Second National Conference on Human Retroviruses. Good news, bad news, and no news

The second annual National Conference on Human Retroviruses and Related Infections was held in Washington, D.C., January 29-February 2, 1995. Lectures addressed such topics as viral dynamics, United States AIDS epidemiology, immunopathogenesis, antiretroviral therapy, and HIV vaccines. Symposia were held on the interactivity of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and AIDS, the causes leading to long-term nonprogressors, and factors causing individuals to be exposed but uninfected. Oral presentations reviewed the following: 1) a study on the efficacy of oral ganciclovir for prevention of CMV disease in CMV-seropositive, HIV-infected individuals with CD4 counts of 50 or less; 2) data supporting rifabutin prophylaxis against MAC infection once the CD4 count is below 100; 3) the safety of the screened blood supply in the United States; 4) ACTG 063, a study examining the use of AZT with and without acyclovir; 5) perinatal transmission; and 6) four independent studies examining the efficacy of 3TC (lamivudine) as part of a combination of antiretroviral drugs in HIV-infected patients who were both AZT-naive and AZT-experienced.