AIDS
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Low baseline serum hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA and clearance of viraemia at week 4 with pegylated interferon (pegIFN) plus ribavirin therapy predict sustained virological response (SVR) and enable a shorter duration of therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. It is unclear whether this applies to HIV/HCV-co-infected patients. ⋯ Undetectable HCV-RNA at week 4 is the best predictor of curing chronic hepatitis C in HCV/HIV-co-infected patients. In HCV-1 patients, baseline HCV-RNA also predicts response. HIV patients with HCV-3 and RVR may permit shortening therapy duration to only 24 weeks of pegIFN plus 1000-1200 mg ribavirin.
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Multicenter Study
A five-city trial of a behavioural intervention to reduce sexually transmitted disease/HIV risk among sex workers in China.
To explore and evaluate a sexually transmitted disease (STD)/HIV intervention program targeting female sex workers working in entertainment establishments in five different settings in China. ⋯ The intervention was effective for increasing condom use and reducing STD among sex workers. The results were used to develop national guidelines on sex worker interventions for nationwide scale up.
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Review Multicenter Study
Risk factors for lactic acidosis and severe hyperlactataemia in HIV-1-infected adults exposed to antiretroviral therapy.
Severe hyperlactataemia and lactic acidosis are rare serious complications of antiretroviral therapy (ART). ⋯ Hyperlactataemia/lactic acidosis was associated with exposure to dideoxynucleosides, female gender, advanced immunosuppression and possibly ethnicity. This has important consequences for choice of ART in resource-limited settings. The association with shorter duration of exposure may support the hypothesis of susceptibility in a small proportion of patients.
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To evaluate the survival patterns among adults in Thailand 8-14 years after HIV-1 subtype E (CRF01 A_E) infection. ⋯ The median survival of 8.2 years in this population of young adults in Thailand was significantly less than that reported among persons of similar age in high-income countries or in eastern or southern Africa. The survival among individuals in Thailand infected with HIV-1 subtype E appears to be similar to that reported among individuals in Africa infected with HIV-1 subtype D.