NTRODUÇÃO: Embora haja cada vez mais provas de que a co-infecção pelo HCV piora a evolução da hepatotoxicidade relacionada ao HIV, as influências dos diferentes fatores associados a este permanecem mal compreendidas. Este estudo está destinado a avaliar os dados epidemiológicos, laboratoriais e HAART e sua associação com a evolução da taxa de progressão da fibrose (FPR), em doentes co-infectados acompanhados em centros de referência para o tratamento de HIV/VHC na cidade de São Paulo, Brasil. MÉTODOS: 938 prontuários de patientes coinfectados foram revisados para este estudo e 102 preencheram os critérios de inclusão. Um estudo transversal, avaliando os aspectos sócioepidemiológicos, laboratoriais e biópsia hepática foi realizado e correlacionado o grau de fibrose hepática e a FPR encontrada. RESULTADOS: A população foi caracterizada por indivíduos homens (83,3%), de meia-idade (42,9 anos), brancos (53,9%), com o principal fator de risco de aquisição de ambas as infecções foi através da utilização de drogas ilícitas (72,5%), principalmente intravenosa e presença de consumo de álcool (75,5%), com predominância do genótipo 1 de HCV (56,9%) e tempo médio de uso de antirretrovirals de 7,9 anos (DP = 3,6 a). A avaliação histológica não mostrou qualquer relação entre maior grau de fibrose na biópsia hepática relacionados com a exposição da antirretrovirals ou mesmo na FPR. Abuso de drogas ilícitas, incluindo cocaína inalada e intravenosa relacionam-se com taxas mais elevadas fibrose hepática e FPR. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados enfatizam a necessidade de incentivar a retirada do consumo de drogas ilícitas da população de pacientes coinfectados HIV/VHC em uso de qualquer regime antirretroviral. O nosso estudo não encontrou nenhuma relação entre a utilização de regimes baseados em IP ou NNRTI e um pior prognóstico da fibrose hepática ou FPR na população avaliada. / BACKGROUND: Although there\'s growing evidence that the co-infection with HCV worsens the evolution of the HIV-related hepatotoxicity, the influence of the different factors associated to this remains poorly understood.This study intended to evaluate the epidemiological, laboratorial and HAART associated to the evolution of the fibrose progression rate (FPR) in co-infected patients followed in reference centers for the treatment of HIV/HCV in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: 938 medical charts of co-infected patientes were reviewed for this study.and 102 fullfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria to participate. A cross-sectional study evaluating socio-epidemiological aspects, laboratorial assesment and liver biopsy was performed and correlated with the fibrosis rate and the fibrosis progression rate (FPR). RESULTS: The population was characterized by male (83,3%), middle-age (42,9 years), white (53,9%) individuals, with a main risk factor of adquisition of both the infections trough illicit drugs-use (72,5%), mainly intravenous and alcohol consumption (75,5%), with predominance of HCV genotype 1 (56,9%) with a medium time of use of antiretrovirals of 7,9 years (SD=3,6 y). Histologic evaluation showed no relation between higher fibrosis degree in the liver biopsy related to the exposure of the antiretrovirals or even in the fibrosis progression rate (FPR). Illicit drugs abuse, including inaled and intravenous cocaine , were related to higher liver fibrosis rates and FPR. CONCLUSION: Our results emphasize the necessity of encourage the withdraw of ilicit drugs consumption in the HIV/HCV co-infected population in use of any antiretroviral regimen. Our study does no find any relation between the use of IP or NNRTI-based regimens and the poor prognosis of the liver fibrosis in this population.

Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an innovative biomedical approach that has been used over the past 6 years to avert the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Under-prescribing of PrEP could increase the probability of HIV exposure among serodiscordant couples/partners and those who do not practice safe sex. Previous PrEP research has not assessed the association between awareness of PrEP, years of experience of providers, provider types, and the frequency of PrEP prescription among physicians. Precaution adoption model framed this study, which aimed to evaluate the bond between the independent variables relating to awareness of PrEP, years of experience, and provider types with the outcome of the frequency of PrEP prescription among physicians. A cross-sectional design was applied to survey 100 physician participants. Kendall's tau-b correlation test and Fisher's exact test were used to analyze the research questions. Eighty-seven percent of the surveyed physicians had low awareness about PrEP, and 90% never prescribed PrEP. Lack of awareness was the primary barrier to prescribing PrEP at the providers' level. Kendall's tau-b correlation test showed that higher awareness of PrEP and years of experience were associated with the frequency of PrEP prescription at 95% confidence interval. However, Fisher's exact test showed an insignificant difference between provider types and the frequency of PrEP Prescription. These findings support the notion that independent of specialty, the more physicians know about PrEP and the more years of experience they have, the more they prescribe it. The results and recommendations could enhance positive social change by providing information to develop an inclusive PrEP education curriculum for health care professionals.

Apesar dos avanços nas últimas décadas no tratamento do paciente soropositivo para o HIV e da recomendação de 2015 da Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS), ainda permanece o obstáculo das Mutações de Resistência a Drogas (DRMs) do vírus, induzida por suas altas taxas de mutação, que pode prejudicar o sucesso da terapia e comprometer a prevenção da doença, limitando as opções de tratamento disponíveis. Vários estudos em diferentes partes do mundo têm demonstrado aumento ou taxas estáveis de resistência aos antirretrovirais (ARVs), por isso, é necessário o monitoramento dessas DRMs, que terão suas particularidades de acordo com o perfil de cada região. Com esse propósito, este estudo avaliou as DRMs e sua suscetibilidade às principais classes de ARVs nos pacientes soropositivos para o HIV do Hospital das Clinicas da cidade de São Paulo. Para os pacientes nunca expostos ao tratamento ARV, a prevalência de DRMs transmitidas das 249 genotipagens analisadas foi de 21 (8,4%) e a prevalência de DRMs adquiridas foi de 75 (68,8%) dos 109 casos expostos ao ARV. Além disso, na comparação dessa prevalência entre as duas décadas de abrangência deste estudo (2002-2017), houve aumento de qualquer mutação CPR (Calibração de Resistência Populacional), transmitida, da primeira para a segunda década, principalmente da classe NNRTI (Inibidores Não Nucleosídios da Transcriptase Reversa). Também é importante destacar que as mutações transmitidas responsáveis por esse aumento foram a K103N (3,5%), a P225H (0,6%) e K103S e Y181C, ambos com 0,3%. Já para o grupo dos pacientes em uso das medicações ARVs, houve uma pequena diminuição, não significativa, de qualquer mutação da primeira para a segunda década, porém, somente da classe IP (Inibidores da Protease), isoladamente, que foi significativo essa diminuição / Despite the progress in recent decades of HIV patient treatment and the 2015 Recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO), it still remains an obstacle, the virus Drug Resistance Mutations (DRMs) induced by their high mutation rates, which may affect the success of the therapy and compromise the prevention of the disease, limiting treatment options available. Many studies in different parts of the world demonstrate an increase or even steady rates of resistance to antiretroviral (arv) drugs, therefore, it´s necessary to monitor these DRMs, which will have their own peculiarities according to each region. For this purpose, this study evaluated the DRMs and their susceptibility to the main classes of antiretrovirus present in the HIV patients at the Hospital das Clínicas in São Paulo. To patients never exposed to antiretrovirus treatment, the prevalence of transmitted DRMs was 21 (8.4%) of 249 genotypes analysed and the prevalence of acquired DRMs was 75 (68.8%) of 109 cases exposed to arv. In adittion to it, the comparison of this prevalence in almost two decades of study (2002-2017), shows an increase of any mutation CPR (Calibrated Population Resistance) transmitted from the first to the second decade mainly of NNRTI (Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors) class. Alongside this, it´s important to note that the transmitted mutations responsible to this increase were K103N (3.5%), P225H (0.6%) and K103S and Y181C, both with 0.3%. Considering the group of pacients in use of arv drugs, there were found a non-significant small decrease of any mutation from the first decade to the second, although only IP (Protease Inhibitors) class showed a significant decrease

<p>Antiretroviral regimens have side effects that can threaten adherence by patients resulting in evolution of viral resistance due to suboptimal drug levels. Studies have shown that drug adherence of at least 80% can result in viral load suppression. There is no literature on the association between the level of adherence to antiretroviral therapy and the degree of virological suppression in Namibia. The aim of the present study was to determine the therapeutic and virological outcomes in HIV/AIDS patients at 6 and 12 months after initiation of highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in an urban population in Namibia. The distribution of viral load results showed a low uptake (35%) of virological monitoring at 6 month time point and even lower (12%) at 12 months. A conservative viral load threshold for virological response is required in the Namibian setting. The current adherence level of &gt / 80% encourage increased ARV therapy rollout. Poor virological outcome was associated with self-reported adherence.</p>

<p>Aim: To establish whether a family centered approach to HIV care in which HIV positive adults are counseled on the importance of having their children tested results in the adults bringing their children under the age of five years for testing and or accessing HIV care, and to explore challenges faced by caregivers in bringing children for testing and care.</p>

<p>Background: Although clinicians encounter antimycobacterial treatment in Human mmunodeficiency (HIV)-infected children as one of the most common treatments coadministered with antiretroviral treatment (ART), quantitative data on the extent of antimycobacterial treatment among HIV-infected children at the time of commencement of ART and at different times during ART is scarce. The baseline risk factors associated with being on both ART and antimycobacterial treatments are not known and it remains to be elucidated how the different exposure factors impact on the antimycobacterial treatment-free survival of children who begin ART without antimycobacterial treatment.Objectives: To describe the prevalence of antimycobacterial treatment among children at the time of starting ART and the antimycobacterial treatment-free survival after starting ART. Design: A retrospective cohort study based on record reviews at the Harriet Shezi children&lsquo / s clinic (HSCC).Population: HIV-infected children less than fifteen years of age presumed ART na&iuml / ve started on ART at HSCC.Analysis: A descriptive analysis of the prevalence of antimycobacterial treatment at time of start of ART was done. Kaplan Meier (KM) survival curves were used to determine the antimycobacterial treatment-free survival and logistic regression was used to analyze the association between baseline factors and future antimycobacterial treatment among children who had no antimycobacterial treatment at time of start of ART. Results: The prevalence of antimycobacterial treatment at the time of starting ART was 518/1941 (26.7%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 24.7-28.7). Among children who started ART without antimycobacterial treatment, the KM cumulative probability of antiretroviral and antimycobacterial (ART/antimycobacterial) co-treatment in the first 3 months of starting ART was 4.6% (95% CI: 4.1- 5.2), in the first 12 months it was 18.1% (95% CI: 17.0-19.2) and in the first 24 months of starting ART it was 24% (95% CI: 21.9-25.1). Survival analysis suggested that children with high baseline viral load, advanced World Health Organization (WHO) stage of disease, very low normalized weight for age (waz) and very young age (less than one year) at start of ART had significantly reduced antimycobacterial treatment-free survival (log rank p &lt / 0.05) in the first two years of starting ART. In the logistic regression model, age less than one year {Odds ratio (OR): 3.7 (95% CI: 2.2-6.0 / p &lt / 0.0001)} and very low weight for age Z-score (waz &lt / -3) {OR / 2.2 (95% CI: 1.4-3.6 / p = 0.0015)} were the two critical risk factors independently associated with future antimycobacterial treatment. Conclusions: Antimycobacterial treatment is extremely common among HIV-infected children at the time of starting ART and early after starting ART and the incremental risk of being on ART/antimycobacterial co-treatment decreases with time on ART. The results emphasize the need for a heightened and careful alertness for mycobacterial events especially among children starting ART with severe malnutrition and those who start ART at age less than one year. The results further suggest that it is probably optimal to start ART in children before their nutritional status has deteriorated severely in the course of the HIV disease so that they get protection against mycobacterial events by early ART.</p>

<p>Eligibility for antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV-infected patients is defined either by a cluster of differentiation antigen 4 (CD4) count of less than 200cells/mm3 or clinical diagnosis of WHO stage III and IV. Therefore, the decision to start ART becomes difficult when CD4 cell count is not available. With limited laboratory infrastructure, the decision to start ART is usually made based on clinical symptoms leading to late commencement of ART. This calls for alternative criteria to see if nail discoloration (ND) correlates with low CD4 count among untreated HIV infected patients. This will serve as a complementary screening tool for identifying asymptomatic ARV naive HIV patients with a CD4 cell count of less than 200cells/mm3 which signifies&nbsp / severe immunosuppression. Study Design and Setting: This was a quantitative cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study involving adult ART na&iuml / ve HIV infected patients in WHO stage I and II. Systematic sampling was used to select the participants from all adult ART na&iuml / ve HIV infected patients attending APIN clinic, located at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Jos, Nigeria. Data Collection: Face-to-face interviews, physical examination and relevant laboratory investigations with selected participants were conducted using a questionnaire guide. Questions on socio-demographic characteristics, clinical data, general physical examinations including finger nail examination and photographing with subsequent laboratory investigations including CD4 count and western blot were employed. Data Analysis: Variables were categorized and data analyzed using descriptive statistics including the frequency, percentage frequency / mean and standard deviation of continuous variables. Association between CD4 count of &le / 200cells/mm3 and ND was tested using the chisquare test with an alpha level of 0.05. Prevalence of ND, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values and accuracy of the screening test of ND was calculated. Results: 394 patients had their fingernails photographed and assessed. It was shown that distal banded and grey nails were the common types of ND seen with a prevalence of 38%. There was an association between CD4 count &le / 200cells/mm3 and ND (p&lt / 0.0001). CD4 count &le / 200cells/mm3 was a risk factor for developing ND (RR=2.3[1.8-3.6]). The association has a sensitivity of 78%, specificity of 55%, positive predictive value of 50%, and negative predictive value of 80% and accuracy of test 63%. Conclusion: With a significant association (p&lt / 0.0001) and a sensitivity of 78%, ND can be a useful clinical indicator of immune dysfunction mediated by HIV among patients in WHO stage I or II. ND can either be a clinical sign or a symptom in HIV patients with a CD4 of &le / 200cells/mm3 as seen in the study as the specificity and sensitivity of ND compared favourably with other WHO stage III diagnosis. Recommendations: Nail discoloration should complement CD4 count as an additional staging sign to help identify patients likely to benefit from ART especially in resource-limited settings. Finally, all patients with grey or distal banded should be on co-trimoxaxole prophylaxis in line with WHO /national guideline on the use of co-trimoxaxole for all HIV positive patients with a CD4 cell count of &le / 350cells/mm3.</p>

Understanding the barriers to treatment for individuals with HIV/AIDS in developing countries could have a major impact on their ability to seek healthcare services. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively analyze the effect of daily activities and structural factors, which act as barriers to seeking health services for individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania. The study is based on the hypothesis that (1) Individuals living with HIV/AIDS who face both personal and structural barriers have poor health compared to those not facing the barriers. (2) Individuals living with HIV/AIDS demonstrate different decisions and abilities to seek health services depending on their socioeconomic and clinical factors. A retrospective study design has been chosen for the current project. The source data-set comprises demographic and health surveys (DHS) in 2011-12 with N=839, male=661, female=178 the independent variables identified have been sub classified into, structural, personal, and socioeconomic groups. The data is analyzed using SPSS Statistical Package for Social Science, version 20. The data analysis shows the significant relationship between various variables included in the study such as owning livestock and frequency of eating meat in a week, distance from the health facility and the mode of transportation. We subdivided the data into these categories: urban, rural, male and female for further analysis. Based upon the results from the study, resources can be managed optimally so as to minimize costs and treatment delays / failures for individuals suffering with HIV/AIDS, especially in the context of developing world. These results could be applied to other developing countries as well. The global picture relates to maximizing the benefits and minimizing healthcare costs as a way to reducing morbidity and mortality in HIV/AIDS populations in developing countries.

<p>Aim: To establish whether a family centered approach to HIV care in which HIV positive adults are counseled on the importance of having their children tested results in the adults bringing their children under the age of five years for testing and or accessing HIV care, and to explore challenges faced by caregivers in bringing children for testing and care.</p>

<p>Antiretroviral regimens have side effects that can threaten adherence by patients resulting in evolution of viral resistance due to suboptimal drug levels. Studies have shown that drug adherence of at least 80% can result in viral load suppression. There is no literature on the association between the level of adherence to antiretroviral therapy and the degree of virological suppression in Namibia. The aim of the present study was to determine the therapeutic and virological outcomes in HIV/AIDS patients at 6 and 12 months after initiation of highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in an urban population in Namibia. The distribution of viral load results showed a low uptake (35%) of virological monitoring at 6 month time point and even lower (12%) at 12 months. A conservative viral load threshold for virological response is required in the Namibian setting. The current adherence level of &gt / 80% encourage increased ARV therapy rollout. Poor virological outcome was associated with self-reported adherence.</p>