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HIV/TB epidemic in Eastern Europe a 'public health disaster'

Michael Carter — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:00 GMT

HIV-positive patients who are co-infected with tuberculosis have poor outcomes in Eastern Europe, a major international study published in the November 27^th edition of AIDS shows.

Low bone mineral density common in HIV-positive men

Michael Carter — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:00:00 GMT

A large proportion of HIV-positive men have low bone mineral density, Australian researchers report in the December 1^st edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Treatment with a boosted protease inhibitor was identified as a risk factor, and the investigators suggest that their results point to tenofovir also causing changes in the bone metabolism. The risk of fractures was sufficiently high in 16% of patients to warrant treatment.

Circumcision may protect HIV-negative gay men from syphilis

Michael Carter — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Circumcision protects HIV-negative gay men from infection with syphilis, Australian investigators report in the December 15^th edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. However, circumcision did not affect the risk of acquiring any other sexually transmitted infection.

HIV 'exposure' from bite forms basis for terrorism charge in US case

Michael Carter — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 GMT

An HIV-positive gay man who was arrested after allegedly biting an assailant when defending himself from an assault has been charged using terrorism legislation in the US state of Michigan.

First hint of a hepatitis C vaccine?

Gus Cairns — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 GMT

A novel vaccine, IC41, containing sections from the hepatitis C virus (HCV) has produced a modest, but apparently continuous, viral load decline in patients who already have hepatitis C.

Pregnancy, not nevirapine cause of liver toxicities in HIV-positive women

Michael Carter — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Results of US research “challenge the notion that nevirapine is uniquely associated with hepatotoxicity during pregnancy.” The study did however show that pregnancy itself increased the risk of liver toxicities in women with HIV. The research is published in the November 27^th edition of AIDS.

Surviving to die of something else: AIDS is a rare cause of death in old people with HIV

Gus Cairns — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 GMT

A French study of a group of people with HIV aged over 60 has found that over a four-year period, one in seven of the group died – but not a single death was attributable to an AIDS-defining illness.

New EACS guidelines address co-morbidities and diseases of age

Gus Cairns — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:00:00 GMT

The 2009 Treatment Guidelines published by the European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) are considerably longer and more detailed than the last set, published in 2007. The 80-page booklet adds a number of guidelines for treating 14 different co-morbidities and co-infections.

Small case series looks at etravirine during pregnancy

Michael Carter — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Etravirine could be a safe and effective option during pregnancy, a small case series presented to the 12^th European AIDS Conference in Cologne suggests.

Protease inhibitor monotherapy as a maintenance regimen: are we edging towards acceptance?

Gus Cairns — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:00:00 GMT

An entire session at the 12th European AIDS Conference was devoted to trials of different ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitors (PI/r) used as the sole drug in an antiretroviral regimen.