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ObjectivesA small subset of HIV-positive adults have low HIV RNA in the absence of therapy, sometimes for years. Clinical factors associated with low HIV RNA in early infection have not been well defined.MethodsWe assessed factors associated with low plasma HIV RNA level at study entry in the Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) trial. All START participants had a baseline HIV RNA assessment within 60 days prior to randomization. The key covariables considered for this analysis were race, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) status. We assessed factors associated with HIV RNA ≤ 50 and ≤ 400 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL using logistic regression. Because of the strong association between region of randomization and baseline low HIV RNA, analyses were stratified by region.ResultsWe found that, of 4676 eligible participants randomized in START with a baseline HIV RNA assessment, 113 (2.4%) had HIV RNA ≤ 50 copies/mL at baseline, and a further 257 (5.5%) between 51 and 400 copies/mL. We found that HIV exposure routes other than male homosexual contact, higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, higher CD4 cell counts, and higher CD4:CD8 ratio were associated with increased odds of low HIV RNA. HCV antibody positivity was borderline statistically significantly associated with low HIV RNA. Race and HBV surface antigen positivity were not significantly associated with low HIV RNA.ConclusionsIn a modern cohort of individuals with early untreated HIV infection, we found that HIV exposure routes other than male homosexual contact and higher HDL cholesterol were associated with increased odds of low HIV RNA.

Background: HIV-1 genotypic and phenotypic susceptibility testing (GPT) optimizes antiretroviral selection, but its effect on survival is unknown.Objective: To evaluate the association between GPT and survival.Design: Cohort study.Setting: 10 U.S. HIV clinics.Patients: 2699 HIV-infected patients eligible for GPT (plasma HIV RNA level >1000 copies/mL) seen from 1999 through 2005.Measurements: Demographic characteristics, clinical factors, GPT use, all-cause mortality, and crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for the association of GPT with survival.Results: Patients were followed for a median of 3.3 years; 915 (34%) had GPT. Patients who had GPT had lower mortality rates than those who did not (2.0 vs. 2.7 deaths per 100 person-years). In standard Cox models, GPT was associated with improved survival (adjusted HR, 0.69 [95% CI, 0.51 to 0.94]; P = 0.017) after controlling for demographic characteristics, CD4+ cell count, HIV RNA level, and intensity of clinical follow-up. In subgroup analyses, GPT was associated with improved survival for the 2107 highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-experienced patients (2.2 vs. 3.2 deaths per 100 person-years for patients who had GPT vs. those who did not have GPT; adjusted HR, 0.60 [CI, 0.43 to 0.82]; P = 0.002) and for the 921 triple antiretroviral class-experienced patients (2.1 vs. 3.1 deaths per 100 person-years; adjusted HR, 0.61 [CI 0.40 to 0.93]; P = 0.022). Marginal structural models supported associations between GPT and improved survival in the overall cohort (adjusted HR, 0.54; P = 0.001) and in the HAART-experienced group (adjusted HR, 0.56; P = 0.003).Limitations: Use of GPT was not randomized. Residual confounding may exist.Conclusion: Use of GPT was independently associated with improved survival among HAART-experienced patients.Primary Funding Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Persons who are HIV-infected may be at higher risk for certain types of cancer than the general population.Objective: To compare cancer incidence among HIV-infected persons with incidence in the general population from 1992 to 2003.Design: Prospective observational cohort studies.Setting: United States.Patients: 54,780 HIV-infected persons in the Adult and Adolescent Spectrum of HIV Disease Project (47,832 patients) and the HIV Outpatient Study (6948 patients), who contributed 157,819 person-years of follow-up from 1992 to 2003, and 334,802,121 records from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program of 13 geographically defined, population-based, central cancer registries.Measurements: Standardized rate ratios (SRRs) to compare cancer incidence in the HIV-infected population with standardized cancer incidence in the general population.Results: The incidence of the following types of non-AIDS-defining cancer was significantly higher in the HIV-infected population than in the general population: anal (SRR, 42.9 [95% CI, 34.1 to 53.3]), vaginal (21.0 [CI, 11.2 to 35.9]), Hodgkin lymphoma (14.7 [CI, 11.6 to 18.2]), liver (7.7 [CI, 5.7 to 10.1]), lung (3.3 [CI, 2.8 to 3.9]), melanoma (2.6 [CI, 1.9 to 3.6]), oropharyngeal (2.6 [CI, 1.9 to 3.4]), leukemia (2.5 [CI, 1.6 to 3.8]), colorectal (2.3 [CI, 1.8 to 2.9]), and renal (1.8 [CI, 1.1 to 2.7]). The incidence of prostate cancer was significantly lower among HIV-infected persons than the general population (SRR, 0.6 [CI, 0.4 to 0.8]). Only the relative incidence of anal cancer increased over time.Limitations: Lower ascertainment of cancer in the HIV cohorts may result in a potential bias to underestimate rate disparities. Tobacco use as a risk factor and the effect of changes in cancer screening practices could not be evaluated.Conclusion: The incidence of many types of non-AIDS-defining cancer was higher among HIV-infected persons than among the general population from 1992 to 2003. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with dyslipidemia and increased risk for cardiovascular events; however, the use ofstatins in HIV-infected people is complicated by pharmacokinetic interactions and overlapping toxicities with antiretroviral medications. Policosanol is a dietary supplement derived from sugar cane that is widely used as a statin alternative in Latin America.Primary Study Objective: To collect feasibility data on sugar cane-derived policosanol to normalize dyslipidemic profiles in a sample of medically underserved HIV-infected people.Methods/design: Randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial.Setting: Two infectious disease outpatient clinics located in a Health Resources Service Administration-designated medically underserved neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois.Participants: Fifty-four clinically stable HIV-infected people (91% black) with at least one lipid abnormality that warranted dietary modifications and/or drug therapy.Intervention: Participants received either 20 mg/day of policosanol or placebo for 12 weeks, followed by a 4-week washout and crossover to the other arm.Primary Outcome Measures: Efficacy measures included the standard lipid panel (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-derived lipoprotein particle profiles. Safety measures included CD4+ T lymphocyte counts, plasma HIV ribonucleic acid levels, serum creatinine, and liver function tests.Results: Policosanol supplementation was not associated with normalization of any dyslipidemic parameters as measured by the standard lipid panel or NMR spectroscopy-measured lipoprotein size or concentration. The supplement was well tolerated and was not associated with any changes in parameters of HIV disease progression.Conclusions: Our findings corroborate recent studies conducted outside Cuba that have failed to find any lipid modulatory effects for policosanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For COVAIL recipients of a COVID-19 Sanofi booster vaccine, neutralizing antibody titers were assessed as a correlate of risk (CoR) of COVID-19. Peak and exposure-proximal titers were inverse CoRs with covariate-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) 0.30 (0.11, 0.78) and 0.25 (0.07, 0.85) per 10-fold increase in weighted average titer., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients experience immune compromise characterized by complex alterations of both innate and adaptive immunity, and results in higher susceptibility to infection and lower response to vaccination. This immune compromise, coupled with greater risk of exposure to infectious disease at hemodialysis (HD) centers, underscores the need for examination of the immune response to the COVID-19 mRNA-based vaccines., Methods: The immune response to the COVID-19 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine was assessed in 20 HD patients and cohort-matched controls. RNA sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was performed longitudinally before and after each vaccination dose for a total of six time points per subject. Anti-spike antibody levels were quantified prior to the first vaccination dose (V1D0) and 7 d after the second dose (V2D7) using anti-spike IgG titers and antibody neutralization assays. Anti-spike IgG titers were additionally quantified 6 mo after initial vaccination. Clinical history and lab values in HD patients were obtained to identify predictors of vaccination response., Results: Transcriptomic analyses demonstrated differing time courses of immune responses, with prolonged myeloid cell activity in HD at 1 wk after the first vaccination dose. HD also demonstrated decreased metabolic activity and decreased antigen presentation compared to controls after the second vaccination dose. Anti-spike IgG titers and neutralizing function were substantially elevated in both controls and HD at V2D7, with a small but significant reduction in titers in HD groups (p<0.05). Anti-spike IgG remained elevated above baseline at 6 mo in both subject groups. Anti-spike IgG titers at V2D7 were highly predictive of 6-month titer levels. Transcriptomic biomarkers after the second vaccination dose and clinical biomarkers including ferritin levels were found to be predictive of antibody development., Conclusions: Overall, we demonstrate differing time courses of immune responses to the BTN162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in maintenance HD subjects comparable to healthy controls and identify transcriptomic and clinical predictors of anti-spike IgG titers in HD. Analyzing vaccination as an in vivo perturbation, our results warrant further characterization of the immune dysregulation of ESRD., Funding: F30HD102093, F30HL151182, T32HL144909, R01HL138628. This research has been funded by the University of Illinois at Chicago Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) award UL1TR002003., Competing Interests: YC, KH, JL, CV, CA, MA, MG, CL, RE, YH, RC, NS, SW, SH, RG, BT, CS, MH, YC, JJ, WW, MR, PF, DP No competing interests declared, RN Received a grant from Janssen. The author has received consulting fees from Gilead and Viiv. The author has no other competing interests to declare, (© 2024, Chang, Huang et al.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a growing number of patients experiencing persistent symptoms and physiological changes after recovering from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, known as Long COVID. Long COVID is characterized by recurring symptoms and inflammation across multiple organ systems. Diagnosis can be challenging, influenced by factors like demographics, comorbidities, and immune responses. Long COVID impacts various organ systems and can have neuropsychological effects. Health disparities, particularly related to race, contribute to a higher burden of infection and ongoing symptoms in minority populations. Managing Long COVID entails addressing a spectrum of symptoms that encompass physical, cognitive, and psychological aspects. The recovery period for patients with Long COVID can vary significantly, influenced by factors like the severity of the disease, hospitalization, comorbidities, and age. Currently, there are no universally effective treatments, although certain interventions show promise, necessitating further research. Self-management and rehabilitation programs can provide relief, but more research is needed to establish their effectiveness. Preventive measures such as vaccination and the use of antiviral medications and metformin. It is imperative to conduct further research to develop evidence-based guidelines and gain a better understanding of the long-term implications of COVID-19. Long COVID could have substantial economic impact on the labor market, productivity, healthcare expenditures, and overall economic growth. To address the challenges patients with long-term complications face, there is a focus on strategies like promoting telework and flexible work arrangements to accommodate diverse symptoms, particularly chronic fatigue and other Long COVID effects. In conclusion, this review emphasizes the multifaceted complexity of Long COVID and the ongoing need to address its potential long-term health and economic impacts.

Background and Objectives: Maternal vaccination may prevent infant coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to quantify protection against infection from maternally derived vaccine-induced antibodies in the first 6 months of an infant's life., Methods: Infants born to mothers vaccinated during pregnancy with 2 or 3 doses of a messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccine (nonboosted or boosted, respectively) had full-length spike (Spike) immunoglobulin G (IgG), pseudovirus 614D, and live virus D614G, and omicron BA.1 and BA.5 neutralizing antibody (nAb) titers measured at delivery. Infant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was determined by verified maternal-report and laboratory confirmation through prospective follow-up to 6 months of age between December 2021 and July 2022. The risk reduction for infection by dose group and antibody titer level was estimated in separate models., Results: Infants of boosted mothers (n = 204) had significantly higher Spike IgG, pseudovirus, and live nAb titers at delivery than infants of nonboosted mothers (n = 271), and were 56% less likely to acquire infection in the first 6 months (P = .03). Irrespective of boost, for each 10-fold increase in Spike IgG titer at delivery, the infant's risk of acquiring infection was reduced by 47% (95% confidence interval 8%-70%; P = .02). Similarly, a 10-fold increase in pseudovirus titers against Wuhan Spike, and live virus nAb titers against D614G, and omicron BA.1 and BA.5 at delivery were associated with a 30%, 46%, 56%, and 60% risk reduction, respectively., Conclusions: Higher transplacental binding and nAb titers substantially reduced the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in infants, and a booster dose amplified protection during a period of omicron predominance. Until infants are age-eligible for vaccination, maternal vaccination provides passive protection against symptomatic infection during early infancy., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

We compared the serologic responses of 1 dose versus 2 doses of a variant vaccine (Moderna mRNA-1273 Beta/Omicron BA.1 bivalent vaccine) in adults. A 2-dose boosting regimen with a variant vaccine did not increase the magnitude or the durability of the serological responses compared to a single variant vaccine boost., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. A. R. B. has received research support from NIH-NIAID, grants from Pfizer, Cyanvac, Moderna, Vaccine.co and Merck as well as consulting fees from Janssen and GSK. She serves as DSMB member for NIH, IDSA Public Health Committee. Honoraria as a speaker from Virology Education. L. R. B. has received grants from Wellcome Trust, Gates Foundation, NIH/Harvard Medical School through institution. Serves as member of DSMB for NIH and AMDAC for FDA. Dr Baden is involved in HIV and SARS-CoV-2 vaccine clinical trials conducted in collaboration with the NIH, HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), Covid Vaccine Prevention Network (CoVPN), International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Crucell/Janssen, Moderna, Military HIV Research Program (MHRP), the Gates Foundation, and Harvard Medical School. D. J. D. has received a contract from Leidos Biomedical/NIH research to conduct the clinical trial through institution. A. R. F. has received grants from Janssen, Pfizer, Merck, BioFire Diagnostics, Moderna, Vaccine company and CyanVac through institution. Consultant fees from Arrow Pharmaceutical, ADMA biologics, GSK, and honoraria as a speaker from Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline. Serves as DSMB advisory boards for Novavax and received travel/meeting support from GlaxoSmithKline. S. E. F. has received funding from Leidos to Saint Louis University to conduct Protocol DMID 22-0004. Funding was also received to conduct the Moderna and Janssen trials phase 3 SARS-CoV-2 trials. Serves as DSMB for HVTN Safety Monitoring Board. D. N. F. has as a contract from CDC and is the site PI for DN Fusco study of COVID in Special Populations. D. N. F. served on an HBV Advisory board for Gilead related to hepatitis C & B viruses and Axcella related to Long COVID. P. A. G. has received funding from NIH. PAG has a patent for COVID-19 monoclonal not developed clinically and received consulting fees from International AIDS Society as speaker. L. C. I. has received support from NIH, Moderna, Pfizer, and Sanofi. L. C. I. has also received grants from GSK, Merck, Sharpe & Dohme Corp, CDC, Novavax, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Associates, and NIH/NLM/National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities as well as consulting fees from Moderna. L. C. I. has received honoraria as a speaker from American Academy of Pediatrics, Rockefeller University, Moderna, CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics- Georgia Chapter. L. C. I. Serves on Data Safety Monitoring for NIH-Phase 2 Vaccine Trial for Monkeypox, Moderna Scientific Advisory Board- North America, and CoVID-19 Task Force, Georgia. L. C. I. has a leadership role Break the Cycle of Health Disparities Inc, the Center for Spatial Analytics of the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (Executive Board for Section on Infectious Diseases). L. C. I. has received travel/meeting support from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Moderna. L. A. J. has received funding from NIH for support for this study, funding from Pfizer to support a clinical trial and contract funding for research support from the CDC and the NIH, all through institution. L. A. J. also reports unpaid participation on Data Safety Monitoring Boards for NIH funded clinical trials. S. K. has received research grants from NIH, Pfizer, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Meisa, Emergent BioSolutions. S. K. also received support from American Academy of Pediatrics as speaker. A. C. K. has received research support from COVID-19 Adaptive Variance Immunologic Landscape Trial # 28C15000NYUPG266894. S. J. L. has received NIH grants through institution. Consulting fees from Hookipa Pharma. A. F. L. has received grants from Merck, Gilead and, GSK through institution as well as consulting fees from Vir Biotechnology. A. F. L. has also received travel support from Merck to attend a required investigator meeting, testing kits and supplies to support research study from Hologic, Cepheid and medication donated by Mayne Pharma to support research study. M. M. has received funding from Emmes through NIH contract # HHSN272201500002C. L. J. M. has received funding from Emmes through NIH contract # HHSN272201500002C. D. C. M. has received funding from NIH/75N93019C00050-21A: CIVICS A- Option 21A-DMID Trials of COVID-19 Vaccines. J. M. has received funding from Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, contract # 75N93021C00012. A. N. has received support from NIH-NIAID, CEIRR (Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response) and Gates Cambridge Trust as well as grants from NIH-NIAID R01. R. M. N. has received grants from NIAID-DMID and travel/meeting support from Moderna. C. M. P. has received funding from NIAID UM1AI148684. R. M. P. has received funding from NIH DMID COVAIL as well as grants from Janssen, Moderna and NIH through institution. N. G. R. has received research grants from NIH, Pfizer, Merck, Sanofi, Quidel, Immorna, Vaccine Company and Lilly through her institution, consulting fees from Krog, honoraria as speaker for Virology education, and travel support from Sanofi and Moderna. N. G. R. serves as DSMB on safety committees for ICON, Micron and EMMES and is a member of the Moderna, Sanofi, Seqirus and Pfizer selected Advisory boards. Plays leadership advisory role for ARLG, TMRC, CDC-Pertussis challenge, Clinical Infectious Diseases. Equipment supports from Georgia Research Alliance. D. J. S. has received support from NIH-NIAID CEIRR, grants from NIH-NIAID R01, and travel support from NIH-NIAID CEIRR for NIH-related meetings. K. T. has received funding from Emmes through NIH contract # HHSN272201500002C. E. B. W. has received funding from Leidos Biomedical Research AGREEMENT NO. 22CTA-DM0009 as well as grants from Pfizer, Moderna, Sequiris, Clinetic, and Najit Technologies, with payments made to institution. E. B. W. has also received honoraria as a speaker from College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, consulting fees from Iliad Biotechnologies, and travel/meeting support from the American Academy of Pediatrics. E. B. W. serves as member of Vaxcyte Scientific Advisory board. P. L. W. has received subcontract funding from NIH for this study as well as NIH grant funding and contract funding from Pfizer through University of Iowa. P. L. W. has also received consulting fees from Pfizer and serves on DSMB advisory board for Emmes Corporation, Blue Lake. M. B. has received research grants from Leidos Biomedical Research and Pfizer through institution. J. A. W. has received funding from NIH-DMID 75N91019D00024. R. L. A., T. M. B., S. M. M., M. K. M., J. H. B., S. C., C. L., P. C. R., R. R. authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Current U.S. guidelines recommend integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) as initial treatment for people with HIV (PWH). We assessed long-term effects of INSTI use on lipid profiles in routine HIV care. We analyzed medical record data from the HIV Outpatient Study's participants in care from 2007 to 2021. Hyperlipidemia was defined based on clinical diagnoses, treatments, and laboratory results. We calculated hyperlipidemia incidence rates and rate ratios (RRs) during initial ART and assessed predictors of incident hyperlipidemia by using Poisson regression. Among 349 eligible ART-naïve PWH, 168 were prescribed INSTI-based ART (36 raltegravir (RAL), 51 dolutegravir (DTG), and 81 INSTI-others (elvitegravir and bictegravir)) and 181 non-INSTI-based ART, including 68 protease inhibitor (PI)-based ART. During a median follow-up of 1.4 years, hyperlipidemia rates were 12.8, 22.3, 22.7, 17.4, and 12.6 per 100 person years for RAL-, DTG-, INSTI-others-, non-INSTI-PI-, and non-INSTI-non-PI-based ART, respectively. In multivariable analysis, compared with the RAL group, hyperlipidemia rates were higher in INSTI-others (RR = 2.25; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.29-3.93) and non-INSTI-PI groups (RR = 1.89; CI: 1.12-3.19) but not statistically higher for the DTG (RR = 1.73; CI: 0.95-3.17) and non-INSTI-non-PI groups (RR = 1.55; CI: 0.92-2.62). Other factors independently associated with hyperlipidemia included older age, non-Hispanic White race/ethnicity, and ART without tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. PWH using RAL-based regimens had lower rates of incident hyperlipidemia than PWH receiving non-INSTI-PI-based ART but had similar rates as those receiving DTG-based ART, supporting federal recommendations for using DTG-based regimens as the initial therapy for ART-naïve PWH., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Jun Li et al.)

Patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs) are at increased risk for severe infections. Vaccine responses and safety profiles may differ between AIIRD patients and the general population. While patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs) often experience diminished humoral responses and reduced vaccine efficacy, factors such as the type of immunosuppressant medications used and the specific vaccine employed contribute to these outcomes. Notably, individuals undergoing B cell depletion therapy tend to have poor vaccine immunogenicity. However, despite these considerations, vaccine responses are generally considered clinically sufficient. Ideally, immunosuppressed AIIRD patients should receive vaccinations at least two weeks before commencing immunosuppressive treatment. However, it is common for many patients to already be on immunosuppressants during the immunization process. Vaccination rarely triggers flares in AIIRDs; if flares occur, they are typically mild. Despite the heightened infection risk, including COVID-19, among AIIRD patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, sarcoidosis, and other diseases on immunosuppressants, the vaccination rates remain suboptimal. The future directions of vaccination in the era of immunosuppression will likely involve customized vaccines with enhanced adjuvants and alternative delivery methods. By addressing the unique challenges faced by immunosuppressed individuals, we may improve vaccine efficacy, reduce the risk of infections, and ultimately enhance the health outcomes. Additionally, clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of temporarily discontinuing immunosuppressants during vaccination in various AIIRDs are crucial.

Vaccine protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection wanes over time, requiring updated boosters. In a phase 2, open-label, randomized clinical trial with sequentially enrolled stages at 22 US sites, we assessed safety and immunogenicity of a second boost with monovalent or bivalent variant vaccines from mRNA and protein-based platforms targeting wild-type, Beta, Delta and Omicron BA.1 spike antigens. The primary outcome was pseudovirus neutralization titers at 50% inhibitory dilution (ID 50 titers) with 95% confidence intervals against different SARS-CoV-2 strains. The secondary outcome assessed safety by solicited local and systemic adverse events (AEs), unsolicited AEs, serious AEs and AEs of special interest. Boosting with prototype/wild-type vaccines produced numerically lower ID 50 titers than any variant-containing vaccine against all variants. Conversely, boosting with a variant vaccine excluding prototype was not associated with decreased neutralization against D614G. Omicron BA.1 or Beta monovalent vaccines were nearly equivalent to Omicron BA.1 + prototype or Beta + prototype bivalent vaccines for neutralization of Beta, Omicron BA.1 and Omicron BA.4/5, although they were lower for contemporaneous Omicron subvariants. Safety was similar across arms and stages and comparable to previous reports. Our study shows that updated vaccines targeting Beta or Omicron BA.1 provide broadly crossprotective neutralizing antibody responses against diverse SARS-CoV-2 variants without sacrificing immunity to the ancestral strain. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT05289037 ., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

In a randomized clinical trial, we compare early neutralizing antibody responses after boosting with bivalent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines based on either BA.1 or BA.4/BA.5 Omicron spike protein combined with wild-type spike. Responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants exhibited the greatest reduction in titers against currently circulating Omicron subvariants for both bivalent vaccines., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. E. J. A. has received grants from Pfizer, Moderna, Janssen, GSK, Sanofi, Micron, and Regeneron through institution as well as consulting fees from Pfizer, Janssen, Moderna, and Sanofi. E. J. A. serves on safety/advisory boards for Sanofi, ACI Clinical/WCG and Kentucky Bioscience, Inc. A. R. B. has received research support from NIH-NIAID, grants from Pfizer, Cyanvac, and Merck as well as consulting fees from Janssen and GSK. L. R. B. has received grants from Wellcome Trust, Gates Foundation, NIH/Harvard Medical School through institution. Serves as member of DSMB for NIH and AMDAC for Food and Drug Administration (FDA). L. R. B. is involved in HIV and SARS-CoV-2 vaccine clinical trials conducted in collaboration with the NIH, HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), COVID Vaccine Prevention Network (CoVPN), International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Crucell/Janssen, Moderna, Military HIV Research Program (MHRP), the Gates Foundation, and Harvard Medical School. D. J. D. has received a contract from Leidos Biomedical research to conduct the clinical trial through institution. A. R. F. has received grants from Janssen, Pfizer, Merck, BioFire Diagnostics, and CyanVac through institution, consultant fees from Arrowhead and Icosavax, and honoraria as a speaker from Moderna and GlaxoSmithKline. A. R. F. also serves on safety/advisory boards for Novavax and received travel/meeting support from GlaxoSmithKline. S. E. F. has received funding from Leidos to Saint Louis University to conduct Protocol DMID22-0004. D. N. F. has as a contract from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is the site principal investigator (PI) for clinical trials from Gilead, Regeneron, and MetroBiotech, LLC. She is the PI on 1 investigator-initiated award from Gilead and the co-PI on another investigator-initiated award from Gilead. D. N. F. served on an HBV Advisory board for Gilead in 2021 and received payment for expert testimony not related to COVID in 2022. P. A. G. has received funding for COVAIL clinical trial. P. A. G. has also received consulting fees from Janssen Vaccines. L. C. I. has received support for the present manuscript from NIH-NIAID/DMID, Moderna, Pfizer, and Sanofi. L. C. I. has also received grants from GSK, Merck, Sharpe & Dohme Corp, CDC, Novavax, AHRQ, and NIH/NLM/NIMHD as well as consulting fees from Moderna, CDC, and Pediatric Emergency Medicine Associates, LLC. L. C. I. has received honoraria as a speaker from American Academy of Pediatrics, Rockefeller University, and American Academy of Pediatrics- Georgia Chapter. L. C. I. serves on Data Safety Monitoring for NIH-Phase 2 Vaccine Trial for Monkeypox, Moderna Scientific Advisory Board- North America, and COVID-19 Task Force, Georgia. L. C. I. has a leadership role in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society, serves as board member on the Emory University- Pediatric and Reproductive Environmental Health Scholars-Southeastern, the Center for Spatial Analytics of the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (Executive Board for Section on Infectious Diseases). L. C. I. has received travel/meeting support from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Moderna. L. A. J. has received funding from NIH for support for this study, funding from Pfizer to support a clinical trial and contract funding for research support from the CDC and the NIH, all through institution. L. A. J. also reports unpaid participation on Data Safety Monitoring Boards for NIH funded clinical trials. S. J. L. has received NIH grants through institution. A. F. L. has received grants from Merck, Gilead, and ViiV through institution as well as consulting fees from Vir Biotechnology. A. F. L. has also received travel support from Merck to attend a required investigator meeting, testing kits and supplies to support research study from Hologic, and medication donated by Mayne Pharma to support research study. M. M. has received funding from Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases for contract number 75N93021C00012. D. C. M. has received funding from NIH/75N93019C00050-21A: CIVICS A- Option 21A-DMID Trials of COVID-19 Vaccines. J. M. has received funding from Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, contract number 75N93021C00012. A. N. has received support from NIH-NIAID, CEIRR (Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response) and Gates Cambridge Trust as well as grants from NIH-NIAID R01. R. M. N. has received grants from Moderna and Janssen and travel/meeting support from Moderna. C. M. P. has received funding from NIAID UM1AI148684. R. M. P. has received funding from NIH DMID COVAIL as well as grants from Janssen, Moderna, and NIH through institution. N. G. R. has received research grants from Pfizer, Merck, Sanofi, Quidel, and Lilly through institution, consulting fees from Krog, honoraria as speaker for Virology education, and travel support from Sanofi. N. G. R. serves on safety committees for ICON and EMMES and is a member of the Moderna Advisory board. D. J. S. has received support from NIH-NIAID CEIRR, grants from NIH-NIAID R01, and travel support from NIH-NIAID CEIRR for NIH-related meetings. K. T. has received funding from Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases contract number 75N93021C00012. E. B. W. has received funding from Leidos Biomedical Research agreement number. 22CTA-DM0009 as well as grants from Pfizer, Moderna, Sequiris, Clinetic, and Najit Technologies, with payments made to institution. E. B. W. has also received honoraria as a speaker from College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, consulting fees from Iliad Biotechnologies, and travel/meeting support from the American Academy of Pediatrics. E. B. W. serves as member of Vaxcyte Scientific Advisory board. P. L. W. has received subcontract funding from NIH for this study as well as NIH grant funding and contract funding from Pfizer through University of Iowa. P. L. W. has also received consulting fees from Pfizer and serves on safety/advisory board for Emmes Corporation. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The immune response to COVID-19 booster vaccinations during pregnancy for mothers and their newborns and the functional response of vaccine-induced antibodies against Omicron variants are not well characterized. We conducted a prospective, multicenter cohort study of participants vaccinated during pregnancy with primary or booster mRNA COVID-19 vaccines from July 2021 to January 2022 at 9 academic sites. We determined SARS-CoV-2 binding and live virus and pseudovirus neutralizing antibody (nAb) titers pre- and post-vaccination, and at delivery for both maternal and infant participants. Immune responses to ancestral and Omicron BA.1 SARS-CoV-2 strains were compared between primary and booster vaccine recipients in maternal sera at delivery and in cord blood, after adjusting for days since last vaccination. A total of 240 participants received either Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine during pregnancy (primary 2-dose series: 167; booster dose: 73). Booster vaccination resulted in significantly higher binding and nAb titers, including to the Omicron BA.1 variant, in maternal serum at delivery and in cord blood compared to a primary 2-dose series (range 0.44-0.88 log 10 higher, p < 0.0001 for all comparisons). Live virus nAb to Omicron BA.1 were present at delivery in 9 % (GMT ID50 12.7) of Pfizer and 22 % (GMT ID50 14.7) of Moderna primary series recipients, and in 73 % (GMT ID50 60.2) of mRNA boosted participants (p < 0.0001), although titers were significantly lower than to the D614G strain. Transplacental antibody transfer was efficient for all regimens with median transfer ratio range: 1.55-1.77 for IgG, 1.00-1.78 for live virus nAb and 1.79-2.36 for pseudovirus nAb. COVID-19 mRNA vaccination during pregnancy elicited robust immune responses in mothers and efficient transplacental antibody transfer to the newborn. A booster dose during pregnancy significantly increased maternal and cord blood binding and neutralizing antibody levels, including against Omicron BA.1. Findings support the use of a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: F.M.M. is an investigator of pediatric studies of COVID-19 vaccines for Pfizer and for a pediatric remdesivir study conducted by Gilead Sciences, Inc; serves as investigator on projects supported by an NIH contract for a Vaccine Treatment and Evaluation Unit (VTEU), serves as member of the Data Safety monitoring Board (DSMB) for clinical trials conducted by Pfizer, Moderna, Meissa Vaccines, Virometix, and the NIH; and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Infectious Diseases (SOID), the Immunization Expert Group of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), and was co-Chair of the COVAX-CEPI Maternal Immunization Working Group. K.M.N. is a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, serves as co-investigator on an NIH contract for a Vaccine Treatment and Evaluation Unit (VTEU), serves as Co-Chair of the NIH COVID Prevention Network (CoVPN), and served as an investigator for Phase I/II Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine grant, with a grant to the institution, but no salary support. M.J.M. conducts laboratory research and clinical trials with contract funding for vaccines or MABs vs SARS-CoV-2 with Lilly, Pfizer, and Sanofi and receives personal fees for Scientific Advisory Board service from Merck, Meissa Vaccines, Inc. and Pfizer. M.S.S. served as an advisor for Moderna (ended December 2021) and is currently serving as an advisor for Ocugen, Inc. B.A.R. currently holds a position on a DSMB for clinical trials at Gilead Sciences, Inc. R.C.B. at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital receives research grant support for clinical trials from PATH, Astra Zeneca and Pfizer on which she serves as co-investigator. B.B. owns shares in HDT Bio Corp. J.S.G. receives research funds from NIH for Moderna KidCOVE study. R.M.N. is a paid advisor to Gilead and an investigator on NIH-funded trials of Moderna, Pfizer and Janssen vaccines. J.R-K is a medical speaker for Abbott Nutrition with the UIC team. A.R.F. holds research grants from Pfizer, Janssen, Merck, Cyanvac, Biofire Diagnostics and serves on the DSMB for Novavax. N.R. receives funds to conduct industry trials from Pfizer, Merck, and Sanofi-Pasteur and serves as a safety consultant for EMMES and ICON. R.W.F. Jr., MD has received funds to conduct industry trials from Pfizer, Moderna and Astra Zeneca, serves on advisory boards for Merck, Sanofi-Pasteur, Johnson and Johnson and Seqirus and serves on an ICON-sponsored DSMB for a C difficile study., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hybrid immunity is associated with more durable protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We describe the antibody responses following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals., Methods: The 55 vaccine arm COVID-19 cases diagnosed during the blinded phase of the Coronavirus Efficacy trial were matched with 55 placebo arm COVID-19 cases. Pseudovirus neutralizing antibody (nAb) activity to the ancestral strain and binding antibody (bAb) responses to nucleocapsid and spike antigens (ancestral and variants of concern [VOCs]) were assessed on disease day 1 (DD1) and 28 days later (DD29)., Results: The primary analysis set was 46 vaccine cases and 49 placebo cases with COVID-19 at least 57 days post-first dose. For vaccine group cases, there was a 1.88-fold rise in ancestral antispike bAbs 1 month post-disease onset, although 47% had no increase. The vaccine-to-placebo geometric mean ratios for DD29 antispike and antinucleocapsid bAbs were 6.9 and 0.04, respectively. DD29 mean bAb levels were higher for vaccine vs placebo cases for all VOCs. DD1 nasal viral load positively correlated with bAb levels in the vaccine group., Conclusions: Following COVID-19, vaccinated participants had higher levels and greater breadth of antispike bAbs and higher nAb titers than unvaccinated participants. These were largely attributable to the primary immunization series., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. R.M.N. receives support from Moderna. J.M.M. and R.P. are employed by Moderna Tx, Inc., and have stock and/or stock options in Moderna Tx, Inc. All other authors report no potential conflicts., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America 2023.)

Objective: To characterize diet quality across a global cohort of people with HIV (PWH)., Design: Cross-sectional analysis., Methods: Leveraging REPRIEVE data from baseline across five Global Burden of Disease (GBD) regions, we analyzed participant responses to the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants questionnaire. An overall diet quality score and scores for specific diet components were generated. Higher scores indicate better diet quality., Results: Among 7736 participants (median age 50 years, 30% women, median BMI 25.8 kg/m 2 ) overall diet quality score (max score 30) was optimal in 13% of participants and good, suboptimal or poor in 45%, 38%, and 4% of participants, respectively; saturated fat score (max score 18) was good, suboptimal, or poor in 38%, 40%, or 7% of participants, respectively. Diet quality scores differed across GBD region with the highest scores reported in the South Asia region [median 23 (21-25)] and lowest in the sub-Saharan Africa region [median 15 (12-18)]; 61% of participants in the South Asia region reported optimal diet quality compared with only 6% in the sub-Saharan Africa region. Higher atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk scores were seen with worsening diet quality., Conclusion: Among PWH eligible for primary CVD prevention, diet quality was suboptimal or poor for almost half of participants, and there were substantial variations in diet quality reported by GBD region., Trial Registration: NCT02344290., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: In the United States, the rates of primary and secondary syphilis have increased more rapidly among men who have sex with men (MSM) than among any other subpopulation. Rising syphilis rates among MSM reflect changes in both individual behaviors and the role of sexual networks (eg, persons linked directly or indirectly by sexual contact) in the spread of the infection. Decades of research examined how sexual networks influence sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among MSM; however, few longitudinal data sources focusing on syphilis have collected network characteristics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with 3 sites, enrolled a prospective cohort of MSM in 3 US cities to longitudinally study sexual behaviors and STIs, including HIV, for up to 24 months., Objective: The Network Epidemiology of Syphilis Transmission (NEST) study aimed to collect data on the factors related to syphilis transmission and acquisition among MSM., Methods: The NEST study was a prospective cohort study that enrolled 748 MSM in Baltimore, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois; and Columbus, Ohio. NEST recruitment used a combination of convenience sampling, venue-based recruitment, and respondent-driven sampling approaches. At quarterly visits, participants completed a behavioral questionnaire and were tested for syphilis, HIV, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. The participants also provided a list of their sexual partners and described their 3 most recent partners in greater detail., Results: The NEST participants were enrolled in the study from July 2018 to December 2021. At baseline, the mean age of the participants was 31.5 (SD 9.1) years. More than half (396/727. 54.5%) of the participants were non-Hispanic Black, 29.8% (217/727) were non-Hispanic White, and 8.8% (64/727) were Hispanic or Latino. Multiple recruitment strategies across the 3 study locations, including respondent-driven sampling, clinic referrals, flyers, and social media advertisements, strengthened NEST participation. Upon the completion of follow-up visits in March 2022, the mean number of visits per participant was 5.1 (SD 3.2; range 1-9) in Baltimore, 2.2 (SD 1.6; range 1-8) in Chicago, and 7.2 (SD 2.9; range 1-9) in Columbus. Using a community-based participatory research approach, site-specific staff were able to draw upon collaborations with local communities to address stigma concerning STIs, particularly syphilis, among potential NEST participants. Community-led efforts also provided a forum for staff to describe the NEST study objectives and plans for research dissemination to the target audience. Strategies to bolster data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic included telehealth visits (all sites) and adaptation to self-collection of STI specimens (Baltimore only)., Conclusions: Data from NEST will be used to address important questions regarding individual and partnership-based sexual risk behaviors among MSM, with the goal of informing interventions to prevent syphilis in high-burden areas., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): RR1-10.2196/40095., (©Casey E Copen, Julie Rushmore, Alex De Voux, Robert D Kirkcaldy, Yetunde F Fakile, Carla Tilchin, Jessica Duchen, Jacky M Jennings, Morgan Spahnie, Abigail Norris Turner, William C Miller, Richard M Novak, John A Schneider, Andrew B Trotter, Kyle T Bernstein. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 04.11.2022.)

Background: Hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle play a key role in shaping immunity in the cervicovaginal tract. Cervicovaginal fluid contains cytokines, chemokines, immunoglobulins, and other immune mediators. Many studies have shown that the concentrations of these immune mediators change throughout the menstrual cycle, but the studies have often shown inconsistent results. Our understanding of immunological correlates of the menstrual cycle remains limited and could be improved by meta-analysis of the available evidence., Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of cervicovaginal immune mediator concentrations throughout the menstrual cycle using individual participant data. Study eligibility included strict definitions of the cycle phase (by progesterone or days since the last menstrual period) and no use of hormonal contraception or intrauterine devices. We performed random-effects meta-analyses using inverse-variance pooling to estimate concentration differences between the follicular and luteal phases. In addition, we performed a new laboratory study, measuring select immune mediators in cervicovaginal lavage samples., Results: We screened 1570 abstracts and identified 71 eligible studies. We analyzed data from 31 studies, encompassing 39,589 concentration measurements of 77 immune mediators made on 2112 samples from 871 participants. Meta-analyses were performed on 53 immune mediators. Antibodies, CC-type chemokines, MMPs, IL-6, IL-16, IL-1RA, G-CSF, GNLY, and ICAM1 were lower in the luteal phase than the follicular phase. Only IL-1α, HBD-2, and HBD-3 were elevated in the luteal phase. There was minimal change between the phases for CXCL8, 9, and 10, interferons, TNF, SLPI, elafin, lysozyme, lactoferrin, and interleukins 1β, 2, 10, 12, 13, and 17A. The GRADE strength of evidence was moderate to high for all immune mediators listed here., Conclusions: Despite the variability of cervicovaginal immune mediator measurements, our meta-analyses show clear and consistent changes during the menstrual cycle. Many immune mediators were lower in the luteal phase, including chemokines, antibodies, matrix metalloproteinases, and several interleukins. Only interleukin-1α and beta-defensins were higher in the luteal phase. These cyclical differences may have consequences for immunity, susceptibility to infection, and fertility. Our study emphasizes the need to control for the effect of the menstrual cycle on immune mediators in future studies., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

During 2007-2019, the percentage of HIV Outpatient Study participants reporting anal or vaginal condomless sex in the past 6 months ranged from a low of 17% among heterosexual males to 59% for men who have sex with men (MSM). MSM reported having had condomless sex more frequently than heterosexual males and females and were the only group in which an increase in condomless sex was observed during the study period (from 39 to 59%). Although persons with undetectable HIV viral load have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV sexually (U = U), there is still the potential risk of transmission or acquisition of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) when engaging in condomless sex. Continuing education about risks of HIV and STI transmission as well as ongoing screening for and treatment of STIs, retention in HIV treatment, and support for sexual health are critical components of care for people living with HIV., (© 2022. This is a U.S. government work and not under copyright protection in the U.S.; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Background: Age-related comorbidities such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH). We investigated the relationship between COPD and the epigenetic age of the airway epithelium and peripheral blood of PLWH., Methods: Airway epithelial brushings from 34 PLWH enrolled in the St. Paul's Hospital HIV Bronchoscopy cohort and peripheral blood from 378 PLWH enrolled in The Strategic Timing of Antiretroviral Treatment (START) study were profiled for DNA methylation. The DNA methylation biomarker of age and healthspan, GrimAge, was calculated in both tissue compartments. We tested the association of GrimAge with COPD in the airway epithelium and airflow obstruction as defined by an FEV 1 /FVC<0.70, and FEV 1 decline over 6 years in blood., Findings: The airway epithelium of PLWH with COPD was associated with greater GrimAge residuals compared to PLWH without COPD (Beta=3.18, 95%CI=1.06-5.31, P=0.005). In blood, FEV 1 /FVC1 decline was inversely correlated with GrimAge residuals in blood (r=-0.13, P=0.012). PLWH who had normal lung function but who subsequently developed an FEV 1 /FVC<0.70 over the course of 6 years had higher GrimAge residuals at baseline (Beta=2.33, 95%CI=0.23-4.44, P=0.031)., Interpretation: GrimAge may reflect lung and systemic epigenetic changes that occur with advanced airflow obstruction and may help to identify PLWH with a higher risk of developing COPD., Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the British Columbia Lung Association. The START substudy was funded by NIH grants: UM1-AI068641, UM1-AI120197, and RO1HL096453., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests SH reports consulting fees from the non-profit organization, Epigenetic Clock Development Foundation, and royalty income from patents surrounding epigenetic clocks. HK reports consulting fees and payments from AbbVie, Janssen, MSD, ViiV, Gilead, and Intercept, outside of the submitted work. KK reports consulting fees and payments from Allergan and Nuvaira, outside of the submitted work. DS reports payments from AstraZeneca, GSK, and Boehringer Ingelheim, outside of the submitted work. MH reports consulting fees and payments from Gilead, Merck, and ViiV, outside of the submitted work. RMN reports payments from ViiV, Gilead, and Theratechnologies, outside of the submitted work. J Montaner reports grants from Gilead, Merck, ViiV, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the BC Ministry of Health, outside of the submitted work. JML reports a grant from AstraZeneca, outside of the submitted work. The remaining authors report no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Independent of CD4 cell count, a low CD4/CD8 ratio in people with HIV (PWH) is associated with deleterious immune senescence, activation, and inflammation, which may contribute to carcinogenesis and excess cancer risk. We examined whether low CD4/CD8 ratios predicted cancer among PWH in the United States and Canada., Methods: We examined all cancer-free PWH with 1 or more CD4/CD8 values from North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design observational cohorts with validated cancer diagnoses between 1998 and 2016. We evaluated the association between time-lagged CD4/CD8 ratio and risk of specific cancers in multivariable, time-updated Cox proportional hazard models using restricted cubic spines. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race and ethnicity, hepatitis C virus, and time-updated CD4 cell count, HIV RNA, and history of AIDS-defining illness., Results: Among 83 893 PWH, there were 5628 incident cancers, including lung cancer (n = 755), Kaposi sarcoma (n = 501), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 497), and anal cancer (n = 439). The median age at cohort entry was 43 years. The overall median 6-month lagged CD4/CD8 ratio was 0.52 (interquartile range = 0.30-0.82). Compared with a 6-month lagged CD4/CD8 of 0.80, a CD4/CD8 of 0.30 was associated with increased risk of any incident cancer (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.24 [95% confidence interval = 1.14 to 1.35]). The CD4/CD8 ratio was also inversely associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Kaposi sarcoma, lung cancer, anal cancer, and colorectal cancer in adjusted analyses (all 2-sided P < .05). Results were similar using 12-, 18-, and 24-month lagged CD4/CD8 values., Conclusions: A low CD4/CD8 ratio up to 24 months before cancer diagnosis was independently associated with increased cancer risk in PWH and may serve as a clinical biomarker., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Age blunts CD4+ lymphocyte cell count/μl (CD4+) improvements observed with antiretroviral therapy (ART)-induced viral suppression among people with HIV (PWH). Prolonged viral suppression reduces immune dysregulation, reflected by rising CD4+/CD8+ ratios (CD4+/CD8+). We studied CD4+/CD8+ over time to determine whether it predicts risk for select comorbidities and mortality among aging PWH with viral suppression., Methods: We studied HIV Outpatient Study (HOPS) participants prescribed ART during 2000-2018 who achieved a viral load less than 200 copies/ml on or after 1 January 2000, and remained virally suppressed at least 1 year thereafter. We modeled associations of CD4+/CD8+ with select incident comorbidities and all-cause mortality using Cox regression and controlling for demographic and clinical factors., Results: Of 2480 eligible participants,1145 (46%) were aged less than 40 years, 835 (34%) 40-49 years, and 500 (20%) ≥ 50 years. At baseline, median CD4+/CD8+ was 0.53 (interquartile range: 0.30-0.84) and similar among all age groups (P = 0.18). CD4+/CD8+ values and percentage of participants with CD4+/CD8+ at least 0.70 increased within each age group (P < 0.001 for all). CD4+/CD8+ increase was greatest for PWH aged less than 40 years at baseline. In adjusted models, most recent CD4+/CD8+less than 1.00 and less than 0.70 were independently associated with higher risk of non-AIDS cancer and mortality, respectively., Conclusion: Pretreatment immune dysregulation may persist as indicated by CD4+/CD8+ less than 0.70. Persistent viral suppression can improve immune dysregulation over time, reducing comorbidity, and mortality risk. Monitoring CD4+/CD8+ among ART-treated PWH with lower values provide a means to assess for mortality and comorbidity risk., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Convalescent plasma has been widely used to treat COVID-19 and is under investigation in numerous randomized clinical trials, but results are publicly available only for a small number of trials. The objective of this study was to assess the benefits of convalescent plasma treatment compared to placebo or no treatment and all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19, using data from all available randomized clinical trials, including unpublished and ongoing trials (Open Science Framework, https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/GEHFX )., Methods: In this collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis, clinical trial registries (ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform), the Cochrane COVID-19 register, the LOVE database, and PubMed were searched until April 8, 2021. Investigators of trials registered by March 1, 2021, without published results were contacted via email. Eligible were ongoing, discontinued and completed randomized clinical trials that compared convalescent plasma with placebo or no treatment in COVID-19 patients, regardless of setting or treatment schedule. Aggregated mortality data were extracted from publications or provided by investigators of unpublished trials and combined using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman random effects model. We investigated the contribution of unpublished trials to the overall evidence., Results: A total of 16,477 patients were included in 33 trials (20 unpublished with 3190 patients, 13 published with 13,287 patients). 32 trials enrolled only hospitalized patients (including 3 with only intensive care unit patients). Risk of bias was low for 29/33 trials. Of 8495 patients who received convalescent plasma, 1997 died (23%), and of 7982 control patients, 1952 died (24%). The combined risk ratio for all-cause mortality was 0.97 (95% confidence interval: 0.92; 1.02) with between-study heterogeneity not beyond chance (I 2  = 0%). The RECOVERY trial had 69.8% and the unpublished evidence 25.3% of the weight in the meta-analysis., Conclusions: Convalescent plasma treatment of patients with COVID-19 did not reduce all-cause mortality. These results provide strong evidence that convalescent plasma treatment for patients with COVID-19 should not be used outside of randomized trials. Evidence synthesis from collaborations among trial investigators can inform both evidence generation and evidence application in patient care., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

We evaluated treatment duration and viral suppression (VS) outcomes with integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI)-based regimens versus other contemporary regimens among adults in routine HIV care. Eligible participants were seen during January 1, 2007 to June 30, 2018 at nine U.S. HIV clinics, initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) (baseline date), and had ≥2 clinic visits thereafter. We assessed the probability of remaining on a regimen and achieving HIV RNA <200 copies/mL on initial INSTI versus non-INSTI ART by Kaplan-Meier analyses and their correlates by Cox regression. Among 1,005 patients, 335 (33.3%) were prescribed an INSTI-containing regimen and 670 (66.7%) a non-INSTI regimen, which may have included non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, and other agents. In both groups, most patients were male, nonwhite, and aged <50 years. Comparing the INSTI with non-INSTI group, the median baseline log 10 HIV viral load (VL; copies/mL) was 4.6 versus 4.5, and the median CD4 + cell count (cells/mm 3 ) was 352 versus 314. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, the estimated probabilities of remaining on initial regimens at 2 and 4 years were 58% and 40% for INSTI and 51% and 33% for non-INSTI group, respectively (log-rank test p  = .003). In multivariable models, treatment with an INSTI (vs. non-INSTI) ART was negatively associated with a regimen switch [hazard ratio (HR) 0.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.56-0.81, p  < .001] and was positively associated with achieving VS (HR 1.52; CI 1.29-1.79, p  < .001), both irrespective of baseline VL levels. Initial INSTI-based regimens were associated with longer treatment durations and better VS than non-INSTI regimens. Results support INSTI regimens as the initial therapy in U.S. treatment guidelines.

We evaluated the association of bone fracture with mortality among persons with HIV, controlling for sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical factors. Incident fracture was associated with 48% greater risk of all-cause mortality, underscoring the need for bone mineral density screening and fracture prevention., Purpose/introduction: Low bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture are more common among persons with HIV (PWH) than those without HIV infection. We evaluated the association of bone fracture with mortality among PWH, controlling for sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical factors., Methods: We analyzed data from HIV Outpatient Study (HOPS) participants seen at nine US HIV clinics during January 1, 2000, through September 30, 2017. Incident fracture rates and post-fracture mortality were compared across four calendar periods. Cox proportional hazards analyses determined factors associated with all-cause mortality among all participants and those with incident fracture., Results: Among 6763 HOPS participants, 504 (7.5%) had incident fracture (median age = 47 years) and 719 (10.6%) died. Of fractures, 135 (26.8%) were major osteoporotic (hip/pelvis, wrist, spine, arm/shoulder). During observation, 27 participants with major osteoporotic fractures died (crude mortality 2.97/100 person-years [PY]), and 48 with other site fractures died (crude mortality 2.51/100 PY). Post-fracture, age- and sex-adjusted all-cause mortality rates per 100 PY decreased from 8.5 during 2000-2004 to 1.9 during 2013-2017 (P<0.001 for trend). In multivariable analysis, incident fracture was significantly associated with all-cause mortality (Hazard Ratio 1.48, 95% confidence interval 1.15-1.91). Among 504 participants followed post-fracture, pulmonary, kidney, and cardiovascular disease, hepatitis C virus co-infection, and non-AIDS cancer, remained independently associated with all-cause mortality., Conclusions: Incident fracture was associated with 48% greater risk of all-cause mortality among US PWH in care, underscoring the need for BMD screening and fracture prevention. Although fracture rates among PWH increased during follow-up, post-fracture death rates decreased, likely reflecting advances in HIV care., (© 2021. International Osteoporosis Foundation and National Osteoporosis Foundation.)

Recent case reports and studies on treating COVID-19 in patients with chronic sarcoidosis describe different treatment modalities ranging from glucocorticoids to biologic medications. This review article summarizes seven case series and reports totaling 46 patients. While one case report suggested that sarcoidosis medications such as glucocorticoids may lengthen the COVID-19 disease course, another study with a larger registry suggests they do not. More studies are needed to elucidate an improvement in outcomes. It is possible that addition of TNF-alpha inhibitors at COVID-19 diagnosis decreases hospitalization rate. Overall, it is difficult to make firm conclusions regarding treatment given the heterogeneity of treatment modalities in the current literature. Our summarized findings are outlined with the opinions of sarcoidosis, pulmonary, and infectious disease experts in a flow chart that provides clinicians with our proposed management algorithm for sarcoidosis patients who develop COVID-19. We emphasize a need for exchange of information regarding management of COVID-19 in the setting of sarcoidosis to further improve treatment in this vulnerable population of patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Kondle, Hou, Manansala, Ascoli, Novak and Sweiss.)

Importance: Preventive interventions are needed to protect residents and staff of skilled nursing and assisted living facilities from COVID-19 during outbreaks in their facilities. Bamlanivimab, a neutralizing monoclonal antibody against SARS-CoV-2, may confer rapid protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19., Objective: To determine the effect of bamlanivimab on the incidence of COVID-19 among residents and staff of skilled nursing and assisted living facilities., Design, Setting, and Participants: Randomized, double-blind, single-dose, phase 3 trial that enrolled residents and staff of 74 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in the United States with at least 1 confirmed SARS-CoV-2 index case. A total of 1175 participants enrolled in the study from August 2 to November 20, 2020. Database lock was triggered on January 13, 2021, when all participants reached study day 57., Interventions: Participants were randomized to receive a single intravenous infusion of bamlanivimab, 4200 mg (n = 588), or placebo (n = 587)., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was incidence of COVID-19, defined as the detection of SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and mild or worse disease severity within 21 days of detection, within 8 weeks of randomization. Key secondary outcomes included incidence of moderate or worse COVID-19 severity and incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection., Results: The prevention population comprised a total of 966 participants (666 staff and 300 residents) who were negative at baseline for SARS-CoV-2 infection and serology (mean age, 53.0 [range, 18-104] years; 722 [74.7%] women). Bamlanivimab significantly reduced the incidence of COVID-19 in the prevention population compared with placebo (8.5% vs 15.2%; odds ratio, 0.43 [95% CI, 0.28-0.68]; P < .001; absolute risk difference, -6.6 [95% CI, -10.7 to -2.6] percentage points). Five deaths attributed to COVID-19 were reported by day 57; all occurred in the placebo group. Among 1175 participants who received study product (safety population), the rate of participants with adverse events was 20.1% in the bamlanivimab group and 18.9% in the placebo group. The most common adverse events were urinary tract infection (reported by 12 participants [2%] who received bamlanivimab and 14 [2.4%] who received placebo) and hypertension (reported by 7 participants [1.2%] who received bamlanivimab and 10 [1.7%] who received placebo)., Conclusions and Relevance: Among residents and staff in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, treatment during August-November 2020 with bamlanivimab monotherapy reduced the incidence of COVID-19 infection. Further research is needed to assess preventive efficacy with current patterns of viral strains with combination monoclonal antibody therapy., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04497987.

Background: Whether accelerated aging develops over the course of chronic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or can be observed before significant immunosuppression on is unknown. We studied DNA methylation in blood to estimate cellular aging in persons living with HIV (PLWH) before the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART)., Methods: A total of 378 ART-naive PLWH who had CD4 T-cell counts >500/µL and were enrolled in the Strategic Timing of Antiretroviral Therapy trial (Pulmonary Substudy) were compared with 34 HIV-negative controls. DNA methylation was performed using the Illumina MethylationEPIC BeadChip. Differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in PLWH compared with controls were identified using a robust linear model. Methylation age was calculated using a previously described epigenetic clock., Results: There were a total of 56 639 DMPs and 6103 DMRs at a false discovery rate of <0.1. The top 5 DMPs corresponded to genes NLRC5, VRK2, B2M, and GPR6 and were highly enriched for cancer-related pathways. PLWH had significantly higher methylation age than HIV-negative controls (P = .001), with black race, low CD4 and high CD8 T-cell counts, and duration of HIV being risk factors for age acceleration., Conclusions: PLWH before the initiation of ART and with preserved immune status show evidence of advanced methylation aging., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: National guidelines recommend that sexually active people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) who are men who have sex with men (MSM) be tested for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection at least annually. Hepatitis C virus testing rates vary by race/ethnicity in the general population, but limited data are available for PWH., Methods: We analyzed medical records data from MSM in the HIV Outpatient Study at 9 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinics from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2019. We excluded observation time after documented past or current HCV infection. We evaluated HCV antibody testing in each calendar year among HCV-seronegative MSM, and we assessed testing correlates by generalized estimating equation analyses., Results: Of 1829 eligible MSM who were PWH, 1174 (64.2%) were non-Hispanic/Latino white (NHW), 402 (22.0%) non-Hispanic black (NHB), 187 (10.2%) Hispanic/Latino, and 66 (3.6%) of other race/ethnicity. Most were ≥40 years old (68.9%), privately insured (64.5%), with CD4 cell count/mm 3 (CD4) ≥350 (77.0%), and with HIV viral load <200 copies/mL (76.9%). During 2011-2019, 1205 (65.9%) had ≥1 HCV antibody test and average annual HCV percentage tested was 30.3% (from 33.8% for NHB to 28.5% for NHW; P < .001). Multivariable factors positively associated ( P < .05) with HCV testing included more recent HIV diagnosis, public insurance, lower CD4, prior chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, or hepatitis B virus diagnoses, and elevated liver enzyme levels, but not race/ethnicity., Conclusions: Although we found no disparities by race/ethnicity in HCV testing, low overall HCV testing rates indicate suboptimal uptake of recommended HCV testing among MSM in HIV care., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America 2021.)

Background: Although chlamydia (CT) and gonorrhea (GC) infections are increasing in the United States, there are limited data on their incidence, testing rates, and associated risk factors among persons living with HIV (PLWH), including by anatomic site among men who have sex with men (MSM)., Methods: We analyzed 2007-2017 medical records data from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Outpatient Study (HOPS) participants in care at 9 HIV clinics. We calculated CT (and GC) incidence and testing rates and assessed associations with sociodemographic and clinical factors using log-linear regression., Results: Among 4727 PLWH, 397 had 881 CT infections and 331 had 861 GC infections, with an incidence of 2.95 and 2.88 per 100 person-years, respectively. From 2007 to 2017, incidence and testing rates increased by approximately 3.0- and 1.9-fold for CT and GC, respectively. Multivariable factors associated with incident CT (GC) included younger age, MSM, and prior diagnoses of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Among 1159 MSM, 583 (50.3%) had 844 CT and 843 GC tests during 2016-2017, and 26.6% of tests were 3-site (urethra, rectum, and pharynx), yielding the highest rates of CT (GC) detection. Multivariable factors associated with CT (GC) testing included younger age, non-Hispanic/Latino black race, and having prior STDs., Conclusions: Recent CT and GC incidence and testing increased among PLWH; however, only half of MSM were tested for CT or GC during 2016-2017 and less than a third of tests were 3-site. To promote sexual health and STD prevention among PLWH who are MSM, research regarding the added value of CT and GC testing across 3 anatomic sites is needed., (Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2019.)

Background: Vaccine-induced mucosal immune responses may be critical for protection against HIV infection, but may also result in short or long-term changes that enhance susceptibility to infection in some individuals, such as those with baseline seroreactivity to vaccine vector antigens. We examined cellular immune responses in blood and gut mucosal tissue roughly two years following vaccination with placebo or the Step study vaccine MRKAd5/HIV-1., Methods: Participants vaccinated with either placebo or MRKAd5/HIV-1 during participation in HVTN 071, and HVTN 502/Merck 023 underwent phlebotomy and colonic mucosal biopsies via flexible sigmoidoscopy at two timepoints roughly six months apart. After isolation of mononuclear cells, we compared cellular phenotypes and intracellular cytokine responses in vaccine and placebo recipients with and without baseline serological reactivity to Ad5., Results: Surface expression of activation and gut-homing markers were elevated on CD4 + and CD8 + gut mucosal mononuclear cells (GMMC) in comparison with PBMC (p < 0.01), but were not significantly affected by baseline Ad5 serostatus or receipt of MRKAd5/HIV-1. ICS responses to stimulation with vaccine antigens were of low frequency and magnitude. Ad5 vector responses were seen in vaccinees and baseline seropositive individuals. CD4 + responses to vector antigens were more common in GMMC than PBMC (p < 0.01) and CD8 + responses to HIV gag insert antigens were more frequent in Ad5 seropositive than Ad5 seronegative individuals (p = 0.03)., Conclusion: Vaccination with the Ad5 vectored candidate HIV vaccine MRKAd5/HIV-1 does not lead to long-term changes in the activation state of mucosal CD4 + or CD8 + T lymphocytes regardless of baseline Ad5 serostatus. The findings of this study do not reveal a basis for enhanced susceptibility to HIV infection two years post vaccination., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Suicidal ideation (SI) refers to an individual thinking about, considering or planning suicide. Identifying and characterizing persons with HIV (PWH) at greater risk for SI may lead to better suicide prevention strategies and quality of life improvement., Methods: Using clinical data gathered from medical chart abstraction for HIV Outpatient Study (HOPS) participants from 2000 to 2017, we assessed SI frequency among PWH in care and explored factors associated with the presence of SI diagnoses using linear mixed models analyses., Results: Among 6706 participants, 224 (3.3%) had a charted diagnosis of SI. Among those with SI, median age (interquartile range [IQR]) was 43.4 years [IQR: 38.7-50.3], median (IQR) CD4+ cell count was 439 cells/mm 3 (IQR: 237-686), 71.4% were male, 54% were men who have sex with men (MSM), 25.4% heterosexual, and 13.4% persons who inject drugs. In multivariable analysis, persons at increased risk for SI were more likely to be: <50 years old (adjusted rate ratio [aRR] 1.86, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.36-2.53), non-Hispanic/Latino black (aRR 1.75; 95%CI 1.29-2.38), have CD4+ cell count <350 cells/mm 3 (aRR 1.32; 95%CI 1.05-1.65), have a viral load ≥50 copies/mL (aRR 1.49; 95%CI 1.12-1.98), have stopped antiretroviral therapy (aRR 1.46; 95%CI 1.10-1.95), have a history of: alcohol dependence (aRR 2.75; 95%CI 1.67-4.52), and drug overdose (aRR 4.09; 95%CI 2.16-7.71)., Conclusion: Routine mental health assessment and monitoring are needed in HIV clinical practice to better understand factors associated with SI and to inform the development of preventive interventions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors do not have any associations that may pose a conflict of interest., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: The clinical epidemiology of treated HIV infection in the United States has dramatically changed in the past 25 years. Few sources of longitudinal data exist for people with HIV (PWH) spanning that period. Cohort data enable investigating new exposure and disease associations and monitoring progress along the HIV care continuum., Methods: We synthesized key published findings and conducted primary data analyses in the HIV Outpatient Study (HOPS), an open cohort of PWH seen at public and private HIV clinics since 1993. We assessed temporal trends in health outcomes (1993-2017) and mortality (1994-2017) for 10 566 HOPS participants., Results: The HOPS contributed to characterizing new conditions (eg, lipodystrophy), demonstrated reduced mortality with earlier HIV treatment, uncovered associations between select antiretroviral agents and cardiovascular disease, and documented remarkable shifts in morbidity from AIDS opportunistic infections to chronic noncommunicable diseases. The median CD4 cell count of participants increased from 244 cells/mm 3 to 640 cells/mm 3 from 1993 to 2017. Mortality fell from 121 to 16 per 1000 person-years from 1994 to 2017 ( P  < .001). In 2010, 83.7% of HOPS participants had a most recent HIV viral load <200 copies/mL, compared with 92.2% in 2017., Conclusions: Since 1993, the HOPS has been detecting emerging issues and challenges in HIV disease management. HOPS data can also be used for monitoring trends in infectious and chronic diseases, immunologic and viral suppression status, retention in care, and survival, thereby informing progress toward the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America 2020.)

HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) 505 was a phase 2b efficacy trial of a DNA/recombinant adenovirus 5 (rAd5) HIV vaccine regimen. Although the trial was stopped early for lack of overall efficacy, later correlates of risk and sieve analyses generated the hypothesis that the DNA/rAd5 vaccine regimen protected some vaccinees from HIV infection yet enhanced HIV infection risk for others. Here, we assessed whether and how host Fc gamma receptor (FcγR) genetic variations influenced the DNA/rAd5 vaccine regimen's effect on HIV infection risk. We found that vaccine receipt significantly increased HIV acquisition compared with placebo receipt among participants carrying the FCGR2C-TATA haplotype (comprising minor alleles of four FCGR2C single-nucleotide polymorphism [SNP] sites) (hazard ratio [HR] = 9.79, P  = 0.035) but not among participants without the haplotype (HR = 0.86, P  = 0.67); the interaction of vaccine and haplotype effect was significant ( P  = 0.034). Similarly, vaccine receipt increased HIV acquisition compared with placebo receipt among participants carrying the FCGR3B-AGA haplotype (comprising minor alleles of the 3 FCGR3B SNPs) (HR = 2.78, P  = 0.058) but not among participants without the haplotype (HR = 0.73, P  = 0.44); again, the interaction of vaccine and haplotype was significant ( P = 0.047). The FCGR3B-AGA haplotype also influenced whether a combined Env-specific CD8 + T-cell polyfunctionality score and IgG response correlated significantly with HIV risk; an FCGR2A SNP and two FCGR2B SNPs influenced whether anti-gp140 antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis correlated significantly with HIV risk. These results provide further evidence that Fc gamma receptor genetic variations may modulate HIV vaccine effects and immune function after HIV vaccination. IMPORTANCE By analyzing data from the HVTN 505 efficacy trial of a DNA/recombinant adenovirus 5 (rAd5) vaccine regimen, we found that host genetics, specifically Fc gamma receptor genetic variations, influenced whether receiving the DNA/rAd5 regimen was beneficial, neutral, or detrimental to an individual with respect to HIV-1 acquisition risk. Moreover, Fc gamma receptor genetic variations influenced immune responses to the DNA/rAd5 vaccine regimen. Thus, Fc gamma receptor genetic variations should be considered in the analysis of future HIV vaccine trials and the development of HIV vaccines., (Copyright © 2019 American Society for Microbiology.)