Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes : JAIDS
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J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. · Aug 2012
Development of a clinical screening index predictive of incident HIV infection among men who have sex with men in the United States.
To implement biomedical and other intensive HIV prevention interventions cost-effectively, busy care providers need validated, rapid, risk screening tools for identifying persons at highest risk of incident infection. ⋯ We developed an easily administered and scored 7-item screening index with a cutoff that is predictive of HIV seroconversion in 2 large prospective cohorts of US men who have sex with men. The index can be used to prioritize patients for intensive HIV prevention efforts (eg, preexposure prophylaxis).
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J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. · May 2012
Analysis of a previously identified "pain-protective" haplotype and individual polymorphisms in the GCH1 gene in Africans with HIV-associated sensory neuropathy: a genetic association study.
We analyzed GTP cyclohydrolase 1 in symptomatic HIV-associated sensory neuropathy in Southern Africans including a "pain-protective" 3-SNP haplotype and 6 SNPs, analyzed individually and in a 6-SNP haplotype. The "pain-protective" 3-SNP haplotype and a 6-SNP haplotype containing these alleles associated with a reduced risk of pain. ⋯ Linkage disequilibrium differed between our cohort and Caucasians suggesting that these SNPs may not be ideal markers in Africans. Subsequently, the role of GTP cyclohydrolase 1 in painful HIV-associated sensory neuropathy remains possible.
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J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. · Apr 2012
Multicenter StudyPsychometric validation of the PROQOL-HIV questionnaire, a new health-related quality of life instrument-specific to HIV disease.
This study reports the psychometric validation of a new HIV/AIDS-specific health-related quality of life (HRQL) questionnaire, the Patient Reported Outcomes Quality of Life-HIV. The instrument was developed simultaneously across Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia to assess multidimensional quality of life impairments in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy. ⋯ The Patient Reported Outcomes Quality of Life-HIV questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing HRQL specific to HIV disease in different cultures and healthcare systems.
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J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. · Mar 2012
Excellent clinical outcomes and high retention in care among adults in a community-based HIV treatment program in rural Rwanda.
Access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) has rapidly expanded; as of the end of 2010, an estimated 6.6 million people are receiving ART in low-income and middle-income countries. Few reports have focused on the experiences of rural health centers or the use of community health workers. We report clinical and programatic outcomes at 24 months for a cohort of patients enrolled in a community-based ART program in southeastern Rwanda under collaboration between Partners In Health and the Rwandan Ministry of Health. ⋯ A program of intensive community-based treatment support for ART in rural Rwanda had excellent outcomes in 24-month retention in care. Having committed to improving access to HIV treatment in sub-Saharan Africa, the international community, including country HIV programs, should set high programmatic outcome benchmarks.