Global epidemiology of HIV infection in men who have sex with men

Epidemics of HIV in men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to expand in most countries. We sought to understand the epidemiological drivers of the global epidemic in MSM and why it continues unabated. We did a comprehensive review of available data for HIV prevalence, incidence, risk factors, and the molecular epidemiology of HIV in MSM from 2007 to 2011, and modelled the dynamics of HIV transmission with an agent-based simulation. Our findings show that the high probability of transmission per act through receptive anal intercourse has a central role in explaining the disproportionate disease burden in MSM. HIV can be transmitted through large MSM networks at great speed. Molecular epidemiological data show substantial clustering of HIV infections in MSM networks, and higher rates of dual-variant and multiple-variant HIV infection in MSM than in heterosexual people in the same populations. Prevention strategies that lower biological transmission and acquisition risks, such as approaches based on antiretrovirals, offer promise for controlling the expanding epidemic in MSM, but their potential effectiveness is limited by structural factors that contribute to low health-seeking behaviours in populations of MSM in many parts of the world.     

Assessment of prenatal exposure to ethanol by meconium analysis: results of an Italian multicenter study

Background: This study estimated in 7 Italian cities the prevalence of prenatal exposure to ethanol by determining fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs; palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic esters) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in neonatal meconium samples. Methods: A total of 607 meconium samples were obtained from neonatal wards of 7 public hospitals: Verona and San Daniele del Friuli in the northeast of the country, Reggio Emilia in the middle east, Florence and Rome in the center, and Naples and Crotone in the southwest of the peninsula. Meconium biomarkers were assessed by a validated methodology using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and the results categorized using the accepted cutoff of 2 nmol/g total amount of 7 FAEEs and 2 nmol/g EtG, to differentiate between heavy maternal ethanol use during pregnancy and occasional or no use at all. Results: On the basis of the above‐reported cutoffs, the overall prevalence of newborns prenatally exposed to maternal ethanol was 7.9%: 0% in Verona, 4.0% in San Daniele del Friuli, 4.9% in Naples, 5.0% in Florence, 6.2% in Crotone, up to 10.6% in Reggio Emilia, and 29.4% in Rome. Low maternal education level and younger maternal age were associated with biomarker scores over the cutoff. There was also a significant correlation between the highest percentage of prenatal exposure in the capital and certain maternal sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusions: These results indicate considerable variability in the prevalence of fetal exposure to ethanol in different Italian cities, as determined by the objective measurement of biomarkers in meconium. These data, together with previous ones obtained in Barcelona, Spain, indicate that gestational ethanol exposure is widespread, at least in parts of Europe.     

Varenicline potentiates alcohol-induced negative subjective responses and offsets impaired eye movements

Background: Varenicline (VAR) is a partial nicotinic receptor agonist that is an effective smoking cessation medication. Preliminary evidence indicates that it may also reduce alcohol consumption, but the underlying mechanism is not clear. For example, VAR may reduce alcohol consumption by attenuating its subjectively rewarding properties or by enhancing its aversive effects. In this study, we examined the effects of an acute dose of VAR upon subjective, physiological, and objective responses to low and moderate doses of alcohol in healthy social drinkers. Methods: Healthy men and women (N = 15) participated in 6 randomized sessions; 3 sessions each with 2 mg VAR and placebo (PL) followed 3 hours later by a beverage containing PL, low‐dose alcohol (0.4 g/kg), or high‐dose alcohol (0.8 g/kg). Subjective mood and drug effects (i.e., stimulation, drug liking), physiological measures (heart rate, blood pressure), and eye tracking tasks were administered at various intervals before and after drug and alcohol administration. Results: VAR acutely increased blood pressure, heart rate, ratings of dysphoria and nausea, and also improved eye tracking performance. After alcohol drinking (vs. PL), VAR increased dysphoria and tended to reduce alcohol liking ratings. It also attenuated alcohol‐induced eye‐tracking impairments. These effects were independent of the drug’s effects on nausea before drinking. Conclusions: Our data support the theory that VAR may reduce drinking by potentiating aversive effects of alcohol. VAR also offsets alcohol‐induced eye movement impairment. The evidence suggests that VAR may decrease alcohol consumption by producing effects, which oppose the rewarding efficacy of alcohol.     

Comparison of safety and efficacy of bivalirudin versus unfractionated heparin in high-risk patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (from the Anti-Thrombotic Strategy for Reduction of Myocardial Damage During Angioplasty-Bivalirudin vs Heparin study)

Bivalirudin, a direct thrombin inhibitor, is as effective as unfractionated heparin (UFH), with decreased bleeding in patients with acute coronary syndromes who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of bivalirudin versus UFH in selected PCI patients at high bleeding risk. Four hundred one consecutive patients who underwent PCI fulfilling ≥ 1 enrollment criterion (age >75 years, chronic renal failure, and diabetes mellitus) were randomized to bivalirudin (bolus 0.75 mg/kg followed by infusion during the procedure; n = 198) or UFH (75 IU/kg; n = 203). In the overall population, 39% were aged >75 years, 22% had renal failure, 63% had diabetes, and 29% had acute coronary syndromes. The primary efficacy end point was the 30-day incidence of major adverse cardiac events (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, or target vessel revascularization). The primary safety end point was the occurrence of any bleeding or entry-site complications after PCI. All patients were preloaded with clopidogrel 600 mg. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors were used at the operators' discretion. Thirty-day major adverse cardiac event rates were 11.1% in the bivalirudin group and 8.9% in the UFH group (p = 0.56); the primary efficacy end point was reached mainly because of periprocedural myocardial infarction; 1 patient in the bivalirudin group had stent thrombosis. Occurrence of the primary safety end point was 1.5% in the bivalirudin group and 9.9% in the UFH group (p = 0.0001); this benefit was essentially driven by the prevention of entry-site hematomas >10 cm (0.5% vs 6.9%, p = 0.002). In conclusion, Anti-Thrombotic Strategy for Reduction of Myocardial Damage During Angioplasty-Bivalirudin vs Heparin (ARMYDA-7 BIVALVE) indicates that bivalirudin, compared with UFH, causes significantly lower bleeding and has a similar incidence of major adverse cardiac events in patients with older age, diabetes mellitus, or chronic renal failure who undergo PCI.     

Follow-up with exercise test of effort-induced ventricular arrhythmias linked to ryanodine receptor type 2 gene mutations

The aim of this study was to assess exercise test results and efficacy of therapy with a β blocker (acebutolol) in ryanodine receptor type 2 (RyR2) mutation carriers with documented ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) and long-term follow-up. Twenty RyR2 mutation carriers belonging to 8 families and regularly followed at our center were analyzed using a study protocol involving electrocardiography, exercise tests off and on β-blocker therapy, 2-dimensional echocardiography, and signal-averaged electrocardiography. Off-therapy exercise testing triggered the onset of VAs at different heart rates (mean 132 ± 13 beats/min) with various patterns that worsened while exercising and disappeared immediately after stopping. The most severe VAs detected were nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in 35% and ventricular couplets in 35%. In the remaining subjects single ventricular premature beats were recorded. In 15% of patients single monomorphic ventricular premature beats were detected and identified to be linked to RyR2 mutations owing to the presence of sudden deaths of their family members and subsequent family screening. Acebutolol made the VAs disappear completely in 20% of subjects and decreased their complexity in 50%, whereas it did not change VAs appreciably in 30% of patients with less complex VAs. After 11 ± 8 years of follow-up 2 patients developed syncope. In conclusion, exercise testing was a fundamental tool for assessing the clinical phenotype and efficacy of therapy in RyR2 mutation carriers and therapy with acebutolol led in most subjects to a decreased complexity of the arrhythmic pattern or to complete suppression.     

High risk of transfusion-induced alloimmunization of patients with inflammatory bowel disease

BackgroundAnemia is highly prevalent in inflammatory bowel disease patients, and red blood cell transfusion is often indicated already at reproductive age. Both transfusion and pregnancy may induce red cell alloantibodies, potentially complicating further transfusions and pregnancies. As recent evidence suggests that inflammation may promote red cell antibody induction, the alloimmunization risk of these patients after allogenic erythrocyte exposure was investigated.MethodsRed cell alloantibody status and clinical data were analyzed in 193 inflammatory bowel disease patients with a history of transfusion or pregnancy, and compared with transfused controls with noninflammatory diseases (n = 357).ResultsIn transfused patients with inflammatory bowel disease, a 2.5-fold-increased red cell antibody prevalence was found (10/119, 8.4%), compared with transfused sex-matched controls with noninflammatory diseases (12/357, 3.4%; P = .023). Patients with inflammatory bowel disease had fewer transfusions (mean 3.0 vs 4.2, P = .003) but higher C-reactive protein levels during transfusion than controls (mean 8.4 vs 5.4 mg/dL, P <.001). The red cell antibodies of inflammatory bowel disease patients were clinically significant, directed against different Rh, Kell, Duffy, or Lutheran blood group antigens, and associated with higher number of transfusions (odds ratio 1.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.39). Conversely, immunomodulatory therapy during transfusion showed negative association (odds ratio 0.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.61). Only 1.4% of inflammatory bowel disease patients with pregnancy alone had antibodies.ConclusionsPatients with inflammatory bowel disease exhibited a very high risk of transfusion-induced red cell alloimmunization, possibly potentiated by inflammation. Aside from a restrictive transfusion strategy, the implementation of prophylactic blood group phenotype matching of red cell concentrates (not only for ABO and RhD but also RhCcEe, Kell, Kidd, Duffy) could prevent antibody induction and associated complications in these patients.     

Histological evaluation of healing after transalveolar maxillary sinus augmentation with bioglass and autogenous bone

Objectives: The aim was to evaluate histologically the outcome of a bioglass and autogenous bone (at 1 : 1 ratio) composite implantation for transalveolar sinus augmentation. Methods: In 31 patients, during implant installation ca. 4 months after sinus augmentation, biopsies were harvested through the transalveolar osteotomy by means of a trephine bur and non‐decalcified sections through the long axis of the cylinder were produced. After a strict selection process, taking into account the presurgical residual bone height and biopsy length, 8 and 15 biopsies representing the new tissues formed inside the sinus and the transalveolar osteotomy, respectively, qualified for analysis. The tissue fractions occupied by newly formed bone (mineralized tissue+bone marrow), soft connective tissue, residual biomaterial+empty spaces, and debris inside the sinus cavity or the transalveolar osteotomy were estimated. Results: Bone and connective tissue fraction in the newly formed tissues inside the sinus cavity averaged 23.4 ± 13.2% and 54.1 ± 23.5%, respectively. Residual biomaterial, empty spaces, and debris averaged 1.9 ± 3.5%, 10.5 ± 6.3%, and 8.4 ± 14.5%, respectively. In the transalveolar osteotomy, bone and connective tissue fraction averaged 41.6 ± 14.3% and 46.1 ± 13%, respectively, while the amount of residual biomaterial, empty spaces, and debris was 2.8 ± 5%, 4.7 ± 1.9%, and 3.2 ± 2.6%, respectively. Statistically significant differences between the sinus cavity and the transalveolar osteotomy were found only for bone and empty spaces' values (P=0.02 and 0.04, respectively). Conclusion: Sinus augmentation with a bioglass and autogenous bone composite is compatible with bone formation that, in a short distance from the floor of the sinus, shows similar density as that reported previously for other commonly used bone substitutes. New bone fraction inside the transalveolar osteotomy was almost twice as much as in the sinus cavity, while the amount of residual biomaterial was much less than that inside the sinus. To cite this article :
Stavropoulos A, Sima C, Sima A, Nyengaard J, Karring T, Sculean A. Histological evaluation of healing after transalveolar maxillary sinus augmentation with bioglass and autogenous bone.
Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 23 , 2012; 125–131.
doi: 10.1111/j.1600‐0501.2011.02161.x