Liability for "knowing" transmission of HIV: the evolution of a duty to disclose.
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Our objective was to investigate whether steadily increasing resistance levels are inevitable in the course of a failing but unchanged Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) regimen. Patients having an unchanged HAART regimen and a good CD4 response (100 cells/microl above nadir) despite consistent HIV-RNA levels above 200 copies/ml were included in the study. The study period spanned at least 12 months and included 47 plasma samples from 17 patients that were sequenced and analysed with respect to evolutionary changes. At inclusion, the median CD4 count was 300 cells/ml (inter-quartile range (IQR): 231-380) and the median HIV-RNA was 2000 copies/ml (IQR: 1301-6090). Reverse transcription inhibitor (RTI) mutations increased 0.5 mutations per y (STD = 0.8 mutations per y), while major protease inhibitor (PI) resistance mutations increased at a rate of 0.2 mutations per y (STD = 0.8 mutations per y) and minor PI resistance mutations increased at a rate of 0.3 mutations per y (STD = 0.7 mutations per y). The rate at which RTI mutations accumulated decreased during the study period (p = 0.035). Interestingly, the rate of mutation accumulation was not associated with HIV-RNA level. The majority of patients kept accumulating new resistance mutations. However, 3 out of 17 patients with viral failure were caught in an apparent mutational deadlock, thus the development of additional resistance during a failing HAART is not inevitable. We hypothesize that certain patterns of mutations can cause a mutational deadlock where the evolutionary benefit of further resistance mutation is limited if the patient is kept on a stable HAART regimen.
The existence of zidovudine (ZDV)-resistant and didanosine (ddI)-resistant human immunodeficiency-1 (HIV-1) variants mutated in the reverse transcriptase (RT) gene has been previously demonstrated. In this study, we tried to follow up the genotypic changes in the RT after the switch of therapy from ZDV to ddI. We studied HIV-1 isolates from 11 patients undergoing ddI therapy. Genotypic data were obtained with differential polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and with direct sequencing after PCR. The prevalence of ZDV resistance-related mutations showed a very slow decrease, particularly when patients had been treated with ZDV for a long time. The appearance of a mutation at codon 74 seemed to be independent of the presence or absence of ZDV resistance-related mutations. The broad genotypic heterogeneity of the isolates and the complexity of the evolution in one patient's isolates plead for large sequencing studies of the RT genome in new therapeutic approaches.
In HIV-infected individuals treated with potent antiretroviral therapy, viable virus can be isolated from latently infected cells several years into therapy, due to the long life of these cells, ongoing replication replenishing this population, or both. We have analysed the V3 region of the HIV-1 env gene isolated from six patients who have undergone 2 years of potent antiretroviral therapy without frank failure of viral suppression. We show that in two (and possibly three) patients, the sequence changes between baseline virus and virus isolated from infected cells persisting 2 years into infection result from positive selection driving adaptive evolution, occurring either prior to or during therapy. Our analyses suggest low-level replication despite absence of drug resistance due to drug sanctuary sites, or to low-level ongoing replication in the presence of alterations in the selective environment during therapy, perhaps due to a decline in HIV-specific immune responsiveness or changes in target cell pools. In one patient, genetic divergence between baseline plasma and infected cells isolated during therapy may reflect the long half-life of some of these persistent cell populations and the divergence of viral subpopulations that occurred prior to therapy.
The extreme polymorphism in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I region of the human genome is suggested to provide an advantage in pathogen defence mediated by CD8+ T cells. HLA class I molecules present pathogen-derived peptides on the surface of infected cells for recognition by CD8+ T cells. However, the relative contributions of HLA-A and -B alleles have not been evaluated. We performed a comprehensive analysis of the class I restricted CD8+ T-cell responses against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), immune control of which is dependent upon virus-specific CD8+ T-cell activity. In 375 HIV-1-infected study subjects from southern Africa, a significantly greater number of CD8+ T-cell responses are HLA-B-restricted, compared to HLA-A (2.5-fold; P = 0.0033). Here we show that variation in viral set-point, in absolute CD4 count and, by inference, in rate of disease progression in the cohort, is strongly associated with particular HLA-B but not HLA-A allele expression (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.91, respectively). Moreover, substantially greater selection pressure is imposed on HIV-1 by HLA-B alleles than by HLA-A (4.4-fold, P = 0.0003). These data indicate that the principal focus of HIV-specific activity is at the HLA-B locus. Furthermore, HLA-B gene frequencies in the population are those likely to be most influenced by HIV disease, consistent with the observation that B alleles evolve more rapidly than A alleles. The dominant involvement of HLA-B in influencing HIV disease outcome is of specific relevance to the direction of HIV research and to vaccine design.
The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the initial psychosocial situation and the probability of later symptom development in HIV-1 infection. One hundred HIV-1 seropositive subjects, 79 in Stage III (LAS) and 21 in Stage II (asymptomatic), were examined both immunologically (CD4+, Skin Test) and psychologically (test battery). Follow-up at 6 and 12 months involved clinical and immunological reassessment of subjects, who were then classified as fully symptomatic (S, Stage IV) or unchanged (U). The two groups were compared through ANOVA on initial psychosocial measures, while stepwise logistic multiple regression was employed to assess the predictive value of psychosocial measures on clinical and immunological evolution. Psychosocial measures most clearly showing an association with clinical evolution were Denial/Repression attitudes (negatively) and Fighting Spirit (positively), whereas aspects of Hardiness and Social Support showed an effect in interaction with initial CD4+ levels. No stable results were obtained on immunologic evolution. The two groups (U and S) did not show significant differences on other independent variables, with the exception of age.
PURPOSE: To present a rare case of bilateral conjunctival molluscum contagiosum (MC) in an HIV-positive individual who had unilateral lesion excision before induction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), and to discuss the pathophysiological consequences of immune restoration. METHODS CASE REPORT: A 40-year-old male Caucasian presented with atypical, bilateral lesions of the limbal conjunctiva due to MC. Before the induction of HAART, nodules in the left eye were excised whilst the single lesion in the right eye was left untouched. RESULTS: The clinical diagnosis of conjunctival MC was confirmed histopathologically. Six months after the induction of HAART, the untouched lesion (right eye) had regressed and there was pronounced local injection of the conjunctiva. MC lesions did not recur after excision (left eye), and signs of inflammation were absent. CONCLUSION: Conjunctival MC is rare and associated with immune deficiency. To the best of our knowledge, the presented case is the first reported instance of bilateral, multi-lesional MC of the conjunctiva in an HIV-positive patient undergoing HAART. Attention must be paid to the possible complications associated with the restoration of immunocompetence.
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Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in 1981, HIV-1 has demonstrated an amazing ability to mutate. HIV-1 was introduced into the human population in the early to mid twentieth century in central Africa. During ensuing decades, this extraordinary mutational capacity has resulted in the circulation of HIV-1 strains that are quite different from one another, yet still remarkably pathogenic. The potential impact of this viral diversity on treatment, monitoring,and vaccine development is discussed.
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is 'perceived' by the host immune system as partly-self because of the presence of host cell wall membrane on the viral envelope. This perception leads to an ineffective immune response to the virus. It is proposed that only viral core antigens without the envelope will be perceived as non-self by the host immune system and can provoke an effective immune response. In normal uninfected persons, core antigens could therefore serve as a vaccine. In HIV infected persons, uncommitted immunocytes from the peripheral leucocytes freed from antibodies will in vitro process autologous viral core antigens as non-self antigens and lead to an effective immune response against the HIV when reinjected into the patient. The use of autologous viral core antigens provides, at the same time, a means for testing viral core antigens as possible vaccines without any risk to a third person. This immunotherapy of the HIV, when confirmed, will support core antigens as possible vaccines and could also be applied to the large group of retroviral and other enveloped viruses that cause chronic infections and malignant tumours in man and animals, with considerable benefits to human and animal health.
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Abnormalities in energy, protein, lipid and glucose metabolism have been described in HIV patients since the beginning of the epidemic. With the new antiretroviral agents, nutritional status and survival have improved dramatically. However, since these therapies were introduced, there have been more descriptions of metabolic abnormalities, some of which were similar to and others of which were in conflict with those reported in previous years. This paper reviews the complexity of the metabolic abnormalities in HIV infections before and after the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy, and discusses such etiopathogenic mechanisms as secondary infections, antiretroviral drugs and persistent immune activation, which may be involved in these derangements.
The chemokine receptor CXCR4 functions as a fusion coreceptor for T cell tropic and dual-tropic HIV-1 strains. To identify regions of CXCR4 that are important for coreceptor function, CXCR4-CXCR2 receptor chimeras were tested for the ability to support HIV-1 envelope (env) protein-mediated membrane fusion. Receptor chimeras containing the first and second extracellular loops of CXCR4 supported fusion by T tropic and dual-tropic HIV-1 and HIV-2 strains and binding of a monoclonal antibody to CXCR4, 12G5, that blocks CXCR4-dependent infection by some virus strains. The second extracellular loop of CXCR4 was sufficient to confer coreceptor function to CXCR2 for most virus strains tested but did not support binding of 12G5. Truncation of the CXCR4 cytoplasmic tail or mutation of a conserved DRY motif in the second intracellular loop did not affect coreceptor function, indicating that phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic tail and the DRY motif are not required for coreceptor function. The results implicate the involvement of multiple CXCR4 domains in HIV-1 coreceptor function, especially the second extracellular loop, though the structural requirements for coreceptor function were somewhat variable for different env proteins. Finally, a hybrid receptor in which the amino terminus of CXCR4 was replaced by that of CCR5 was active as a coreceptor for M tropic, T tropic, and dual-tropic env proteins. We propose that dual tropism may evolve in CCR5-restricted HIV-1 strains through acquisition of the ability to utilize the first and second extracellular loops of CXCR4 while retaining the ability to interact with the CCR5 amino-terminal domain.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the different responses to antiretroviral treatment including zidovudine, of patients harbouring HIV with primary resistance to zidovudine, serum viral load, and CD4+ cell counts, for 24 weeks in a group of antiretroviral-naive patients with the codon 215 mutation of the HIV pol gene and in a control group at the start of treatment. DESIGN: A case-control retrospective study (1989-1996). METHOD: Nineteen out of 210 patients previously studied harboured the codon 215 mutation, had a self-reported compliance with treatment, a minimum follow-up of 24 weeks, and were treated with zidovudine alone or in combination with other nucleoside analogues. These patients were matched with 19 patients with wild-type strains at entry by initial CD4+ cell counts, clinical status, and antiretroviral treatment. RESULTS: During the first 12 weeks, CD4+ cell counts increased (76+/-26 and 64+/-26 x 10(6)/l in wild-type and mutant virus-infected groups, respectively), decreasing slightly until week 24, although no significant differences were found between the two groups studied. Serum viral load decreased in both groups (change in serum viral load of 0.80+/-0.11 log10 and 0.87+/-0.26 log10 copies/ml, wild-type and mutant virus-infected, respectively), although no significant differences were found between groups. CONCLUSION: No significant differences were found between patients with the primary mutation to zidovudine and control patients harbouring wild-type virus in terms of short-term response measured by serum viral load and CD4+ cell counts.
BACKGROUND: In sub-Saharan Africa, malnutrition is a major complication of HIV disease. Measuring accurately the nutritional benefits of a therapeutic intervention could be an easy-to-monitor secondary outcome. METHODS: Anthropometric data were analysed from patients participating in a placebo-controlled trial of co-trimoxazole prophylaxis in adults recruited at early stages of HIV-1 infection in Côte d'Ivoire (COTRIMO-CI ANRS 059 trial). Body mass index (BMI), arm muscle circumference (AMC) and percentage of fat mass (FM) were measured at baseline and quarterly during the follow up. Percentage of variation from the baseline value was compared between treatment groups and within the groups using Student t-test. RESULTS: An improvement of all anthropometric indicators was observed in the first 3 months of follow up in both treatment groups, significant in the co-trimoxazole group (P < or = 0.0006) but not in the placebo group (P > or = 0.06). In the co-trimoxazole group, this improvement was maintained for up to 24 months for BMI (P = 0.007), 21 months for AMC (P = 0.02) and only up to 12 months for FM (P = 0.04). The placebo group had a stable anthropometric status up to the end of the trial. Differences between treatment groups were significant for up to 15 months for BMI and AMC and 12 months for FM. CONCLUSION: As co-trimoxazole prophylaxis is now recommended in Africa as part of a minimum package of care for HIV-infected symptomatic subjects, the short-term improvement of these anthropometric indicators in adults who start co-trimoxazole prophylaxis should be considered as an effective clinical outcome.
To study the respective roles of mean serum ferritin level and the mean desferrioxamine (DFX) dose on progression of HIV-1 infection, data from 49 HIV-seropositive thalassemic patients were analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards model including known confounding variables. Nine years after seroconversion, 10% of those who had been prescribed >40 mg/kg of DFX daily had entered stage IV versus 39% of those who had been prescribed a lower dose. Patients with ferritin level >1935 g/L entered stage IV more rapidly than those with a lower level (31% versus 16%). In multivariate analysis, the ferritin level was found to be an independent predictor of progression of HIV disease, whereas the mean daily dose of DFX was not. Similar results were obtained when death was the endpoint. Our results support a hypothesis that was recently expressed, that iron overload could be associated with a more rapid progression of HIV-1 infection.