Restored antioxidant capacity parallels the immunologic and virologic improvement in children with perinatal human immunodeficiency virus infection receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy.

CD3+CD4+ T-lymphocyte numbers, viral load, and serum antioxidant capacity were evaluated in 20 children with perinatal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection one month (T = -1) and one day (T = 0) before and one month (T = 1) and two months (T = 2) after a treatment switch to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Antioxidant capacity micromol/L) was evaluated by measuring the cuprous ion deriving from a known amount of cupric ion. Compared to control values (998 +/- 113 micromol/L), values in HIV-infected children were lower before HAART (T = -1, 848 +/- 211 micromol/L, P = 0.008; T = 0, 732 +/- 131 micromol/L, P < 0.0001), but similar during HAART (T = 1, 914 +/- 121 micromol/L, P = 0.089; T = 2; 957 +/- 155 micromol/L, P = 0.528; T = 1 and T = 2 vs T = 0, P < 0.0001). Immunologic and virologic improvement paralleled the restored antioxidant capacity. HAART may restore antioxidant capacity suppressing HIV, which inhibits antioxidant capacity. A positive feedback may be triggered since restored antioxidant capacity counterbalances the oxidative stress, which enhances lymphocyte apoptosis and HIV replication.     

Continuing HIV therapy in the ICU

The risks and benefits of stopping antiretroviral therapy in patients admitted to the ICU are largely unmeasured. In many cases therapy has to be stopped, as parenteral preparations are unavailable for all but one of the antiretroviral agents. Stopping treatment suddenly may be associated with increased risk of resistance because of the long half-life of some of the drugs, and also the risk of increased immunosuppression due to the viral load rebounding. Drugs given through the enteral route may be poorly absorbed, which again may lead to drug resistance. By inhibiting cytochrome P450 3A4 the drugs interfere with the metabolism of many other compounds routinely used in the ICU. Furthermore, the drugs themselves are occasionally associated with severe toxicity such as pancreatitis and lactic acidosis, which can have devastating consequences. Much active research in all of these areas is now needed.     

江苏两市MSM抗病毒治疗效果及其影响因素的研究

目的:分析江苏男男性行为(men who have sex with men,MSM)人群的艾滋病抗病毒治疗效果及其影响因素,首次建立江苏省MSM抗病毒治疗评价方法?方法:通过整群抽样的方式选取江苏两市接受免费高效抗逆转病毒治疗(highly active antiretroviral therapy,HAART)的MSM作为研究对象,进行生活史和用药情况的问卷调查;从江苏省艾滋病治疗信息库中获知其CD4值,采用Epidata 3.0和SAS 9.0分别进行资料录入与统计分析?结果:157例MSM总体CD4值提高,服药依从性低?经单因素及多因素分析,确诊后安全套使用水平低?吸烟量大?确诊至治疗时间间隔长是影响治疗效果的危险因素;首次CD4值较高及服药天数较长是保护因素?结论:江苏目前男男性行为人群抗病毒治疗效果显著,建议对符合治疗条件的MSM进行早期治疗,并提高患者服药依从性?     

从痰瘀论治HAART致脂肪代谢障碍综合征

脂肪代谢障碍综合征是艾滋病患者使用抗逆转录病毒治疗后常见的副反应,它涉及脂肪重新分布和代谢障碍等内容,脂肪重新分布又包括脂肪沉积和脂肪萎缩两部分内容,代谢障碍即代谢综合征或X综合征主要指胰岛素抵抗、高血脂等。中医从痰、瘀角度来认识此病,气机郁滞、痰凝水聚、瘀血阻痹是主要病机变化过程,痰浊、瘀血贯穿在整个病理变化过程中。治疗当从祛痰化瘀、疏肝解郁、益气解毒之法,并注意顾护胃气。     

Therapeutic options for human herpesvirus-8/Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus-related disorders

Human herpesvirus-8/Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infection is associated with three proliferative disorders in immunocompromised patients – Kaposi’s sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma and multicentric Castleman’s disease. These disorders often develop in patients with advanced AIDS who present a number of therapeutic challenges, underscoring the importance of continuing efforts dedicated to basic and clinical research in this field. In the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy, the incidence of AIDS and Kaposi’s sarcoma has considerably decreased, presumably due to enhanced anti-Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus immune responses, whereas the situation with primary effusion lymphoma and multicentric Castleman’s disease is more complex. Based on advances in the understanding of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus-related disorders and availability of antiretroviral agents, current and future therapeutic approaches will be discussed.     

Tipranavir: a new protease inhibitor for the pediatric population

Highly active antiretroviral therapy can provide sustained viral suppression and a beneficial immunological response in both antiretroviral-naive and -experienced pediatric patients infected with HIV. While there have been many antiretroviral studies in adults infected with HIV, considerably less information is available in similar HIV-infected pediatric or adolescent patients. Tipranavir, a new-generation protease inhibitor approved for use in adults with resistant HIV strains, has recently been studied in HIV-infected children and adolescents. In this article, we summarize available pharmacokinetic, safety, tolerability and efficacy data obtained from children and adolescents treated with a pediatric tipranavir formulation.     

Leprosy and HIV coinfection: a critical approach

An increase in leprosy among HIV patients, similar to that observed in patients with TB, was expected approximately 20 years ago. Studies conducted in the 1990s together with those reported recently seemed to indicate that a coinfection with HIV did not alter the incidence and the clinical spectrum of leprosy and that each disease progressed as a single infection. By contrast, in countries with a high seroprevalence of HIV, TB was noted to increase. Explanations may be provided by the differences in the incubation time, the biology and toxicity of Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. After the introduction of HAART the leprosy–HIV coinfection manifested itself as an immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), typically as paucibacillary leprosy with type 1 leprosy reaction. The incidence of leprosy in HIV-infected patients has never been properly investigated. IRIS-leprosy is probably underestimated and recent data showed that the incidence of leprosy in HIV patients under HAART was higher than previously thought.     

Pediatric Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection and cancer in the Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HAART) era

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) changed the natural history of pediatric HIV infection. This review focuses on trends of HIV-associated cancers in childhood in the HAART era and analyses potential pathogenetic mechanisms. HAART reduced AIDS-defined-malignancies (ADM), but incidence of several non-ADM is increasing. HIV-associated immune activation and inflammation, promoting tumorigenesis, can only partially be reduced by HAART. In addition, HIV-infected children may undergo accelerated immune senescence that favors cancer development. How HAART affects this condition is an open question. Lastly, there is no evidence that prenatal exposure to HAART increases the risk of cancer in childhood, but long-term studies are needed.