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Optimized dosage regimens of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are currently unknown. We aimed to determine regimens that rapidly achieved the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PKPD) target for virological clearance in COVID-19 patients. Plasma HCQ concentration was simulated using a non-steady state, 2-compartment linear model. The plasma trough concentration (Ctrough) > 0.7 mg/L was used as the PKPD target. The loading dose of 800 mg three times daily and 1,200 mg twice daily achieved the target on the first day with the probability of target attainment (PTA) 97.53% and 82.63%, respectively. Maintenance dose of 200 mg three times daily and 400 mg twice daily provided PTA > 80% from day 3 through day 10 after the initiation of HCQ therapy. All proposed regimens had the PTA < 1% to achieve toxic level of 4 mg/L. The optimal dose regimens for early viral clearance in COVID-19 patients were HCQ 800 mg three times daily on the first day followed by 200 mg three times daily for 9 days, and HCQ 1,200 mg twice daily on the first day followed by 400 mg twice daily for 9 days. Further clinical study is needed to ensure clinical efficacy and safety of these regimens. © 2021 Pharmaceutical Sciences Asia by Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Thailand is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https:// www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. All Rights Reserved.

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-inq-10.1177_0046958020982925 for Economic Burden of Influenza in Thailand: A Systematic Review by S. Kiertiburanakul, W. Phongsamart, T. Tantawichien, W. Manosuthi and P. Kulchaitanaroaj in INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-inq-10.1177_0046958020982925 for Economic Burden of Influenza in Thailand: A Systematic Review by S. Kiertiburanakul, W. Phongsamart, T. Tantawichien, W. Manosuthi and P. Kulchaitanaroaj in INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing

OBJECTIVES With aging of the HIV-positive population, cardiovascular disease (CVD) increasingly contributes to morbidity and mortality. We investigated CVD-related and other causes of death (CODs) and factors associated with CVD in a multi-country Asian HIV-positive cohort. METHODS Patient data from 2003-2017 were obtained from the Therapeutics, Research, Education and AIDS Training in Asia (TREAT Asia) HIV Observational Database (TAHOD). We included patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) with > 1 day of follow-up. Cumulative incidences were plotted for CVD-related, AIDS-related, non-AIDS-related, and unknown CODs, and any CVD (i.e. fatal and nonfatal). Competing risk regression was used to assess risk factors of any CVD. RESULTS Of 8069 patients with a median follow-up of 7.3 years [interquartile range (IQR) 4.4-10.7 years], 378 patients died [incidence rate (IR) 6.2 per 1000 person-years (PY)], and this total included 22 CVD-related deaths (IR 0.36 per 1000 PY). Factors significantly associated with any CVD event (IR 2.2 per 1000 PY) were older age [sub-hazard ratio (sHR) 2.21; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36-3.58 for age 41-50 years; sHR 5.52; 95% CI 3.43-8.91 for ≥ 51 years, compared with < 40 years], high blood pressure (sHR 1.62; 95% CI 1.04-2.52), high total cholesterol (sHR 1.89; 95% CI 1.27-2.82), high triglycerides (sHR 1.55; 95% CI 1.02-2.37) and high body mass index (BMI) (sHR 1.66; 95% CI 1.12-2.46). CVD crude IRs were lower in the later ART initiation period and in lower middle- and upper middle-income countries. CONCLUSIONS The development of fatal and nonfatal CVD events in our cohort was associated with older age, and treatable risk factors such as high blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol and BMI. Lower CVD event rates in middle-income countries may indicate under-diagnosis of CVD in Asian-Pacific resource-limited settings.

SETTING: Drug resistance threatens tuberculosis (TB) control, particularly among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected persons.OBJECTIVE: To describe practices in the prevention and management of drug-resistant TB under antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs in lower-income countries.DESIGN: We used online questionnaires to collect program-level data on 47 ART programs in Southern Africa (n = 14), East Africa (n = 8), West Africa (n = 7), Central Africa (n = 5), Latin America (n = 7) and the Asia-Pacific (n = 6 programs) in 2012. Patient-level data were collected on 1002 adult TB patients seen at 40 of the participating ART programs.RESULTS: Phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST) was available in 36 (77%) ART programs, but was only used for 22% of all TB patients. Molecular DST was available in 33 (70%) programs and was used in 23% of all TB patients. Twenty ART programs (43%) provided directly observed therapy (DOT) during the entire course of treatment, 16 (34%) during the intensive phase only, and 11 (23%) did not follow DOT. Fourteen (30%) ART programs reported no access to second-line anti-tuberculosis regimens; 18 (38%) reported TB drug shortages.CONCLUSIONS: Capacity to diagnose and treat drug-resistant TB was limited across ART programs in lower-income countries. DOT was not always implemented and drug supplies were regularly interrupted, which may contribute to the global emergence of drug resistance.

Chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 5 (CCR5) inhibitors are a novel class of antiretroviral agents that are promising for treatment of patients who harbour the HIV-1 R5 strain. Data on coreceptor tropism in non-B HIV-1 subtypes are limited. We studied coreceptor tropism in HIV-1 circulating in Thailand, where CRF01_AE predominates, using a genotypic assay.We compiled V3 sequences of HIV-1 strains circulating in Thailand during 2010-2012. Coreceptor tropism was predicted based on V3 sequences using geno2pheno version 2.5 (http://coreceptor.bioinf.mpi-inf.mpg.de).One hundred and fifty-five HIV-1-infected patients were enrolled in this study. Ninety-nine patients (63.9%) were antiretroviral-naïve, and the remainder had virological failure. The median (interquartile range) CD4 cell count and HIV-1 RNA were 220 (74-379) cells/μL and 75,374 (14,127-226,686) HIV-1 RNA copies/mL, respectively. Of the sequences obtained from these patients, 119 (76.8%) were CRF01_AE and 22 (14.2%) were subtype B. At a false positive rate of5%, 61 (39.4%) HIV-1-infected individuals were predicted to harbour the X4 phenotype. X4 viruses were detected more frequently in the treatment-failure group compared with the treatment-naïve group (30.3 vs. 55.4%, respectively; P = 0.002). Those with CRF01_AE had a higher proportion of X4 viruses compared with non-AE subtypes (47.9 vs. 11.1%, respectively; P0.001). By multivariate logistic regression, CRF01_AE and treatment failure were independently associated with predicted X4 phenotype [odds ratio (OR) 7.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.57-24.50; P0.001, and OR 3.10; 95% CI 1.50-6.42; P = 0.002, respectively].CRF01_AE and treatment failure are associated with the predicted X4 phenotype. In regions where CRF01_AE predominates, use of CCR5 inhibitors must be considered with caution. The phenotypic assay and its correlation with genotypes should be further investigated in CRF01_AE.

The association of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and urinary tract tuberculosis is very rare. Two cases of this condition are reported. Both presented with subacute to chronic meningitis with lymphocytic pleocytosis, elevation of protein content and depression of glucose level of cerebrospinal fluid. Pyuria and hematuria were detected and Ziehl-Neelsen's stain was positive for acid fast bacilli (AFB). Urographic abnormalities were compatible with urinary tract tuberculosis. AFB smear of urine is the simplest method to detect urinary tract tuberculosis.