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Background. It is unknown whether sex and race influence clinical outcomes following primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Methods. Data were evaluated from an observational, multicenter, primarily North American cohort of HIV-1 seroconverters. Results. Of 2277 seroconverters, 5.4% were women. At enrollment, women averaged .40 log10 fewer copies/mL of HIV-1 RNA (P < .001) and 66 more CD4+ T cells/μL (P = .006) than men, controlling for age and race. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) was less likely to be initiated at any time point by nonwhite women and men compared to white men (P < .005), and by individuals from the southern United States compared to others (P = .047). Sex and race did not affect responses to ART after 6 months (P > .73). Women were 2.17-fold more likely than men to experience >1 HIV/AIDS-related event (P < .001). Nonwhite women were most likely to experience an HIV/AIDS-related event compared to all others (P = .035), after adjusting for intravenous drug use and ART. Eight years after diagnosis, >1 HIV/AIDS-related event had occurred in 78% of nonwhites and 37% of whites from the southern United States, and 24% of whites and 17% of nonwhites from other regions (P < .001). Conclusions. Despite more favorable clinical parameters initially, female HIV-1-seroconverters had worse outcomes than did male seroconverters. Elevated morbidity was associated with being nonwhite and residing in the southern United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is characterized by high levels of immune activation. Immunomodulation with cyclosporine combined with antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the setting of acute and early HIV-1 infection has been reported to result in enhanced immune reconstitution. Fifty-four individuals with acute and early infection were randomized to receive ART with 4 weeks of cyclosporine versus ART alone. In 48 subjects who completed the study, there were no significant differences between treatment arms in levels of proviral DNA or CD4+ T cell counts. Adjunctive therapy with cyclosporine in this setting does not provide apparent virologic or immunologic benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An effective therapeutic vaccine that could augment immune control of HIV-1 replication may abrogate or delay the need for antiretroviral therapy. AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) A5187 was a phase I/II, randomized, placebocontrolled, double-blinded trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of an HIV-1 DNA vaccine (VRC-HVDNA 009-00- VP) in subjects treated with antiretroviral therapy during acute/early HIV-1 infection. (clinicaltrials.gov NCT00125099) Methods: Twenty healthy HIV-1 infected subjects who were treated with antiretroviral therapy during acute/early HIV-1 infection and had HIV-1 RNA<50 copies/mL were randomized to receive either vaccine or placebo. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine. Following vaccination, subjects interrupted antiretroviral treatment, and set-point HIV-1 viral loads and CD4 T cell counts were determined 17-23 weeks after treatment discontinuation. Results: Twenty subjects received all scheduled vaccinations and discontinued antiretroviral therapy at week 30. No subject met a primary safety endpoint. No evidence of differences in immunogenicity were detected in subjects receiving vaccine versus placebo. There were also no significant differences in set-point HIV-1 viral loads or CD4 T cell counts following treatment discontinuation. Median set-point HIV-1 viral loads after treatment discontinuation in vaccine and placebo recipients were 3.5 and 3.7 log10 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL, respectively. Conclusions: The HIV-1 DNA vaccine (VRC-HIVDNA 009-00-VP) was safe but poorly immunogenic in subjects treated with antiretroviral therapy during acute/early HIV-1 infection. Viral set-points were similar between vaccine and placebo recipients following treatment interruption. However, median viral load set-points in both groups were lower than in historical controls, suggesting a possible role for antiretroviral therapy in persons with acute or early HIV-1 infection and supporting the safety of discontinuing treatment in this group. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00125099. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BENCHMRK-1 and -2 are ongoing double-blind phase III studies of raltegravir in patients experiencing failure of antiretroviral therapy with triple-class drug-resistant human immunodeficiency virus infection. At week 96 (combined data), raltegravir (400 mg twice daily) plus optimized background therapy was generally well tolerated, with superior and durable antiretroviral and immunological efficacy, compared with optimized background therapy alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage and subsequent infection were prospectively compared among a well-defined group of 107 individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) who had no evidence of immune suppression and 52 epidemiologically matched, uninfected individuals. The carriage strains and infecting strains were genetically characterized. The cumulative prevalence of MRSA carriage was significantly higher among HIV-infected individuals (16.8%) than among individuals without HIV infection (5.8%) (P = .04; odds ratio, 3.3 [95% confidence interval, 1.3-14.7]). Fifteen of 21 MRSA isolates recovered from colonized individuals were identified as strain USA300. Of the 10 MRSA skin and soft tissue infections observed in this study, all occurred in HIV-infected individuals who were colonized with the same strain that caused the infection. Previous antibiotic use was the only statistically significant risk factor for MRSA carriage. These data highlight the fact that MRSA colonization and infection are important clinical issues among asymptomatic HIV-1--infected individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the long-term durable efficacy of tipranavir, a nonpeptidic protease inhibitor, coadminister with low-dose ritonavir (TPV/r), as measured by virologic and immunologic responses in HIV patients who had multiple protease inhibitor experience and had an additional fully active drug to use with TPV. According to the authors, TPV/r combined with other active retroviral agents can provide a durable treatment response for highly treatment-experienced patients.

Optimal HIV vaccines should elicit CD8+ T cells specific for HIV proteins presented on MHC class I products, because these T cells contribute to host resistance to viruses. We had previously found that the targeting of antigen to dendritic cells (DCs) in mice efficiently induces CD8+ T cell responses. To extend this finding to humans, we introduced the HIV p24 gag protein into a mAb that targets DEC-205/CD205, an endocytic receptor of DC5. We then assessed cross-presentation, which is the processing of nonreplicating internalized antigen onto MHC class I for recognition by CD8+ T cells. Low doses of αDEC-gag, but not control 19-gag, stimulated proliferation and IFN-γ production by CD8+ T cells isolated from the blood of HIV-infected donors. αCD205 fusion mAb was more effective for cross-presentation than αCD209/DC-SIGN, another abundant DC uptake receptor. Presentation was diverse, because we identified eight different gag peptides that were recognized via DEC-205 in 11 individuals studied consecutively. Our results, based on humans with highly polymorphic MHC products, reveal that DC5 and DEC-205 can cross-present several different peptides from a single protein. Because of the consistency in eliciting CD8+ T cell responses, these data support the testing of αDEC-205 fusion mAb as a protein-based vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the study covering the antiretroviral activity and safety of MK-0518 as monotherapy for 10 days in antiretroviral therapy-naive HIV-1 infected patients. It presents the data from the two-part study showing MK-0518's longer term combination therapy phase trial after the monotherapy phase. Results showed the sustainability of antiretroviral activity, optimum pharmacokinetics profile, and the short-term tolerability of MK-0518 when distributed at different dosing levels.

Background During acute and early HIV-1 infection (AEI), up to 60% of CD4+ T cells in the lamina propria of the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract are lost as early as 2-4 wk after infection. Reconstitution in the peripheral blood during therapy with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is well established. However, the extent of immune reconstitution in the GI tract is unknown. Methods and Findings Fifty-four AEI patients and 18 uninfected control participants underwent colonic biopsy. Forty of the 54 AEI patients were followed after initiation of antiretroviral therapy (18 were studied longitudinally with sequential biopsies over a 3-y period after beginning HAART, and 22 were studied cross sectionally after 1–7 y of uninterrupted therapy). Lymphocyte subsets, markers of immune activation and memory in the peripheral blood and GI tract were determined by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. In situ hybridization was performed in order to identify persistent HIV-1 RNA expression. Of the patients studied, 70% maintained, on average, a 50%–60% depletion of lamina propria lymphocytes despite 1–7 y of HAART. Lymphocytes expressing CCR5 and both CCR5 and CXCR4 were persistently and preferentially depleted. Levels of immune activation in the memory cell population, CD45RO+ HLA-DR+, returned to levels seen in the uninfected control participants in the peripheral blood, but were elevated in the GI tract of patients with persistent CD4+ T cell depletion despite therapy. Rare HIV-1 RNA-expressing cells were detected by in situ hybridization. Conclusions Apparently suppressive treatment with HAART during acute and early infection does not lead to complete immune reconstitution in the GI mucosa in the majority of patients studied, despite immune reconstitution in the peripheral blood. Though the mechanism remains obscure, the data suggest that there is either viral or immune-mediated accelerated T cell destruction or, possibly, alterations in T cell homing to the GI tract. Although clinically silent over the short term, the long-term consequences of the persistence of this lesion may emerge as the HIV-1-infected population survives longer owing to the benefits of HAART. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Uncontrolled studies have suggested a benefit, after treatment discontinuation, of initiating highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) during primary human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We assessed whether initiation of HAART within 2 weeks of (acute treatment) or between 2 weeks and 6 months after (early treatment) HIV seroconversion was associated with improvements in the viral load and the CD4+ T cell count after discontinuation of treatment in an observational cohort. Methods. Subjects from the multicenter Acute Infection and Early Disease Research Program cohort were enrolled in the present study within 6 months of HIV seroconversion and self-selected whether to initiate HAART. Subjects who received acute (n = 13) or early (n = 45) treatment received HAART for at least 12 np13 np45 weeks and then subsequently stopped treatment, whereas untreated subjects (n = 337) declined treatment. HIV RNA levels and CD4+ T cell counts at 24, 48, and 72 weeks after treatment cessation in the 2 treatment groups were compared with those noted in the untreated group during the same periods of observation after enrollment. Results. The acute treatment group had lower mean HIV RNA levels at 24 weeks without therapy (-0.48 log10 copies/µL [95% confidence interval {CI}, -0.82 to -0.13 log10 copies/µL]) and higher mean CD4+ T cell counts (112 cells/µL [95% CI, 20-205 cells/µL]), compared with the untreated group at 24 weeks. The differences in the laboratory values for the acute treatment group versus the untreated group at 72 weeks without therapy were as follows: for the HIV RNA level, -0.35 log10 copies/µL (95% CI, -0.91 to 0.21 log10 copies/µL) and, for the CD4 T+ cell count, 112 cells/µL (95% CI, -15 to 213 cells/µL). The early treatment group had lower HIV RNA levels at 24 weeks than did the untreated group, but differences were no longer apparent by week 48; CD4+ T cell counts were higher in the early treatment group at week 24 (116 cells/µL [95% CI, 75-157 cells/µL]) and week 72 (70 cells/µL [95% CI, 2-138 cells/µL]). Conclusions. Initiation of HAART within 2 weeks of antibody seroconversion was associated with viral load and CD4+ T cell count benefits for 24 weeks after termination of HAART, with there being trends toward a longer-term benefit. Later initiation of HAART was associated with a persistent but decreasing CD4+ T cell count benefit and a loss of the viral load benefit by week 72 after discontinuation of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the factors that are predictors of response to antiretroviral therapy in the treatment of HIV-1 infection, including adherence, stage of disease at baseline, treatment history, and demographic factors. The effective management of HIV infection has evolved dramatically with treatments becoming more effective, better tolerated, and easier to take. Clinical trials have demonstrated various levels of virologic response, depending on the treatment regimen used.

It has become evident that the gastrointestinal tract is preferentially and profoundly depleted of CD4+ T cells during acute HIV-1 infection. The enhanced susceptibility of gastrointestinal lymphoid tissue to HIV-1 is in part due to the large complement of CCR5+ memory CD4+ T cells resident at this site. Here we summarize the recent findings demonstrating that the gastrointestinal tract plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of acute HIV-1 and simian immunodeficiency virus infections. Ongoing work in this field is likely to have a significant effect on HIV research in the near future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents a clinical trial that tested four-drug induction followed by three-drug maintenance as initial antiretroviral therapy on antiretroviral-naive HIV-1-infected patients. Abacavir/lamivudine/zidovudine plus efavirenz; Baseline median HIV RNA level; CD4 cell count; Three-drug regimen maintained virologic control and immunologic response.

Abstract: HIV-1 infected patients after being treated with potent combinations of antiretroviral drugs for 2–6 months typically reach a state in which virus can no longer be detected within their blood. These patients with undetectable virus occasionally have viral load measurements that are above the limit of detection of current assays. Such measurements are called blips. Here we examine the possibility that such blips represent infrequent measurements taken during a period of time in which there is a transient elevation of virus in the patient’s blood, i.e., a so-called transient episode of viremia. By analyzing time series of blips from a large number of patients, we conclude that transient episodes of viremia exist and that on average they extend for a period of about 3 weeks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background Rapid progression to AIDS after acute HIV-1 infection, though uncommon, has been noted, as has the transmission of multidrug resistant viruses. Here, we describe a patient in whom these two factors arose concomitantly and assess the effects. Methods We did a case study of a patient with HIV-1 seroconversion. We genotyped the virus and host genetic markers by PCR and nucleotide sequencing. To ascertain the drug susceptibility of our patient's HIV-1 we did phenotypic studies with the PhenoSense assay. We assessed viral coreceptor use via syncytium formation in vitro and with a modified PhenoSense assay. Findings Our patient seems to have been recently infected by a viral variant of HIV-1 resistant to multiple classes of antiretroviral drugs. Furthermore, his virus population is dual tropic for cells that express CCR5 or CXCR4 coreceptor. The infection has resulted in progression to symptomatic AIDS in 4-20 months. Interpretation The intersection of multidrug resistance and rapid development of AIDS in this patient is of concern, especially in view of his case history, which includes high-risk sexual contacts and use of metamfetamine. The public health ramifications of such a case are great. INSETS: Panel 1: Case report;Panel 2: Genotyping results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summarizes the potency and efficacy of new protease inhibitors in representing a major change in the approach to the treatment of HIV-1 infection and AIDS. Consideration of protease inhibitors, atazanavir and fosamprenavir as promising options for initial antiretroviral therapy; Contribution of the use of HIV-1 protease inhibitors to teh significant decline in morbidity and mortality associated with HIV infection and AIDS.

Despite the clinical benefits of combination antiviral therapy, whether maximal antiviral potency has been achieved with current drug combinations remains unclear. We studied the first phase of decay of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA in plasma, one early indicator of antiviral activity, after the administration of a novel combination of lopinavir/ritonavir, efavirenz, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, and lamivudine and compared it with that observed in matched cohorts treated with alternative combination regimens. On the basis of these comparisons, we conclude that the relative potency of highly active antiretroviral therapy may be augmented by as much as 25%-30%. However, it is important to emphasize that further study is warranted to explore whether these early measurements of relative efficacy provide long-term virologic and clinical benefits. Nevertheless, we believe that optimal treatment regimens for HIV-1 have yet to be identified and that continued research to achieve this goal is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infected patients treated with combination antiretroviral therapy frequently have the level of HIV-1 RNA detectable in plasma driven below the lower limit of detection of current assays, 50 copies ml−1. Patients may continue to exhibit viral loads (VLs) below the assay limit for years, yet on some occasions the VL may be above the limit of detection. Whether these ‘blips’ in VL are simply assay errors or are indicative of intermittent episodes of increased viral replication is of great clinical concern. By analyzing the occurrence of viral blips in 123 treated HIV-infected patients, we show that patients do not share a common probability distribution of blip amplitude and thus reject the hypothesis that blips are solely due to assay variation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sixteen subjects were treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy within 120 days of the onset of symptoms of newly acquired human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Eleven of the 16 participated in an adjunctive therapeutic vaccine trial. After a mean of 3.2 years of treatment, they elected to discontinue therapy. Virus rebound occurred in all subjects and was followed by a spontaneous, transient although significant reduction in log plasma HIV-1 RNA level, ranging from 0.3 to 3.1 log[sub 10] copies/mL. Despite evidence of the induction of HIV-l-specific cell-mediated immune responses, plasma viremia was not persistently suppressed to <500 copies/mL in any subject. The magnitude and dynamics of virus rebound were similar in both vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects. Nevertheless, given the transient suppression of viremia observed in nearly all subjects after treatment has been discontinued, further investigations of adjunctive vaccination with optimized antiretroviral therapy in treating HIV-1 infection are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the virological and immunological effects of combination antiretroviral therapy with zidovudine, lamivudine and indinavir during primary HIV type 1 infection. Adverse experiences of some patients associated with nephrolithiasis; Profound and sustained reduction in virus load with concurrent recovery of the CD4 cell population.

Investigates the effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on humoral immune responses during primary or chronic HIV type 1 infection. Inhibition of the development of anti-gp120 antibodies by HAART when initiated during primary infection; Absence of substantial effect on the development of weak neutralizing antibody responses against autologous virus when HAART was administered during primary infection.

Replication-competent HIV-1 can be isolated from infected patients despite prolonged plasma virus suppression by anti-retroviral treatment. Recent studies have identified resting, memory CD4[sup +] T lymphocytes as a long-lived latent reservoir of HIV-1 (refs. 4,5). Cross-sectional analyses indicate that the reservoir is rather small, between 10³ and 10[sup 7] cells per patient. In individuals whose plasma viremia levels are well suppressed by anti-retroviral therapy, peripheral blood mononuclear cells containing replication-competent HIV-1 were found to decay with a mean half-life of approximately 6 months, close to the decay characteristics of memory lymphocytes in humans and monkeys. In contrast, little decay was found in a less-selective patient population. We undertook this study to address this apparent discrepancy. Using a quantitative micro-culture assay, we demonstrate here that the latent reservoir decays with a mean half-life of 6.3 months in patients who consistently maintain plasma HIV-1 RNA levels of fewer than 50 copies/ml. Slower decay rates occur in individuals who experience intermittent episodes of plasma viremia. Our findings indicate that the persistence of the latent reservoir of HIV-1 despite prolonged treatment is due not only to its slow intrinsic decay characteristics but also to the inability of current drug regimens to completely block HIV-1 replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HLA-restricted immune escape mutations that persist following HIV transmission could gradually spread through the viral population, thereby compromising host antiviral immunity as the epidemic progresses. To assess the extent and phenotypic impact of this phenomenon in an immunogenetically diverse population, we genotypically and functionally compared linked HLA and HIV (Gag/Nef) sequences from 358 historic (1979–1989) and 382 modern (2000–2011) specimens from four key cities in the North American epidemic (New York, Boston, San Francisco, Vancouver). Inferred HIV phylogenies were star-like, with approximately two-fold greater mean pairwise distances in modern versus historic sequences. The reconstructed epidemic ancestral (founder) HIV sequence was essentially identical to the North American subtype B consensus. Consistent with gradual diversification of a “consensus-like” founder virus, the median “background” frequencies of individual HLA-associated polymorphisms in HIV (in individuals lacking the restricting HLA[s]) were ∼2-fold higher in modern versus historic HIV sequences, though these remained notably low overall (e.g. in Gag, medians were 3.7% in the 2000s versus 2.0% in the 1980s). HIV polymorphisms exhibiting the greatest relative spread were those restricted by protective HLAs. Despite these increases, when HIV sequences were analyzed as a whole, their total average burden of polymorphisms that were “pre-adapted” to the average host HLA profile was only ∼2% greater in modern versus historic eras. Furthermore, HLA-associated polymorphisms identified in historic HIV sequences were consistent with those detectable today, with none identified that could explain the few HIV codons where the inferred epidemic ancestor differed from the modern consensus. Results are therefore consistent with slow HIV adaptation to HLA, but at a rate unlikely to yield imminent negative implications for cellular immunity, at least in North America. Intriguingly, temporal changes in protein activity of patient-derived Nef (though not Gag) sequences were observed, suggesting functional implications of population-level HIV evolution on certain viral proteins.

Assesses the virologic and immunologic effect of early intervention with highly active combination antiretroviral therapy to eradicate HIV-1 from the infected host. Suppression of viral replication; Persistence of HIV-1 RNA expression in lymphoid tissues and peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Reduction in levels of virus-specific immune responses.

Focuses on the connection between phenotypic changes in drug susceptibility and HIV type 1 combination therapy failures. Assay used in measuring the drug susceptibility of patients involved in the study; Possibility of phenotypic drug resistance detection before virus load rebound.

The article focuses on empathy and communication efficiency. Empathy (accuracy in taking the role of the other) was held to be affected by the extent and relevance of common experiences between members of a dyad. It was argued further that one basis for more efficient communication is more accurate role taking. A form of the television game "Password" was used to provide a measure of communication efficiency. It was administered to 32 pairs of female subjects, drawn from classes of Introductory Sociology. Of these, 16 pairs were friends and 16 were strangers; within each of these groups, eight pairs were Jews, and eight were Catholic. Each dyad played eight games of "Passwords." In four of the games, words were used that had general cultural relevance. The other four words could be approached from either a general or religious frame of reference. In addition to counting the number of cue words needed to ascertain every goal word, the proportion of religion-related cue words was determined for the dual-meaning goal words. Three specific hypotheses were tested: (a) Friends communicate more efficiently than strangers; (b) Catholics communicate more efficiently than Jews on religion-related goal words; (c) the superior performance of Catholics is due to their more frequent use of religion-related cues.

Background: An effective therapeutic vaccine that could augment immune control of HIV-1 replication may abrogate or delay the need for antiretroviral therapy. AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) A5187 was a phase I/II, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of an HIV-1 DNA vaccine (VRC-HVDNA 009-00-VP) in subjects treated with antiretroviral therapy during acute/early HIV-1 infection. (clinicaltrials.gov NCT00125099) Methods: Twenty healthy HIV-1 infected subjects who were treated with antiretroviral therapy during acute/early HIV-1 infection and had HIV-1 RNA<50 copies/mL were randomized to receive either vaccine or placebo. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine. Following vaccination, subjects interrupted antiretroviral treatment, and set-point HIV-1 viral loads and CD4 T cell counts were determined 17–23 weeks after treatment discontinuation. Results: Twenty subjects received all scheduled vaccinations and discontinued antiretroviral therapy at week 30. No subject met a primary safety endpoint. No evidence of differences in immunogenicity were detected in subjects receiving vaccine versus placebo. There were also no significant differences in set-point HIV-1 viral loads or CD4 T cell counts following treatment discontinuation. Median set-point HIV-1 viral loads after treatment discontinuation in vaccine and placebo recipients were 3.5 and 3.7 log[sub]10 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL, respectively. Conclusions: The HIV-1 DNA vaccine (VRC-HIVDNA 009-00-VP) was safe but poorly immunogenic in subjects treated with antiretroviral therapy during acute/early HIV-1 infection. Viral set-points were similar between vaccine and placebo recipients following treatment interruption. However, median viral load set-points in both groups were lower than in historical controls, suggesting a possible role for antiretroviral therapy in persons with acute or early HIV-1 infection and supporting the safety of discontinuing treatment in this group. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00125099

Editorial. Focuses on the early detection and treatment of persons newly infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1). Effects of a clinician's failure to consider HIV diagnosis to the patient's future clinical course; Diagnostic tests; Effects of early therapy; Public health consequences of undiagnosed HIV-1 infection; Characteristics of untreated HIV-1 infection.

The article focuses on the comments of the authors regarding a research conducted by researcher Daniel R. Kuritzkes and his colleagues in order to determine the effectiveness of efavirenz (EFV)-based combination therapy in treating HIV infections. The research revealed that mathematical modeling of real-world data can be linked to clinical trial outcomes. According to the authors, this study sheds light on the possibility that clinical trial design in HIV- 1 therapeutics can be made safer.

Editorial. Questions the argument that the absence of resistance-conferring genotypic changes reflected patient nonadherence to antiviral therapy in the treatment of HIV infections. Drug resistance as the most common pathway to treatment failure; Difference in median adherence rates as measured by pill counts.

An abstract of the article "Identifying the Early Post-HIV Antibody Seroconversion Period," by Frederick M. Hecht and colleagues is presented.