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BackgroundSame-day HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation is being widely implemented. However, the optimal timing of ART among patients with tuberculosis (TB) symptoms is unknown. We hypothesized that same-day treatment (TB treatment for those diagnosed with TB; ART for those not diagnosed with TB) would be superior to standard care in this population.Methods and findingsWe conducted an open-label trial among adults with TB symptoms at initial HIV diagnosis at GHESKIO in Haiti; participants were recruited and randomized on the same day. Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to same-day treatment (same-day TB testing with same-day TB treatment if TB diagnosed; same-day ART if TB not diagnosed) versus standard care (initiating TB treatment within 7 days and delaying ART to day 7 if TB not diagnosed). In both groups, ART was initiated 2 weeks after TB treatment. The primary outcome was retention in care with 48-week HIV-1 RNA ConclusionsIn patients with TB symptoms at HIV diagnosis, we found that same-day treatment was not associated with superior retention and viral suppression. In this study, a short delay in ART initiation did not appear to compromise outcomes.Trial registrationThis study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03154320.

Background Same-day HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation is being widely implemented. However, the optimal timing of ART among patients with tuberculosis (TB) symptoms is unknown. We hypothesized that same-day treatment (TB treatment for those diagnosed with TB; ART for those not diagnosed with TB) would be superior to standard care in this population. Methods and findings We conducted an open-label trial among adults with TB symptoms at initial HIV diagnosis at GHESKIO in Haiti; participants were recruited and randomized on the same day. Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to same-day treatment (same-day TB testing with same-day TB treatment if TB diagnosed; same-day ART if TB not diagnosed) versus standard care (initiating TB treatment within 7 days and delaying ART to day 7 if TB not diagnosed). In both groups, ART was initiated 2 weeks after TB treatment. The primary outcome was retention in care with 48-week HIV-1 RNA Conclusions In patients with TB symptoms at HIV diagnosis, we found that same-day treatment was not associated with superior retention and viral suppression. In this study, a short delay in ART initiation did not appear to compromise outcomes. Trial registration This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03154320., Author(s): Nancy Dorvil 1, Vanessa R. Rivera 1, Cynthia Riviere 1, Richard Berman 2, Patrice Severe 1, Heejung Bang 3, Kerlyne Lavoile 1, Jessy G. Devieux 4, Mikerlyne Faustin 1, [...]

Introduction: Long-term mortality among TB survivors appears to be higher than control populations without TB in many settings. However, data are limited among persons with HIV (PWH). We assessed the association between cured TB and longterm mortality among persons with PWH in Haiti. Methods: A prospective cohort of PWH from the CIPRA HT-001 trial was followed from study enrolment (August 2005 to July 2008) to study closure (December 2018) to compare mortality between participants with and without TB. The index date for the survival analysis was defined as 240 days after TB diagnosis or randomization date. Time to death was described using Kaplan-Meier curves, and log-rank tests were used to compare time to death between the TB and no-TB cohorts. The association between TB and long-term mortality was estimated with multivariable Cox models. Results: Of the 816 participants in the CIPRA HT-001 trial, 77 were excluded for a history of TB prior to study enrolment and 31 were excluded due to death or attrition prior to the index date, leaving 574 in the no-TB and 134 in the TB cohort. Twenty-four (17.9%) participants in the TB and 48 (8.4%) in the no-TB cohort died during follow-up. Five and 10-year mortality rates were 14.2% and 17.9% respectively, in the TB cohort, and 6.1% and 8.4% in the no-TB cohort. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, participants in the TB cohort had a significantly shorter time to death (log-rank p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, TB treatment was the only predictor of mortality (HR: 2.78; 95% CI: 1.61, 4.79). Sensitivity analyses, which included only baseline TB cases, an index date of two years after TB diagnosis, and study enrolment and case-control matching yielded results that were consistent with primary analyses. Conclusions: PWH who are successfully treated for TB have higher long-term mortality than those who are never diagnosed with TB, even after accounting for acute TB-related mortality. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms associated with TB sequelae is critically needed to guide specific interventions. Until then, more aggressive measures for health promotion and disease prevention are essential to improve long-term survival for PWH after TB treatment. Keywords: HIV; AIDS; tuberculosis; long-term mortality; opportunistic infections, 1 | INTRODUCTION Although tuberculosis (TB) is a preventable and curable disease, it remains the leading cause of death among persons with HIV (PWH), accounting for about one-third of all [...]

Background The World Health Organization recommends initiating same-day antiretroviral therapy (ART) while tuberculosis (TB) testing is under way for patients with non-meningitic symptoms at HIV diagnosis, though safety data are limited. C-reactive protein (CRP) testing may improve TB risk stratification in this population. Methods In this baseline analysis of 498 adults (>18 years) with TB symptoms at HIV diagnosis who were enrolled in a trial of rapid ART initiation in Haiti, we describe test characteristics of varying CRP thresholds in the diagnosis of TB. We also assessed predictors of high CRP as a continuous variable using generalized linear models. Results Eighty-seven (17.5%) participants were diagnosed with baseline TB. The median CRP was 33.0 mg/L (interquartile range: 5.1, 85.5) in those with TB, and 2.6 mg/L (interquartile range: 0.8, 11.7) in those without TB. As the CRP threshold increased from ≥1 mg/L to ≥10 mg/L, the positive predictive value for TB increased from 22.4% to 35.4% and negative predictive value decreased from 96.9% to 92.3%. With CRP thresholds varying from <1 to <10 mg/L, a range from 25.5% to 64.9% of the cohort would have been eligible for same-day ART and 0.8% to 5.0% would have untreated TB at ART initiation. Conclusions CRP concentrations can be used to improve TB risk stratification, facilitating same-day decisions about ART initiation. Depending on the CRP threshold, one-quarter to two-thirds of patients could be eligible for same-day ART, with a reduction of 3- to 20-fold in the proportion with untreated TB, compared with a strategy of same-day ART while awaiting TB test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NO2 foliar deposition through the stomata of leaves has been identified as a significant sink of NOx within a forest canopy. In this study, we investigated NO2 and NO exchange between the atmosphere and the leaves of the native California oak tree Quercus agrifolia using a branch enclosure system. NO2 detection was performed with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), which excludes biases from other reactive nitrogen compounds and has a low detection limit of 5–50 ppt. We performed both light and dark experiments with concentrations between 0.5 and 10 ppb NO2 and NO under constant ambient conditions. Deposition velocities for NO2 during light and dark experiments were 0.123±0.009 and 0.015±0.001 cm s−1, respectively. Much slower deposition was seen for NO, with deposition velocities of 0.012±0.002 and 0.005±0.002 cm s−1 measured during light and dark experiments, respectively. This corresponded to a summed resistance of the stomata and mesophyll of 6.9±0.9 s cm−1 for NO2 and 140±40 s cm−1 for NO. No significant compensation point was detected for NO2 uptake, but compensation points ranging from 0.74 to 3.8 ppb were observed for NO. NO2 and NO deposition velocities reported here are comparable both with previous leaf-level chamber studies and inferences from canopy-level field measurements. In parallel with these laboratory experiments, we have constructed a detailed 1-D atmospheric model to assess the contribution of leaf-level NOx deposition to the total NOx loss and NOx canopy fluxes. Using the leaf uptake rates measured in the laboratory, these modeling studies suggest that loss of NOx to deposition in a California oak woodland competes with the pathways of HNO3 and RONO2 formation, with deposition making up 3 %–22 % of the total NOx loss. Additionally, foliar uptake of NOx at these rates could account for ∼ 15 %–30 % canopy reduction of soil NOx emissions.

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In September 2015, the World Health Organization updated their guidelines to recommend antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all people living with HIV. Countries are now in the process of implementing strategies to provide universal HIV treatment. We analyzed the rate of retention and time to ART eligibility (according to 2013 WHO guidelines) among 3,345 adult patients receiving positive HIV test results between February 1, 2003 and March 31, 2013 at the GHESKIO Clinic in Haiti, with WHO stage 1 or 2 disease and initial CD4 cell count >500 cells/mm3. Among the 3,345 patients, 2,423 (72%) were female, the median age was 33 years, 3,089 (92%) lived in Port-au-Prince, and 1,944 (58%) had attended no school or primary school only. The median initial CD4 cell count was 668 cells/mm3 (IQR: 572-834); over the subsequent 2 years, 1,485 patients (44%) were lost to follow-up and 7 (

Attrition during the period from HIV testing to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation is high worldwide. We assessed whether same-day HIV testing and ART initiation improves retention and virologic suppression.We conducted an unblinded, randomized trial of standard ART initiation versus same-day HIV testing and ART initiation among eligible adults ≥18 years old with World Health Organization Stage 1 or 2 disease and CD4 count ≤500 cells/mm3. The study was conducted among outpatients at the Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi's Sarcoma and Opportunistic infections (GHESKIO) Clinic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to standard ART initiation or same-day HIV testing and ART initiation. The standard group initiated ART 3 weeks after HIV testing, and the same-day group initiated ART on the day of testing. The primary study endpoint was retention in care 12 months after HIV testing with HIV-1 RNA

We assessed the association between gender and mortality on antiretroviral therapy (ART) using identical models with and without sex-specific categories for weight and hemoglobin.Cohort study of adult patients on ART.GHESKIO Clinic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.4,717 ART-naïve adult patients consecutively enrolled on ART at GHESKIO from 2003 to 2008.Mortality on ART; multivariable analyses were conducted with and without sex-specific categories for weight and hemoglobin.In Haiti, male gender was associated with mortality (OR 1.61; 95% CI: 1.30-2.00) in multivariable analyses with hemoglobin and weight included as control variables, but not when sex-specific interactions with hemoglobin and weight were used.If sex-specific categories are omitted, multivariable analyses indicate a higher risk of mortality for males vs. females of the same weight and hemoglobin. However, because males have higher normal values for weight and hemoglobin, the males in this comparison would generally have poorer health status than the females. This may explain why gender differences in mortality are sometimes observed after controlling for differences in baseline variables when gender-specific interactions with weight and hemoglobin are omitted.

Background Attrition during the period from HIV testing to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation is high worldwide. We assessed whether same-day HIV testing and ART initiation improves retention and virologic suppression. Methods and findings We conducted an unblinded, randomized trial of standard ART initiation versus same-day HIV testing and ART initiation among eligible adults [greater than or equal to]18 years old with World Health Organization Stage 1 or 2 disease and CD4 count [less than or equal to]500 cells/mm.sup.3 . The study was conducted among outpatients at the Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi's Sarcoma and Opportunistic infections (GHESKIO) Clinic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to standard ART initiation or same-day HIV testing and ART initiation. The standard group initiated ART 3 weeks after HIV testing, and the same-day group initiated ART on the day of testing. The primary study endpoint was retention in care 12 months after HIV testing with HIV-1 RNA Conclusions Same-day HIV testing and ART initiation is feasible and beneficial in this setting, as it improves retention in care with virologic suppression among patients with early clinical HIV disease. Trial registration This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01900080, Author(s): Serena P. Koenig 1,2,*, Nancy Dorvil 1, Jessy G. Dévieux 3, Bethany L. Hedt-Gauthier 4, Cynthia Riviere 1, Mikerlyne Faustin 1, Kerlyne Lavoile 1, Christian Perodin 1, Alexandra Apollon [...]