-cure (days 4-8) visits. Pretreatment and posttreatment urogenital swabs were collected for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) culture and susceptibility testing. Pharyngeal and rectal swab specimens were collected if there were known exposures. Participants were stratified by gender and randomized 1:1 to receive a 1500-mg or 3000-mg single oral dose of gepotidacin.ResultsThe microbiologically evaluable population consisted of 69 participants, with NG isolated from 69 (100%) urogenital, 2 (3%) pharyngeal, and 3 (4%) rectal specimens. Microbiological eradication of NG was achieved by 97%, 95%, and 96% of participants (lower 1-sided exact 95% confidence interval bound, 85.1%, 84.7%, and 89.1%, respectively) for the 1500-mg, 3000-mg, and combined dose groups, respectively. Microbiological cure was achieved in 66/69 (96%) urogenital infections. All 3 failures were NG isolates that demonstrated the highest observed gepotidacin minimum inhibitory concentration of 1 µg/mL and a common gene mutation. At the pharyngeal and rectal sites, 1/2 and 3/3 NG isolates, respectively, demonstrated microbiological cure. There were no treatment-limiting adverse events for either dose.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that single, oral doses of gepotidacin were ≥95% effective for bacterial eradication of NG in adult participants with uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhea.Clinical trials registrationNCT02294682.

Since 2006, numerous testing initiatives have been launched across the United States to increase the number of individuals who know their HIV status. These initiatives are often venue based and reported in a variety of settings. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives has not been evaluated to determine if patients were identified earlier in the course of disease or would not have been otherwise tested. In 2010, a publicly funded teaching hospital implemented an electronic medical record prompt to improve the rate of routine HIV screening and diagnosis, focusing on primary care office visits. Both sex and CD4 count were found to be significantly related to being newly diagnosed after the intervention. Routine testing in primary care is an effective strategy to diagnose patients earlier in disease progression, particularly men who might otherwise not be tested and thus would remain undiagnosed until developing symptoms from advanced disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Author: Global IDP Project & Norwegian Refugee Council--second edition Publisher: Earthscan, London, UK; Sterling, Virginia, USA. (www.earthscan.co.uk) Hb ISBN 1-85283-953-1 price UK 55 [pounds sterling] Pb ISBN 1-85283-952-3 price UK [...]

Background: Altered gut integrity is central to HIV-related immune activation. Opioids may promote similar changes in gut permeability and/or increase systemic inflammation, potentially augmenting processes already occurring in people with HIV (PWH)., Setting: Urban hospital systems in Cleveland, Ohio, and surrounding communities., Methods: This is a prospectively enrolled, cross-sectional study including people with and without HIV using heroin and people with and without HIV who have never used heroin, matched by age, sex, and CD4+ T-cell count (PWH only) to compare markers of gut integrity, microbial translocation, systemic inflammation, and immune activation., Results: A total of 100 participants were enrolled. Active heroin use was associated with higher concentrations of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), beta-D-glucan (BDG), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), soluble tumor necrosis factor-α-receptors I and II, soluble CD163, inflammatory monocytes, and activated CD4+ lymphocytes in adjusted models. HIV status tended to modify the effect between heroin use and LBP, BDG, hsCRP, patrolling monocytes, and activated CD4+ lymphocytes (P < 0.15 for interactions); however, it was not as expected. The effect of heroin on these markers (except patrolling monocytes) was greatest among those without HIV rather than among those with HIV., Conclusions: Heroin use is associated with heightened microbial translocation, systemic inflammation, and immune activation. Concurrent HIV infection in virologically suppressed individuals does not seem to substantially worsen the effects heroin has on these markers., Competing Interests: C.O.H. has served as a consultant for Theratechnologies and Gilead and has received research grant support from Gilead. N.F. has served as a consultant for Gilead. G.A.M. has served as a consultant for Gilead, Merck, Theratechnologies, Jannsen, and GSK/ViiV and has received research grants from Roche, Genentech, Vanda, Astellas, Tetraphase, Gilead, Merck, and ViiV. The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)