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Objective: To understand the incidence of HIV infection, high risk behaviors and pre-exposure prophylaxis/post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP/PEP) utilization in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Beijing. Methods: Sample size was estimated to be 1 227 persons and 207 person year respectively in the survey and the cohort by using Epi Info 7.0 software. Using convenient sampling method, MSM were recruited by using Wechat app. Questionnaire was completed online to collect the information about demographic characteristics, high risk behavior, and utilization of PrEP/PEP of the MSM. MSM collected dry blood spot (DBS) samples by themselves, and mailed the DBS samples to laboratory for HIV nucleic acid testing. Open cohort was established and those with HIV negative nucleic acid testing results were followed up. Non-conditional binary logistic regression method was used to identify the associated factors for high risk anal sex in the last month and having multiple homosexual partners in the last month. Results: A total of 1 147 MSM were recruited, and follow up for 236 person years was conducted in 956 MSM with negative HIV nucleic acid testing results. The detection rate of new HIV infection was 1.3 per 100 person-years (3/236). During the last month, the proportions of consistent condom use in anal sex and oral sex were 50.7% (238/469) and 4.9% (23/469). In the MSM, 5.9% (43/723) had sex with HIV positive partners in the last month. 9.8% (103/1 049) used PrEP, and 8.7% (91/1 049) used PEP. The proportion of consistent condom use in PrEP and PEP were 34.3% (24/70) and 72.2% (39/54) respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that compared with those who used no PrEP/PEP, those who used PrEP/PEP were more likely to have unprotected anal sex in the last month (a OR =3.16, 95% CI :1.45-7.18), and more likely to have multiple homosexual partners in the last month (a OR =2.64, 95% CI :1.19-6.30), and compared with those who used no Rush Popper or drugs in the last month, those who used Rush Popper or drugs in the last month were more likely to have unprotected anal sex in the last month (a OR =2.34, 95% CI :1.67-3.30), and more likely to have multiple homosexual partners (a OR =2.42,95% CI :1.76-3.33). Conclusions: It is necessary to strengthen the health education to promote condom use and introduce the harm of drug use in MSM. In PrEP and PEP services, it is still necessary to suggest consistent condom use for MSM.

Objective: To examine the willingness of HIV non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) among MSM and factors related were also assessed. Methods: The respondent-driven sampling method was used to recruit MSM for a face-to-face interview with a structured questionnaire,the sample size was estimated at 600 subjects. Demographic data, sexual behavior, awareness, and willingness regarding nPEP were collected. The factors related to willingness to nPEP were assessed using complex logistic regression. Results: A total of 14 rounds were recruited and 608 MSM subjects were included in the study. The average age was (41.6±11.0) years. 55.4% (95% CI : 49.4%-59.4%) were aware of nPEP, and 4.5% (95% CI : 2.9%-6.2%) have used its. 35.9% (95% CI : 31.1%-40.7%) expressed interest in taking nPEP if needed. Among the reasons for not being willing to take nPEP, 68.9% (244/354) were never heard of nPEP, and 24.6% (87/354) were a fluke mentality. The multivariate logistic analysis results showed that the willingness of nPEP awareness of MSM was related to the group aged 25-39 years old (a OR =1.80, 95% CI : 1.01-3.20), knowing a group of HIV prevention knowledge (a OR =2.43, 95% CI : 1.52-3.90), group of consistent condom use in anal sex in the past half of year (a OR =1.76, 95% CI : 1.11-2.79). Conclusions: The use rate of nPEP among MSM in Beijing was low, and the willingness to use in the future also needs to be improved. The training of social organizations should be strengthened to improve the role of peer education in promoting nPEP.

Objective: To explore the immunogenicity and persistence of hepatitis B vaccine in HIV-infected patients with different CD4 + T cell (CD4) levels, and analyze the influence effect of CD4 levels on immunization response. Methods: A total of 182 HIV-infected patients who participated in a randomized controlled trial of 20 µg and 60 µg hepatitis B vaccination at month 0, 1, and 6 in 2014 by Guangxi Zhuang Atonomous Region CDC and Ningming county CDC were surveyed. Six months later after the first dose and 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years later after the full course of the vaccination, 5 ml of the venous blood of the patients was collected, and the anti-HBs was detected by Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay (CMIA). On the basis of previous studies, this study focused on analyzing the immunogenicity and persistence of hepatitis B vaccine under different CD4 levels. Results: One month later after the whole course of hepatitis B vaccination, the anti-HBs geometric mean concentration (GMC), anti-HBs positive rate (≥10 mIU/ml) and strong positive rate (≥100 mIU/ml) in HIV patients with CD4 <350 cells/µl were 442.50 mIU/ml, 71.05% (27/38) and 44.74% (17/38), respectively, which were significantly lower than those HIV-infected patients with CD4 ≥350 cells/µl [583.90 mIU/ml, 92.13% (117/127) and 77.95% (99/127)] ( P <0.05). After controlling the confounding factors, the probability of being anti-HBs positive induced by hepatitis B vaccine in patients with CD4 <350 cells/µl was 0.14 times higher than in those with CD4≥350 cells/µl (95% CI : 0.03-0.62), and patients with CD4 <350 cells/µl had higher risk of no response. From 6 months to 3 years after the whole course of the vaccination, the anti-HBs GMC (195.00-27.55 mIU/ml vs. 300.10-45.81 mIU/ml), the positive rate (56.67%-36.67% vs . 78.57%- 51.58%) and the strong positive rate (33.33%-6.67% vs. 44.64%-15.79%) in patients with CD4 <350 cells/µl gradually declined, lower than the levels in those with CD4 ≥350 cells/µl. Conclusions: HIV-infected patients with CD4 <350 cells/µl have high risk of no response to hepatitis B vaccination and poor immune persistence. It is necessary to strengthen the anti-HBs monitoring in HIV-infected patients, with special attention to those with CD4 <350 cells/µl. When anti-HBs is negative, hepatitis B vaccine should be injected as early as possible.

Non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP), a biological means to block the transmission of HIV, is recommended by European countries, USA and WHO to use in HIV high-risk groups, but its utilization rate is still very low. The information-motivation-behavioral skills model (IMB) can accurately explain the prevalence and change of health behaviors. Based on this model, this paper summarizes the progress in research of the influencing factors for nPEP use to provide a basis for further research to promote the use of nPEP.

Objectives: To understand the prevalence of HIV nucleic acid using internet-based dry blood spots HIV testing strategy in men who had sex with men (MSM) and to probe the factors associated with HIV infection. Methods: Using convenient sampling method, 1 375 MSM were recruited and their dry blood spots samples were collected before being mailed to the laboratories for HIV nucleic acid testing. Results were showed to these MSM on a specific website by inputting their codes to it. Non-conditional binary logistic regression method was used to identify the associated factors on HIV infection. Results: The overall proportions of HIV nucleic acid positives appeared as 9.7 % (131/1 349) and HIV antibody positives as 8.3 % (112/1 349). Fresh infections accounted for 14.5 % (19/131) among the newly-identified HIV nucleic acid positives, and the interval was ranging from 6 to 120 days, between the laboratory testings and the closest date that experiencing high risk behavior. Risk factors that related to HIV infection would include: 30 to 39 years of age (comparing to those under the age of 30, OR =1.88, 95 %CI : 1.07-3.29), ≥8 000 Yuan of monthly income (comparing to those without income, OR =0.42, 95 %CI : 0.19-0.96), inconsistent condom use during anal sexual contacts in the last six months (compared with those who had not anal sex or used condoms consistently in anal sex in the past six months, OR =2.22, 95 %CI : 1.45-3.40), ever use of Rush Poppers (compared with those who never used Rush Poppers, OR =2.33, 95 %CI : 1.49-3.64), addictive drug abuse (compared with those who never abused addictive drugs, OR =5.43, 95 %CI : 2.32-12.69), and not having regular sexual partners (compared with having regular sexual partners, OR =1.74, 95 %CI : 1.13-2.68) etc .. Conclusions: Dry blood spots HIV nucleic acid testing could help to identify the fresh HIV infections at an early stage, so as to prevent further transmission in the MSM population, among which fresh HIV infections accounted for a fairly large proportion. It is necessary to set up programs in reducing the abuse of drugs or Rush Poppers, and to promote condom use and advocate on stable sexual partnership etc ., among the MSM population.

Background: After the scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV infected people, increasing numbers of patients have pretreatment drug resistance (PDR). In this study, the prevalence of PDR was evaluated in adults initiating antiretroviral therapy in China., Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 1943 patients who initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 2017 from 13 provinces or cities in China. Pol sequences were used to analyze drug resistance and construct transmission networks. Logistic regression model was used to estimate the potential factors associated with PDR., Results: In total, 1711 eligible patients (76.0% male; 87.8% aged ≥ 25 years) were included, of which 117 (6.8%) had PDR. The highest rates of PDR were 12.2% in Liangshan Prefecture of Sichuan and 9.3 and 8.9% in Dehong and Lincang Prefecture of Yunnan. A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that PDR was significantly higher among intravenous drug users (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 2.64, 95% CI: 1.57-4.44) and individuals from Liangshan, Dehong, and Lincang (aOR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.26-3.30). In total, 754 sequences were used to generate 164 transmission networks. Five transmission networks had two or three sequences containing the same mutations, two networks contained subjects from Liangshan, and one network contained subjects from Dehong., Conclusions: Overall, the PDR prevalence was moderate, with a particularly high prevalence in areas with severe HIV epidemics. These results indicate the importance of continuous PDR monitoring in patients initiating antiretroviral therapy.

Objective: To understand the status of antiretroviral treatment (ART) referred by the case reporting institutions among HIV/AIDS cases and influencing factors in Beijing. Methods: From June 1, 2017 to April 30, 2019, the data of 4 917 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) collected from National HIV/AIDS Information System and ART institutions were used to understand the status of ART and influencing factors. No records of ART was defined as referral failure and an interval of more than 15 days between diagnosis of HIV infection and ART initiation was defined as delayed ART. Results: Among the 4 917 HIV/AIDS cases, 16.53% (813/4 917) had referral failure. Among the 4 104 PLWHA who received ART, 30.63% (1 257/4 104) had delayed ART, the median of the interval was 27 days ( P(25) - P(75) :19-42 days). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that HIV/AIDS cases who were reported by comprehensive hospitals (compared with ART servicers, OR =1.65, 95% CI : 1.30-2.08), in HIV phase (compared with AIDS phase, OR =1.68, 95% CI : 1.34-2.11), with educational level of junior middle school or below (compared with colleague graduate or above, OR =1.42, 95% CI : 1.13-1.79), unemployed (compared with civil servants or staffs, OR =1.32, 95% CI :1.02-1.70), infected through heterosexual behavior (compared with homosexual behavior, OR =1.40, 95% CI : 1.15-1.72), diagnosed in special survey (compared with testing and counseling, OR =1.87, 95% CI : 1.34-2.60) or blood donation ( OR =3.52, 95% CI : 1.79-6.92), were more likely to have referral failures. And the PLWHA who were reported by CDCs ( OR =1.43, 95% CI : 1.07-1.92) or comprehensive hospitals (compared with ART servicers, OR =1.62, 95% CI : 1.32-1.98), reported by rural reporting institutions (compared with urban reporting institutions, OR =1.24, 95% CI : 1.01-1.52), in HIV phase (compared with AIDS phase, OR =1.42, 95% CI : 1.19-1.70), non-Beijing residence (compared with Beijing residence, OR =1.26, 95% CI : 1.07-1.48), diagnosed in blood donation examination (compared with STD clinics, OR =2.74, 95% CI : 1.21-6.22) were more likely to have delayed ART. Conclusions: The rate of referral failure and delayed ART varied among HIV/AIDS cases with different characteristics. It is still necessary to take effective measures to promote ART in order to reduce referral failure and delayed ART.

Objective: To evaluate the randomness and representativeness of respondent- driven sampling (RDS) tool in conducting the investigation in MSM population, in Beijing, 2017. Methods: RDS tool was used to recruit MSM population for a face-to-face interview with structured questionnaire and serological tests. Results: A total of 600 MSM people were sampled and interviewed. The median number of personal network of seeds was 10, which was higher than other MSM people recruited. The numbers of recruitments by wave presented a skewed positive distribution and the highest number was in the fourth wave. It was also dramatically varied from different seeds. Three seeds had the longest chains and had recruited 184, 113 and 92 MSM people, respectively. In contrast, five seeds recruited less than 10 MSM people. Two college students were the most non-generative seeds and each recruited only 1 MSM person. After five to nine waves of sampling, the major demographic characteristics reached equilibrium. Both convergence and bottleneck plots of major demographic characteristics reached convergence, although the plots on marriage and education did not. The homophiles of characteristics were all closed to 1, except for education. The HIV positive rate appeared as 7.9% (95 %CI : 4.4%-11.4%) . Conclusions: Results from this study showed that RDS could be used as a feasible sampling method for the study on MSM population with major demographic characteristics reached equilibrium. The process of recruitment appeared controllable and reasonable, showing that this could represent the MSM population in Beijing, in some degree.

Objective: To reveal the prevalence and the related factors of hepatitis B (HepB) virus infection among HIV/AIDS patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in two HIV clinics, affiliated to local Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional. A face-to-face interview, with questionnaire was conducted to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics, drug use, and sexual behavior. Blood samples were used to test HBsAg. χ (2) test or Fisher's exact test and unconditional logistic regression models were used to identify the influencing factors. Results: The prevalence of HBV and HIV co-infection was 13.85% (113/816). Results from multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that age (25-45), family history of HBV and history of HepB vaccination were independent influencing factors for HBV and HIV coinfection, with OR (95% CI ) as 1.738 (1.031-2.931), 2.898 (1.678-5.005) and 1.744 (1.052-2.892), respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of HBV among HIV/AIDS patients was significantly higher than that in general population. HIV/AIDS patients aged between 25 and 45 and with family history of HBV were more likely to be infected with HBV, while HepB vaccination was associated with the reduction of HIV/HBV coinfection. Specific comprehensive prevention and treatment programs on HIV/AIDS patients need to be set up.

Objective: To analyze the survival time of HIV/AIDS cases and related factors in Beijing from 1995 to 2015. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the data of 12 874 HIV/AIDS cases. The data were collected from Chinese HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Information Management System. Life table method was applied to calculate the survival proportion, and Cox proportion hazard regression model were used to identify the factors related with survival time. Results: Among 12 874 HIV/AIDS cases, 303 (2.4%) died of AIDS related diseases; 9 346 (72.6%) received antiretroviral therapy. The average survival time was 226.5 months (95 %CI : 223.0-230.1), and the survival rates of 1, 5, 10, and 15 years were 98.2%, 96.4%, 93.2%, and 91.9% respectively. Multivariate Cox proportion hazard regression model showed that AIDS phase ( HR =1.439, 95 %CI : 1.041-1.989), heterosexual transmission ( HR =1.646, 95 %CI : 1.184-2.289), being married ( HR =2.186, 95 %CI : 1.510-3.164); older age (≥60 years) at diagnosis ( HR =6.608, 95 %CI : 3.546-12.316); lower CD(4)(+)T cell counts at diagnosis (<350 cells/μl) ( HR =8.711, 95 %CI : 5.757-13.181); receiving no antiretroviral therapy (ART) ( HR =18.223, 95 %CI : 13.317-24.937) were the high risk factors influencing the survival of AIDS patients compared with HIV phase, homosexual transmission, being unmarried, younger age (≤30 years), higher CD(4)(+)T cell count (≥350 cell/μl) and receiving ART. Conclusion: The average survival time of HIV/AIDS cases was 226.5 months after diagnoses. Receiving ART, higher CD(4)(+)T cell counts at the first test, HIV phase, younger age, being unmarried and the homosexual transmission were related to the longer survival time of HIV/AIDS cases. Receiving no ART, the lower CD(4)(+)T cell counts at the first test, AIDS phase, older age, being married and heterosexual transmission indicated higher risk of death due to AIDS.

Objective: To understand the HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) and discuss the feasibility of respondent driven sampling (RDS) as a tool to conduct long term HIV surveillance in MSM in Beijing. Methods: From 2005 to 2012 RDS was used to recruit MSM for face-to-face interview with structured questionnaire to collect their demographic characteristics and HIV risk-related behavior. Blood samples were collected from them for HIV test. Results: A total of 427, 540, 607, 614, 616, 602, 579 and 600 MSM were surveyed, respectively, from 2005 to 2012. The HIV infection prevalence increased from 4.2 % (95 %CI : 1.9-7.0) in 2005 to 10.1 % (95 %CI : 7.2-13.2) in 2012 ( P =0.02). Meanwhile, HIV prevalence substantially increased among MSM aged >25 years, in floating population and with lower education level (≤high school), from 6.4 % (95 %CI : 2.2-9.5), 3.3 % (95 %CI : 1.8-5.4) and 5.5 % (95 %CI : 2.2-8.9) in 2005 to 7.6 % (95 %CI : 5.4-10.3, P =0.04), 10.7 % (95 % CI : 7.8-14.6, P =0.04) and 10.4 % (95 % CI :7.2-14.3, P =0.04) in 2012, respectively. Moreover, the HIV infection prevalence in MSM aged ≤25 years old and with higher education level (>high school) increased from 1.7 % (95 %CI : 0.4-3.1) in 2009 and 1.1 % (95 %CI : 0.2-1.7) in 2007 to 13.7 % (95 %CI : 7.2-20.4) and 9.1 % (95 %CI : 4.7-13.8) in 2012, respectively, the differences were not significant. Furthermore, the HIV infection prevalence in MSM who had 2-9 male sex partners in the last six months increased from 4.0 % (95 % CI : 1.0-8.0) in 2005 to 12.6 % (95 % CI : 8.7-16.7) in 2012 ( P =0.02). Conclusions: Studies have shown that RDS is an effective and feasible sampling method for long term HIV surveillance in MSM. The HIV infection prevalence in MSM in Beijing increased from 2005 to 2012, especially among those with older age, in floating population and with lower educational level. More attention should be paid to MSM with younger age and with higher educational level.

This study aims to analyze the molecular epidemiological characteristics of HIV-1 strains prevailing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Beijing, China. The pol gene fragments from 250 newly diagnosed HIV-1-infected MSM individuals during 2006-2010 in Beijing were amplified by RT-nested PCR, sequenced, and phylogenetically analyzed. HIV-1 pol gene from 189 individuals were amplified and analyzed; 81 (42. 9%), 3 (1. 6%), 2 (1.0%), 88 (46. 6%), and 15 (7.9%) individuals were infected with HIV-1 subtypes B, B', C, CRF01&#95;AE, and CRF07&#95;BC, respectively. The subtypes B and CRF01&#95;AE could both be grouped into two clusters, and CRFO7&#95;BC strains shared high homology and were presumed to originate from a common ancestor. The HIV-1 circulating in MSM in Beijing had a lower genetic diversity than in heterosexuals. The HIV-1 epidemic (2006-2010) in MSM in Beijing was actually a rapid spread of HIV-1 CRF01 AE and B, or rather native strains of the two viruses.

Objective: To analyze the molecular epidemiological characteristic of HIV-1 B'/C strains prevalent in Beijing., Methods: Plasma samples were collected from 200 newly diagnosed HIV-1 B'/C individuals reported during 2006 to 2010 in Beijing. The gag gene fragments were amplified from RNA template extracted from plasma with reverse transcription (RT) and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). And the sequences were analyzed by phylogenetic methods and Entropy analysis., Results: A total of 159 sequences were successfully amplified from the gag genes of which 147 was CRF07&#95;BC and 12 CRF08&#95;BC. There were 3 main sub-clusters in CRF07&#95;BC phylogenetic tree and they were named as sub-cluster IDU-Max (89 sequences), sub-cluster IDU-Min (22 sequences) and sub-cluster MSM (34 sequences) based on transmission.No international reference strain was closely related with these three sub-clusters except for one strain identified in Taiwan. All CRF07&#95;BC recombinant strains were remarkable for their low interpatient diversity in gag genes (3.7%, 3.3% and 2.0% for isolates from IDU-Max, IDU-Min and MSM respectively).When compared with sub-cluster IDU-Max, there were 32 and 41 significantly different sites of nucleotide polymorphism compositions in sub-clusters IDU-Min and MSM., Conclusion: This is the first report of describing the existence of three main epidemic sub-clusters in CRF07&#95;BC strains prevalent in Beijing. And IDU-Max sub-cluster is the dominant strain. The CRF07&#95;BC in Beijing are less diverse than other strains and may be derived from a common ancestor.

To explore the genetic characteristics of viral quasispecies in HIV-1 CRF07&#95;BC infections among intravenous drug users (IDU), the gp120 fragments of HIV-1 env gene were amplified from plasma samples collected from 6 CRF07&#95;BC infected persons using single genome amplification and sequencing (SGA/ SGS) method, and 11 to 28 sequences were obtained from these samples, respectively, A neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree was reconstructed to describe the genetic characteristics of viral quasispecies. The Simplot, segments' phylogenetic trees and diversity plots based on average pairwise distance (APD) were used to identify the recombination events between quasispecies. The SGA sequences derived from single specimen formed a large monophyletic cluster in the neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree and showed the complex topologic structures of viral quasispecies. Of the 6 CRF07&#95;BC infected patients, only one possessed the high genetic homogeneity, whereas the other five individuals showed high heterogeneity, with two to four subclusters inside the monophyletic cluster for each specimen. In addition, the recombinant events were identified among viral quasispecies from 3 cases. The results show SGA technique and phylogenetic analyses are useful tool to investigate the intrahost CRF07&#95;BC gp120 complex quasispecies variation and high genetic diversity.

Objective: To assess the quality of life of people living with HIV or AIDS (PLWHA) and to identify influencing factors., Methods: During September to December 2010, by a convenience sampling, a questionnaire survey was undertaken in 310 PLWHA living in Beijing, which included the general questionnaires, SF-36 for assessing quality of life and Berger-HIV stigma scale. T test and multivariable linear regression model were used to analyze the results., Results: For the subjects investigated, the age was (32.87±8.76) years old. Homosexual behavior was the main dissemination (84.52%, 262/310). The results of SF-36 questionnaire were: the summary score 66.75±15.70; physical function 93.00±9.49, role physical 66.53±40.26, bodily pain 73.88±22.63, general health 50.06±22.75, vitality 61.11±19.67, social function 69.50±24.24, role emotional 59.68±42.38, mental health 60.63±19.81. Except physical functioning, the scores of every scale were lower than general persons (P<0.05). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that the stronger stigma, the lower the summary score (standardized coefficients (β')=-0.38), role physical (β'=-0.21), bodily pain (β'=-0.13), general health (β'=-0.33), vitality (β'=-0.31), social function (β'=-0.34), role emotional (β'=-0.31), mental health (β'=-0.47) (all P values<0.05). The higher expend on treating HIV, the lower the summary score (β'=-0.17), physical function (β'=-0.28), role physical (β'=-0.15), bodily pain (β'=-0.19), general health (β'=-0.15), social function (β'=-0.11), role emotional (β'=-0.16) (all P values<0.05). Who having work got higher score in the summary score (β'=0.13), physical function (β'=0.13), role physical (β'=0.12), bodily pain (β'=0.12), vitality (β'=0.13), social function (β'=0.12), role emotional (β'=0.12) than others (all P values<0.05)., Conclusion: The quality of PLWHA's life was low. High stigma feeling, high expend on treating HIV, having a job were the main influencing factors of quality of life in PLWHA.

Objective: To explore the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the risk factors among opiate drug users in Beijing., Methods: The opiate drug users enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment clinics of Beijing from 30 November 2004 to 31 March 2008 were investigated. The blood samples were collected and tested for HIV and HCV infection and questionnaires were used for all subjects admitted., Results: Among 1211 eligible subjects, 12 HIV and 713 HCV-positive subjects were observed; the HIV and HCV prevalences were .99% and 58.88%, respectively. Young age, unemployment, injection drug use, and more frequent and longer drug use were the independent risk factors for HCV infection using the multiple logistic regression analysis. The younger drug users are more likely to be infected than the older ones, and the adjusted odds ratios (OR) of 18-30 and 30-40 versus 40-54 years were 1.81 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.13-1.92) and 1.51 (95% CI: 1.08-2.10). The drug users who were unemployed (OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.23-2.37), with injection drug use (OR = 10.99, 95% CI: 7.26-16.65), with more frequent drug use (OR = 2.42, 95% CI: 1.31-2.46), and with longer heroin abuse history (OR = 8.06, 95% CI: 1.19-57.54) were more likely to be infected with HCV., Conclusions: The HCV infection was popular among opiate drug users in Beijing. The findings indicated the need for educating the users taking into account their low literacy levels and the necessity for job training and decreasing the injection drug use and the frequency of drug use administrated as the prevention and intervention methods for controlling the HIV/HCV infection in this population.

Objective: To examine the prevalence of drug resistance mutations among the treatment-naive HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infectors living in Beijing so as to provide the basal information for clinical antiviral treatment., Methods: HIV pol genes from plasma samples of 150 treatment-naive HIV-infected patients were amplified, sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. And the drug-resistance associated mutations in protease and reverse transcriptase regions were analyzed with Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database., Results: A total of 111 pol gene sequences were obtained. The overall prevalence of drug resistance was 8.1% (9/111), corresponding to 3.6% (4/111) for protease inhibitors, 1.8% (2/111) for nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and 3.6% (4/111) for non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. No drug resistance mutation was identified in 17 intravenous drug users., Conclusion: The prevalence of drug resistance is relatively high in the newly confirmed HIV infectors in Beijing. Regular surveillance and monitoring of drug-resistant HIV should be implemented.

Objective: To investigate the changes of the T lymphocytes and their subsets before and after receiving highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) in children who were infected with HIV or AIDS patients., Methods: Ninety-nine children met the criteria were recruited. All of them had received HAART in Guangxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention from May 2006 to April 2009. Peripheral blood of 2 milliliter was collected before treatment (D0) and after 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months (M3, M6, M12, M18, M24, M30 and M36), respectively. Four-color fluorescence flow cytometry was used for the detection of the absolute numbers of CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+) T lymphocytes in peripheral blood. And then, the percentages of CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+) T lymphocytes in the CD45(+) cells and the ratio of CD4/CD8 were calculated., Results: Sixteen-five (65.66%) cases were treated with lamivudine (3TC)/zidovudine (AZT)/nevirapine (NVP), and 16 (16.16%), 8 (8.08%) and 10 (10.10%) cases were treated with 3TC/stavudine (D4T)/NVP, 3TC/AZT/efavirenz (EFV) and 3TC/AZT/lpv-rtv (LPV/r), respectively. The median of the ratio of CD4/CD8 were 0.39, 0.51, 0.61, 0.65, 0.70, 0.73 and 0.76 in M3, M6, M12, M18, M24, M30 and M36, respectively which were significantly higher than that in D0 (0.19) (Z values were -5.158, -7.375, -9.078, -8.853, -8.373, -5.845 and -5.844 respectively, P < 0.000). The median of CD4% were 16.92%, 22.70%, 25.54%, 26.66%, 27.99%, 30.36% and 29.30% respectively in M3, M6, M12, M18, M24, M30 and M36 respectively, which were also higher significantly than that in D0 (9.92%) (Z values were -5.268, -7.568, -9.496, -9.171, -8.760, -6.190 and -5.964 respectively, P < 0.000). In addition, the median of the absolute numbers of CD4(+)T lymphocytes in peripheral blood were 631, 813, 1050, 946, 1057, 1166 and 894 cells/mm(3) respectively in M3, M6, M12, M18, M24, M30 and M36, which were higher significantly than that of D0 (382 cells/mm(3)) (Z values were -3.318, -5.288, -6.661, -5.886, -5.801, -4.110 and -3.600 respectively, P < 0.000). However, the median of CD8% were 47.25%, 43.01%, 43.04%, 42.60%, 41.37%, 40.83% and 38.31% respectively in M3, M6, M12, M18, M24, M30 and M36, which were lower significantly than that of D0 (53.17%) (Z values were -3.082, -4.697, -5.282, -5.846, -5.757, -3.883 and -4.380 respectively, P < 0.001)., Conclusion: There is certain rules for the changes of T lymphocytes and their subsets, which may play important roles in the evaluation of the therapeutic effect and the clinical application guidance of HAART.

In this paper, we describe sex-related health risks among hostesses in two metropolises in China based on data obtained from in-depth interviews. The data show that hostesses, many engaging in commercial sex, are vulnerable to HIV infection, unwanted pregnancies and reproductive tract infections. Nevertheless, many obstacles still are present that hinder them from engaging in safe sex. The findings from our study illustrate the need for targeted interventions in order to improve reproductive health and promote safe sex among this group.

Objective: To study whether plasma viral load testing is helpful to exclude ones free from Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections from suspects in HIV antibody detections., Methods: 19 Specimens, which showed disconcordant results of the two HIV EIA testing (S/CO < 6) and indeterminated results of Western blot (WB) test, were selected. Viral load of the specimens were detected. A six-month follow up survey in detecting HIV antibody was conducted in these subjects., Results: None of these 19 cases was observed to be positive HIV viral loads and there was no any progress in WB bands development during the follow-up period. The possibility of HIV infection could be excluded., Conclusion: When the specimens react with very low intensity in both EIA and WB, negative viral load result is conducive to exclude negative subjects from suspects in HIV antibody detections.

Objective: To identify a cost-efficient alternative antibody testing strategy for screening and confirmation of HIV infection by rapid simple tests (RSTs) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs)., Methods: Four RSTs (RST1, RST2, RST3, and RST4) and five ELISAs (ELISA1, ELISA2, ELISA3, ELISA4, and ELISA5) were evaluated in two phases by using banked and serum specimens prospectively collected at regional hospitals and voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) centers in Beijing. A total of 200 banked serum specimens were included in the first phase, including 62 HIV-positive, 127 HIV-negative and 11 indeterminate specimens. All specimens were tested by four RSTs and five ELISAs respectively. The second phase involved prospective testing of 389 routine specimens, including 92 HIV-positive, 287 HIV-negative, and 10 indeterminate specimens. All the specimens were tested by two RSTs (RST2 and RST4) and three ELISAs (ELISA1, ELISA3, and ELISA4), which were selected for their respective excellent sensitivity and/or specificity. Western blot (WB) was used as a gold standard for confirming the reactivity of all the specimens., Results: Sensitivity, specificity, and efficacy were calculated for each assay in two phases. In the first phase, four assays (ELISA4, RST2, RST3, and RST4) had a specificity of 100%. For the determination of efficacy, ELISA4, RST2, and RST4 were selected in the second phase. ELISA1 and ELISA3 which have a sensitivity of 95.9% and 93.2% respectively also entered this phase. In the second phase, all the five assays (ELISA1, ELISA3, ELISA4, RST2, and RST4) had a sensitivity and specifity of over 90%. ELISA1 had a sensitivity of 99% and ELISA4 a specificity of 99%., Conclusion: The sensitivity ELISA1 and the specificit of ELISA4 are comparable to ELISA/WB standard strategy. Application of this alternative testing strategy provides a cost-effective method for determining HIV prevalence in Beijing.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to examine how personality traits such as sensation- seeking and impulsive decision-making affect Taiwanese college students' intentions to seek online information about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Five hundred thirty-five (n = 535) junior and senior college students in Taiwan were recruited and completed self-report questionnaires. This study found high sensation-seekers were more likely to seek information about STDs and HIV/AIDS on the Internet than low sensation-seekers. Impulsive decision-makers were less likely than rational decision-makers to seek information about STDs and HIV/AIDS on the Internet. These findings suggest that personality needs to be considered as an exploratory factor which potentially influences intentions to seek STD and HIV/AIDS information on the Internet among Taiwanese college students.