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Abstract Background Anemia is common and associated with increased morbidity among people with HIV (PWH). Classification of anemia using the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) can help investigate the underlying causative factors of anemia. We characterize anemia using MCV among PWH receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), and identify the risk factors for normocytic, macrocytic, and microcytic anemias. Methods Including PWH with anemia (hemoglobin measure 100 fL) or microcytic (

Summary: Background: Thirty-day hospital readmission measures quality of care, but there are limited data among people with HIV (PWH) and people without HIV (PWoH) in the era of universal recommendation for antiretroviral therapy. We descriptively compared 30-day all-cause, unplanned readmission risk between PWH and PWoH. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the 2019 Nationwide Readmissions Database (2019/01/01–2019/12/31), an all-payer database that represents all US hospitalizations. Index (initial) admissions and readmissions were determined using US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services definitions. Crude and age-adjusted risk ratios (aRR) comparing the 30-day all-cause, unplanned readmission risk between PWH to PWoH were estimated using random effect logistic regressions and predicted marginal estimates. Survey weights were applied to all analyses. Findings: We included 24,338,782 index admissions from 18,240,176 individuals. The median age was 52(IQR = 40–60) years for PWH and 61(IQR = 38–74) years for PWoH. The readmission risk was 20.9% for PWH and 12.2% for PWoH (age-adjusted-RR:1.88 [95%CI = 1.84–1.92]). Stratified by age and sex, young female (age 18–29 and 30–39 years) PWH had a higher readmission risk than young female PWoH (aRR = 3.50 [95%CI = 3.11–3.88] and aRR = 4.00 [95%CI = 3.67–4.32], respectively). While the readmission risk increased with age among PWoH, the readmission risk was persistently high across all age groups among PWH. The readmission risk exceeded 30% for PWH admitted for hypertensive heart disease, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. Interpretation: PWH have a disproportionately higher risk of readmission than PWoH, which is concerning given the aging profile of PWH. More efforts are needed to address readmissions among PWH. Funding: US National Institutes of Health.

Abstract Introduction: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we rapidly implemented a plasma coordination center, within two months, to support transfusion for two outpatient randomized controlled trials. The center design was based on an investigational drug services model and a Food and Drug Administration-compliant database to manage blood product inventory and trial safety. Methods: A core investigational team adapted a cloud-based platform to randomize patient assignments and track inventory distribution of control plasma and high-titer COVID-19 convalescent plasma of different blood groups from 29 donor collection centers directly to blood banks serving 26 transfusion sites. Results: We performed 1,351 transfusions in 16 months. The transparency of the digital inventory at each site was critical to facilitate qualification, randomization, and overnight shipments of blood group-compatible plasma for transfusions into trial participants. While inventory challenges were heightened with COVID-19 convalescent plasma, the cloud-based system, and the flexible approach of the plasma coordination center staff across the blood bank network enabled decentralized procurement and distribution of investigational products to maintain inventory thresholds and overcome local supply chain restraints at the sites. Conclusion: The rapid creation of a plasma coordination center for outpatient transfusions is infrequent in the academic setting. Distributing more than 3,100 plasma units to blood banks charged with managing investigational inventory across the U.S. in a decentralized manner posed operational and regulatory challenges while providing opportunities for the plasma coordination center to contribute to research of global importance. This program can serve as a template in subsequent public health emergencies.

ABSTRACT Early COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) transfusion to outpatients with COVID-19 decreases progression to hospitalization, but the mechanism of how CCP reduces severity is unknown. Among 882 COVID-19 participants transfused with CCP or control plasma in a randomized controlled trial, 21 cytokines and chemokines were measured using electrochemiluminescence assays. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to evaluate the difference between early (transfused within 5 days of symptom onset) CCP vs early control plasma and late (transfused 6–9 days after symptom onset) CCP vs late control plasma at each visit. Linear mixed-effect models were used to assess the difference in the slope of cytokine change. Median cytokine and chemokine levels were similar between the early CCP and early control groups pre-transfusion. At the day 14 visit, only the median IL-6 (P = 0.014) and IL-16 (P = 0.036) levels were lower in the early CCP group compared to the early control group, but these differences were not statistically significant after correcting for multiple comparisons (requiring P < 0.0024). IL-6 levels decreased significantly faster in the early CCP group from screening to the day 14 visit compared to the early control group (P < 0.001). No difference was observed in the slope of cytokine change from screening to day 90 between early CCP and early control groups. Late control and late CCP arms showed similar cytokine and chemokine levels through study follow-up. One mechanism by which early CCP transfusion reduces hospitalization may be by decreasing IL-6 levels, as the reduction is associated with better recovery from COVID-19. IMPORTANCE This study examined the role that cytokines may have played in the beneficial outcomes found when outpatient individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 were transfused with COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) early in their infection. We found that the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 decreased significantly faster in patients treated early with CCP. Participants with COVID-19 treated with CCP later in the infection did not have the same effect. This decrease in IL-6 levels after early CCP treatment suggests a possible role of inflammation in COVID-19 progression. The evidence of IL-6 involvement brings insight into the possible mechanisms involved in CCP treatment mitigating SARS-CoV-2 severity.

ABSTRACTPurpose Many medical school curricula include Scholarly Concentrations (SC) programs. While studies have examined how these programs affect students’ future research involvement, the association of SC programs with students’ specialty choices is uncertain. This study examines the SC program factors associated with congruence between the specialty focus of students’ SC projects and the clinical specialty they matched into for residency.Methods The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of all students participating in the SC program at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine for graduating classes 2013–2020. They used data from program questionnaires to categorize students’ specialty interests (baseline) and SC program experiences (post-program). The authors categorized each student’s project into specialties according to their faculty mentors’ primary appointments, abstracted student publications from SCOPUS, and abstracted residency program rankings from Doximity Residency Navigator. The authors used multivariable logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for specialty-congruent matching (same specialty as SC project) and for matching into a Doximity-ranked top 20 or top 10 program.Results Overall, 35.3% of the 771 students matched into the same specialty as their SC projects. Increased odds of specialty-congruent matching occurred with ‘definite’ interest in the specialty at baseline [aOR (95% CI): 1.76 (0.98–3.15)] (P = 0.06) and with increasing publications with SC mentors [aOR (95% CI): 1.16 (1.03–1.30)] (P = 0.01). Congruence between SC specialty focus and matched specialty conferred no significant difference in odds of matching to a Doximity-ranked top 20 or top 10 program.Conclusions Baseline certainty of specialty interest and research productivity were associated with specialty congruence. However, as completing an SC project in a given specialty was not associated with increased odds of matching into that specialty nor into a higher Doximity-ranked program, SC program directors should advise students to pursue SC projects in any topic of personal interest.

Post-COVID conditions (PCCs) are common and have significant morbidity. Risk factors for PCC include advancing age, female sex, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. Little is known about treatment, inflammation, and PCC. Among 882 individuals with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection participating in a randomized trial of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) vs control plasma with available biospecimens and symptom data, the association between early CCP treatment, cytokine levels, and PCC was evaluated. Cytokine and chemokine levels were assessed at baseline, day 14, and day 90 using a multiplexed sandwich immunoassay (Meso Scale Discovery). Presence of any self-reported PCC symptoms was assessed at day 90. Associations between CCP treatment, cytokine levels, and PCC were examined using multivariate logistic regression models. One third of the 882 participants had day 90 PCC symptoms, with fatigue (14.5%) and anosmia (14.5%) being most common. Cytokine levels decreased from baseline to day 90. In a multivariable analysis, female sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.69 [1.93–3.81]), older age (AOR = 1.32 [1.17–1.50]), and elevated baseline levels of IL-6 (AOR = 1.59 [1.02–2.47]) were independently associated with development of PCC. Those who received early CCP treatment (≤5 days after symptom onset) compared to late CCP treatment had statistically significant lower odds of PCC. IMPORTANCE Approximately 20% of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 experienced long-term health effects, as defined PCC. However, it is unknown if there are any early biomarkers associated with PCC or whether early intervention treatments may decrease the risk of PCC. In a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial, this study demonstrates that among outpatients with SARS-CoV-2, increased IL-6 at time of infection is associated with increased odds of PCC. In addition, among individuals treated early, within 5 days of symptom onset, with COVID-19 convalescent plasma, there was a trend for decreased odds of PCC after adjusting for other demographic and clinical characteristics. Future treatment studies should be considered to evaluate the effect of early treatment and anti-IL-6 therapies on PCC development.

A care cascade is a critical tool for evaluating delivery of care for chronic infections across sequential stages, starting with diagnosis and ending with viral suppression. However, there have been few data describing the hepatitis B virus (HBV) care cascade among people living with HIV infection who have HBV coinfection. We conducted a cross-sectional study among people living with HIV and HBV coinfection receiving care between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2016 within 13 United States and Canadian clinical cohorts contributing data to the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD). We evaluated each of the steps in this cascade, including: 1) laboratory-confirmed HBV infection, 2) tenofovir-based or entecavir-based HBV therapy prescribed, 3) HBV DNA measured during treatment, and 4) viral suppression achieved via undetectable HBV DNA. Among 3,953 persons with laboratory-confirmed HBV (median age, 50 years; 6.5% female; 43.8% were Black; 7.1% were Hispanic), 3,592 (90.9%; 95% confidence interval, 90.0–91.8%) were prescribed tenofovir-based antiretroviral therapy or entecavir along with their antiretroviral therapy regimen, 2,281 (57.7%; 95% confidence interval, 56.2–59.2%) had HBV DNA measured while on therapy, and 1,624 (41.1%; 95% confidence interval, 39.5–42.6) achieved an undetectable HBV DNA during HBV treatment. Our study identified significant gaps in measurement of HBV DNA and suppression of HBV viremia among people living with HIV and HBV coinfection in the United States and Canada. Periodic evaluation of the HBV care cascade among persons with HIV/HBV will be critical to monitoring success in completion of each step.

ABSTRACT Monkeypox, a zoonosis caused by the orthopox monkeypox virus (MPXV) that is endemic to Central and West Africa, was previously linked to sporadic outbreaks and rare, travel-associated cases. An outbreak of monkeypox in 2022 has spurred a public health emergency of international concern, and this outbreak is unprecedented in terms of its scale and epidemiology. The outbreak has been focused overwhelmingly in men who have sex with men; however, the trajectory of the outbreak remains uncertain, with spread now being reported in women and children. The mortality has been low (

ABSTRACT Accurate, highly specific immunoassays for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are needed to evaluate seroprevalence. This study investigated the concordance of results across four immunoassays targeting different antigens for sera collected at the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the United States. Specimens from All of Us participants contributed between January and March 2020 were tested using the Abbott Architect SARS-CoV-2 IgG (immunoglobulin G) assay (Abbott) and the EuroImmun SARS-CoV-2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (EI). Participants with discordant results, participants with concordant positive results, and a subset of concordant negative results by Abbott and EI were also tested using the Roche Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2 (IgG) test (Roche) and the Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics Vitros anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG test (Ortho). The agreement and 95% confidence intervals were estimated for paired assay combinations. SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentrations were quantified for specimens with at least two positive results across four immunoassays. Among the 24,079 participants, the percent agreement for the Abbott and EI assays was 98.8% (95% confidence interval, 98.7%, 99%). Of the 490 participants who were also tested by Ortho and Roche, the probability-weighted percentage of agreement (95% confidence interval) between Ortho and Roche was 98.4% (97.9%, 98.9%), that between EI and Ortho was 98.5% (92.9%, 99.9%), that between Abbott and Roche was 98.9% (90.3%, 100.0%), that between EI and Roche was 98.9% (98.6%, 100.0%), and that between Abbott and Ortho was 98.4% (91.2%, 100.0%). Among the 32 participants who were positive by at least 2 immunoassays, 21 had quantifiable anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentrations by research assays. The results across immunoassays revealed concordance during a period of low prevalence. However, the frequency of false positivity during a period of low prevalence supports the use of two sequentially performed tests for unvaccinated individuals who are seropositive by the first test. IMPORTANCE What is the agreement of commercial SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) assays during a time of low coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevalence and no vaccine availability? Serological tests produced concordant results in a time of low SARS-CoV-2 prevalence and no vaccine availability, driven largely by the proportion of samples that were negative by two immunoassays. The CDC recommends two sequential tests for positivity for future pandemic preparedness. In a subset analysis, quantified antinucleocapsid and antispike SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies do not suggest the need to specify the antigen targets of the sequential assays in the CDC’s recommendation because false positivity varied as much between assays targeting the same antigen as it did between assays targeting different antigens.

Benchmarks for protective immunity from infection or severe disease after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination are still being defined. Here, we characterized virus neutralizing and ELISA antibody levels, cellular immune responses, and viral variants in 4 separate groups: healthy controls (HCs) weeks (early) or months (late) following vaccination in comparison with symptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 after partial or full mRNA vaccination. During the period of the study, most symptomatic breakthrough infections were caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant. Neutralizing antibody levels in the HCs were sustained over time against the vaccine parent virus but decreased against the Alpha variant, whereas IgG titers and T cell responses against the parent virus and Alpha variant declined over time. Both partially and fully vaccinated patients with symptomatic infections had lower virus neutralizing antibody levels against the parent virus than the HCs, similar IgG antibody titers, and similar virus-specific T cell responses measured by IFN-γ. Compared with HCs, neutralization activity against the Alpha variant was lower in the partially vaccinated infected patients and tended to be lower in the fully vaccinated infected patients. In this cohort of breakthrough infections, parent virus neutralization was the superior predictor of breakthrough infections with the Alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2.

Background The prevalence, incidence and risk factors of atrial fibrillation (AF) in a large, geographically and ethnically diverse cohort in the United States have not been fully described. Methods We analyzed data from 173,099 participants of the All of Us Research Program recruited in the period 2017–2019, with 92,318 of them having electronic health records (EHR) data available, and 35,483 having completed a medical history survey. Presence of AF at baseline was identified from self-report and EHR records. Incident AF was obtained from EHR. Demographic, anthropometric and clinical risk factors were obtained from questionnaires, baseline physical measurements and EHR. Results At enrollment, mean age was 52 years old (range 18–89). Females and males accounted for 61% and 39% respectively. Non-Hispanic Whites accounted for 67% of participants, with non-Hispanic Blacks, non-Hispanic Asians and Hispanics accounting for 26%, 4% and 3% of participants, respectively. Among 92,318 participants with available EHR data, 3,885 (4.2%) had AF at the time of study enrollment, while the corresponding figure among 35,483 with medical history data was 2,084 (5.9%). During a median follow-up of 16 months, 354 new cases of AF were identified among 88,433 eligible participants. Individuals who were older, male, non-Hispanic white, had higher body mass index, or a prior history of heart failure or coronary heart disease had higher prevalence and incidence of AF. Conclusion The epidemiology of AF in the All of Us Research Program is similar to that reported in smaller studies with careful phenotyping, highlighting the value of this new resource for the study of AF and, potentially, other cardiovascular diseases.

Background The Scholarly Concentrations program was established at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2009 with the aim of instilling passion for scholarship. Objective Our study aimed to determine whether the Scholarly Concentrations program achieves positive changes in medical student self-efficacy in conducting research and, if so, whether this results in future career aspirations toward scholarship. Design We used the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory-Short Form (CRAI-SF) to assess changes in self-efficacy among students completing the Scholarly Concentrations program between 2014 and 2017. We calculated composite mean scores of six domains. We included outcomes on whether students published a manuscript, overall program perceptions, and likelihood of future research careers. We analyzed relationships between CRAI-SF scores and outcomes using paired t-tests and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression. Results A total of 419 students completed the Scholarly Concentrations program. All 6 CRAI domain scores showed significant improvements in self-efficacy between the pre-Scholarly Concentrations and post-Scholarly Concentrations ratings (range of changes 0.76–1.39, p

BackgroundThe prevalence, incidence and risk factors of atrial fibrillation (AF) in a large, geographically and ethnically diverse cohort in the United States have not been fully described.MethodsWe analyzed data from 173,099 participants of the All of Us Research Program recruited in the period 2017-2019, with 92,318 of them having electronic health records (EHR) data available, and 35,483 having completed a medical history survey. Presence of AF at baseline was identified from self-report and EHR records. Incident AF was obtained from EHR. Demographic, anthropometric and clinical risk factors were obtained from questionnaires, baseline physical measurements and EHR.ResultsAt enrollment, mean age was 52 years old (range 18-89). Females and males accounted for 61% and 39% respectively. Non-Hispanic Whites accounted for 67% of participants, with non-Hispanic Blacks, non-Hispanic Asians and Hispanics accounting for 26%, 4% and 3% of participants, respectively. Among 92,318 participants with available EHR data, 3,885 (4.2%) had AF at the time of study enrollment, while the corresponding figure among 35,483 with medical history data was 2,084 (5.9%). During a median follow-up of 16 months, 354 new cases of AF were identified among 88,433 eligible participants. Individuals who were older, male, non-Hispanic white, had higher body mass index, or a prior history of heart failure or coronary heart disease had higher prevalence and incidence of AF.ConclusionThe epidemiology of AF in the All of Us Research Program is similar to that reported in smaller studies with careful phenotyping, highlighting the value of this new resource for the study of AF and, potentially, other cardiovascular diseases.

A care cascade is a critical tool for evaluating delivery of care for chronic infections across sequential stages, starting with diagnosis and ending with viral suppression. However, there have been few data describing the hepatitis B virus (HBV) care cascade among people living with HIV infection who have HBV coinfection. We conducted a cross-sectional study among people living with HIV and HBV coinfection receiving care between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2016 within 13 United States and Canadian clinical cohorts contributing data to the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD). We evaluated each of the steps in this cascade, including: 1) laboratory-confirmed HBV infection, 2) tenofovir-based or entecavir-based HBV therapy prescribed, 3) HBV DNA measured during treatment, and 4) viral suppression achieved via undetectable HBV DNA. Among 3,953 persons with laboratory-confirmed HBV (median age, 50 years; 6.5% female; 43.8% were Black; 7.1% were Hispanic), 3,592 (90.9%; 95% confidence interval, 90.0-91.8%) were prescribed tenofovir-based antiretroviral therapy or entecavir along with their antiretroviral therapy regimen, 2,281 (57.7%; 95% confidence interval, 56.2-59.2%) had HBV DNA measured while on therapy, and 1,624 (41.1%; 95% confidence interval, 39.5-42.6) achieved an undetectable HBV DNA during HBV treatment. Our study identified significant gaps in measurement of HBV DNA and suppression of HBV viremia among people living with HIV and HBV coinfection in the United States and Canada. Periodic evaluation of the HBV care cascade among persons with HIV/HBV will be critical to monitoring success in completion of each step.

BACKGROUND:Youth have residual thymic tissue and potentially greater capacity for immune reconstitution than adults after initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). However, youth face behavioral and psychosocial challenges that may make them more likely than adults to delay ART initiation and less likely to attain similar CD4 outcomes after initiating cART. This study compared CD4 outcomes over time following cART initiation between ART-naïve non-perinatally HIV-infected (nPHIV) youth (13-24 years-old) and adults (≥25-44 years-old). METHODS:Retrospective analysis of ART-naïve nPHIV individuals 13-44 years-old, who initiated their first cART between 2008 and 2011 at clinical sites in the HIV Research Network. A linear mixed model was used to assess the association between CD4 levels after cART initiation and age (13-24, 25-34, 35-44 years), accounting for random variation within participants and between sites, and adjusting for key variables including gender, race/ethnicity, viral load, gaps in care (defined as > 365 days between CD4 tests), and CD4 levels prior to cART initiation (baseline CD4). RESULTS:Among 2,595 individuals (435 youth; 2,160 adults), the median follow-up after cART initiation was 179 weeks (IQR 92-249). Baseline CD4 was higher for youth (320 cells/mm3) than for ages 25-34 (293) or 35-44 (258). At 239 weeks after cART initiation, median unadjusted CD4 was higher for youth than adults (576 vs. 539 and 476 cells/mm3, respectively), but this difference was not significant when baseline CD4 was controlled. Compared to those with baseline CD4 ≤200 cells/mm3, individuals with baseline CD4 of 201-500 and >500 cells/mm3 had greater predicted CD4 levels: 390, 607, and 831, respectively. Additionally, having no gaps in care and higher viral load were associated with better CD4 outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:Despite having residual thymic tissue, youth attain similar, not superior, CD4 gains as adults. Early ART initiation with minimal delay is as essential to optimizing outcomes for youth as it is for their adult counterparts.

The HIV care continuum (diagnosis, linkage to care, retention in care, receipt of antiretroviral therapy (ART), viral suppression) has been used to identify opportunities for improving the delivery of HIV care. Continuum steps are typically calculated in a conditional manner, with the number of persons completing the prior step serving as the base population for the next step. This approach may underestimate the prevalence of viral suppression by excluding patients who are suppressed but do not meet standard definitions of retention in care. Understanding how retention in care and viral suppression interact and change over time may improve our ability to intervene on these steps in the continuum.We followed 17,140 patients at 11 U.S. HIV clinics between 2010-2012. For each calendar year, patients were classified into one of five categories: (1) retained/suppressed, (2) retained/not-suppressed, (3) not-retained/suppressed, (4) not-retained/not-suppressed, and (5) lost to follow-up (for calendar years 2011 and 2012 only). Retained individuals were those completing ≥ 2 HIV medical visits separated by ≥ 90 days in the year. Persons not retained completed ≥ 1 HIV medical visit during the year, but did not meet the retention definition. Persons lost to follow-up had no HIV medical visits in the year. HIV viral suppression was defined as HIV-1 RNA ≤ 200 copies/mL at the last measure in the year. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the probability of patients' transitioning between retention/suppression categories from 2010 to 2011 and 2010 to 2012, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, HIV risk factor, insurance status, CD4 count, and use of ART.Overall, 65.8% of patients were retained/suppressed, 17.4% retained/not-suppressed, 10.0% not-retained/suppressed, and 6.8% not-retained/not-suppressed in 2010. 59.5% of patients maintained the same status in 2011 (kappa=0.458) and 53.3% maintained the same status in 2012 (kappa=0.437).Not counting patients not-retained/suppressed as virally suppressed, as is commonly done in the HIV care continuum, underestimated the proportion suppressed by 13%. Applying the care continuum in a longitudinal manner will enhance its utility.

OBJECTIVE:We sought to quantify agreement between Institute of Medicine (IOM) and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) retention indicators, which have not been compared in the same population, and assess clinical retention within the largest HIV cohort collaboration in the U.S. DESIGN:Observational study from 2008-2010, using clinical cohort data in the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD). METHODS:Retention definitions used HIV primary care visits. The IOM retention indicator was: ≥2 visits, ≥90 days apart, each calendar year. This was extended to a 2-year period; retention required meeting the definition in both years. The DHHS retention indicator was: ≥1 visit each semester over 2 years, each ≥60 days apart. Kappa statistics detected agreement between indicators and C statistics (areas under Receiver-Operating Characteristic curves) from logistic regression analyses summarized discrimination of the IOM indicator by the DHHS indicator. RESULTS:Among 36,769 patients in 2008-2009 and 34,017 in 2009-2010, there were higher percentages of participants retained in care under the IOM indicator than the DHHS indicator (80% vs. 75% in 2008-2009; 78% vs. 72% in 2009-2010, respectively) (p

Guidelines recommend hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening for all people living with HIV (PLWH). Understanding HCV testing practices may improve compliance with guidelines and can help identify areas for future intervention.We evaluated HCV screening and unnecessary repeat HCV testing in 8,590 PLWH initiating care at 12 U.S. HIV clinics between 2006 and 2010, with follow-up through 2011. Multivariable logistic regression examined the association between patient factors and the outcomes: HCV screening (≥1 HCV antibody tests during the study period) and unnecessary repeat HCV testing (≥1 HCV antibody tests in patients with a prior positive test result).Overall, 82% of patients were screened for HCV, 18% of those screened were HCV antibody-positive, and 40% of HCV antibody-positive patients had unnecessary repeat HCV testing. The likelihood of being screened for HCV increased as the number of outpatient visits rose (adjusted odds ratio 1.02, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.03). Compared to men who have sex with men (MSM), patients with injection drug use (IDU) were less likely to be screened for HCV (0.63, 0.52-0.78); while individuals with Medicaid were more likely to be screened than those with private insurance (1.30, 1.04-1.62). Patients with heterosexual (1.78, 1.20-2.65) and IDU (1.58, 1.06-2.34) risk compared to MSM, and those with higher numbers of outpatient (1.03, 1.01-1.04) and inpatient (1.09, 1.01-1.19) visits were at greatest risk of unnecessary HCV testing.Additional efforts to improve compliance with HCV testing guidelines are needed. Leveraging health information technology may increase HCV screening and reduce unnecessary testing.

BackgroundCombination antiretroviral therapy (ART) has significantly increased survival among HIV-positive adults in the United States (U.S.) and Canada, but gains in life expectancy for this region have not been well characterized. We aim to estimate temporal changes in life expectancy among HIV-positive adults on ART from 2000-2007 in the U.S. and Canada.MethodsParticipants were from the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD), aged ≥20 years and on ART. Mortality rates were calculated using participants' person-time from January 1, 2000 or ART initiation until death, loss to follow-up, or administrative censoring December 31, 2007. Life expectancy at age 20, defined as the average number of additional years that a person of a specific age will live, provided the current age-specific mortality rates remain constant, was estimated using abridged life tables.ResultsThe crude mortality rate was 19.8/1,000 person-years, among 22,937 individuals contributing 82,022 person-years and 1,622 deaths. Life expectancy increased from 36.1 [standard error (SE) 0.5] to 51.4 [SE 0.5] years from 2000-2002 to 2006-2007. Men and women had comparable life expectancies in all periods except the last (2006-2007). Life expectancy was lower for individuals with a history of injection drug use, non-whites, and in patients with baseline CD4 counts ConclusionsA 20-year-old HIV-positive adult on ART in the U.S. or Canada is expected to live into their early 70 s, a life expectancy approaching that of the general population. Differences by sex, race, HIV transmission risk group, and CD4 count remain.

BACKGROUND:U.S. state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) are federally funded to provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) as the payer of last resort to eligible persons with HIV infection. States differ regarding their financial contributions to and ways of implementing these programs, and it remains unclear how this interstate variability affects HIV treatment outcomes. METHODS:We analyzed data from HIV-infected individuals who were clinically-eligible for ART between 2001 and 2009 (i.e., a first reported CD4+