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To determine the effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infections and related cervical lesions, the virologic and cytologic markers of HPV infection were prospectively studied in 163 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected women, including 27 untreated, 62 treated with reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and 74 treated with HAART. A high prevalence of both infections with HR-HPV types (68%) and squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs; low grade, 20.2%; high grade, 6.2%) was observed. The risks of infection and disease were inversely correlated with CD4 cell counts (P p .015 and , respectively). During the observation period (mean, 15.4 months; range, 6‐24 P p .022 months), CD4 cell counts increased significantly only in subjects receiving HAART (P ! ). Persistence of HR-HPV infection and progression of SILs were comparable in the 3 .001 groups. These results indicate that, even in the era of HAART, HIV-infected women should be monitored carefully for the emergence of high-grade SILs and cervical cancer.

Two series of glycide esters of short fatty acids, designed for avoiding intramolecular transesterification, were prepared and tested for in vitro erythroid differentiation induction activities using the K562 cell line as experimental system. The 6-O-isobutiryl and pivaloyl derivatives of methyl 3,4-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-galactopyranosides as well the same 1-O-esters of 2,3-O-isopropylidene-alpha- and beta-D-mannofuranose exhibit biological activities much higher that the corresponding acids and could be proposed as possible agents to modulate production of embryo-fetal hemoglobins by human erythroid cells.