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Biomedical subjects

Laura Waters

Publications and source records attributed to Laura Waters.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Successful use of genotypic resistance testing in HIV-1-infected individuals with detectable viraemia between 50 and 1000 copies/ml.

Traditionally an HIV viral load of over 1000 copies/ml was presumed necessary for genotypic resistance testing. We performed a retrospective analysis to assess rates of viral amplification on viral loads between 50 and 1000 copies/ml. Amplification was significantly more likely for 200-1000 copies/ml than 50-200 copies/ml; most samples amplified successfully, supporting the use of genotyping for low-level viraemia.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMed2006

New therapeutic options for hepatitis C.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: There is an urgent need for new anti-hepatitis C virus therapies and recently a number of agents have reached clinical trials with yet more in preclinical stages of development. New technologies for the in-vitro study of drugs have accelerated progress markedly, previously hampered by the lack of cell-culture systems or animal models for hepatitis C. RECENT FINDINGS: A number of agents have demonstrated potent antiviral activity and synergism with existing therapies. A better understanding of managing adverse events and tailoring treatment dose and duration have yielded improved treatment response rates. We review the mechanisms of both new and existing anti-hepatitis C virus drugs and the data for some promising new agents and strategies. SUMMARY: Although many of the agents reviewed are in the early stages of development they show great promise and the ever-increasing understanding of hepatitis C virus will undoubtedly lead to exploration of new targets. Much progress has been made in terms of maximizing success with currently licensed agents and lessons learned from the field of HIV can guide the careful use of new agents to minimize resistance in the future.

Antiviral Agents↗
PubMed2006

Abacavir/lamividune combination in the treatment of HIV-1 infection: a review.

Consensus guidelines for the management of HIV infection recommend the use of two nucleoside analogues in combination with either a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or a ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor in therapy-naive patients. As adherence is crucial for treatment success, regimens with fewer pills, simpler dosing schedules and fewer adverse events have become the first choice for antiretroviral therapy. Fixed-dose combinations further improve the convenience of therapy. There are three dual-nucleoside fixed-dose combinations licensed for treating HIV-infected individuals, which include a combination of abacavir and lamivudine. This article reviews the pharmacology, efficacy, resistance profiles, safety and tolerability of abacavir focussing on its use in combination with lamivudine and discusses the role of this nucleoside backbone in antiretroviral therapy.

Dideoxynucleosides↗
PubMed2005

Hepatitis C infection is not associated with systemic HIV-associated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a cohort study.

Immunosuppression induced by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) increases the risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). As the hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been implicated in the development of B cell lymphomas, we compared the incidence of systemic NHL during HIV infection compared to HIV and HCV co-infection. Of 5,832 individuals studied during the era of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART), 102 patients were diagnosed with systemic NHL. The incidence of systemic NHL was 6.9 of 10(4) patient years during HIV infection compared to 7.1 of 10(4) patient years during HIV alone (p = 0.9). In this immunocompromised patient population, there was no association between HCV infection and an increased risk of lymphoma.

Cohort Studies↗
PubMed2005

Hepatitis C virus infection in HIV type 1-infected individuals does not accelerate a decrease in the CD4+ cell count but does increase the likelihood of AIDS-defining events.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) appears to adversely affect hepatitis C, but whether hepatitis C virus (HCV) has a reciprocal effect on HIV-1 infection remains a point of controversy. In a multivariate analysis of a cohort of 5832 individuals, we found that individuals coinfected with HCV and HIV-1 (prevalence of coinfection, 5.8%) had a CD4+ cell count that decreased at a rate similar to that for individuals infected with HIV-1 alone. However, coinfection was associated with a statistically significant increased likelihood of onset of an acquired immunodeficiency syndromedefining illness or developing a CD4+ cell count of <200 cells/mm3, compared with infection with HIV-1 alone (hazard ratio, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.072.17). Patients who were naive to highly active antiretroviral therapy were significantly less likely to progress to either end point, because of their higher CD4+ cell counts. In conclusion, there was an increased number of adverse events in coinfected individuals, compared with individuals infected with HIV-1 alone.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Cryptococcal disease and HIV infection.

In the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy for the treatment of HIV infection, the dramatic reductions in mortality and morbidity associated with immune reconstitution have included a marked decline in the incidence of opportunistic infections. Cryptococcus neoformans is a yeast that causes predominantly neurological disease in immunocompromised individuals, in particular those with HIV infection. It continues to be an important diagnosis in developing areas and amongst late presenters in parts of the world with access to highly active antiretroviral therapy. This article reviews the epidemiology, clinical features and management of cryptococcal disease in HIV-infected patients, particularly focusing on the history of, current guidelines for and future developments in antifungal therapy.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2005

New drugs.

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Anti-HIV Agents↗