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Lymphocyte immunotherapy (LIT) to treat recurrent miscarriage involves receipt of lymphocytes to a patient from a donor, usually the patient's male partner. Although the European Society of Human Reproduction and [...]

Few large studies evaluated the effects of time trends on virologic suppression in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in China. To address this, An retrospective observational longitudinal study was conducted. We examined annual trends in the rate of virologic suppression, the viral load at the time of virologic suppression, and other determinants of virologic suppression in Zhejiang Province, China in PLWHA between January 2013 and July 2018. Patients who received a treatment regimen for at least 24 weeks were included. Virologic suppression was defined as VL ≤50 copies/mL. Generalized estimating equation logistic regression models were used to adjust for covariates. We included 16,265 patients with 45023 tests. The proportion of patients who experienced an unsuccessful virologic outcome decreased continuously throughout the observation period (18.14% to 6.64%). Time was significantly negatively associated with detectable VL (all ORs <1). Other factors were positively associated with detectable VL, including patients <30 years of age, single, non-adherent to treatment, and with a follow-up CD4 count <200 cells/µL. Patients infected through homosexual transmission and those with a longer ART duration were more likely to reach virologic suppression. We demonstrated outstanding time trend improvements in the virological outcomes of PLWHA in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On January 25, 2017, a physician from ZC Hospital in Hangzhou, China, reported to the Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention that a potential HIV outbreak might have occurred during lymphocyte immunotherapy (LIT) performed at the hospital on December 30, 2016. We immediately began investigating and identified the index case-patient as an LIT patient's husband who donated lymphocytes for his wife's LIT and later screened HIV-reactive. Subsequent contamination by a technician resulted in the potential exposure of 34 LIT patients. Acute HIV infection was diagnosed in 5 persons. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the HIV-1 gag, pol, and env gene sequences from the index and outbreak-related cases had >99.5% similarity. Rapid investigation and implementation of effective control measures successfully controlled the outbreak. This incident provides evidence of a lapse in infection control causing HIV transmission, highlighting the need for stronger measures to protect patients from infectious disease exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been shown to reduce human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral replication and ultimately achieve viral suppression and eliminate HIV transmission. However, little is known about the impact of viral suppression on high-risk behaviors and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)., Objective: This study aimed to assess the rates of current syphilis infection in virally suppressed people living with HIV (PLWH) and whether with the duration of ART can reduce the current syphilis infection in eastern China., Method: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of PLWH in Zhejiang Province, China, in 2022. PLWH who were on ART >6 months and were virally suppressed (viral load <50 copies/mL) were included in the study. Data were collected from the National Epidemiological Database of Zhejiang Province and all participants were tested for viral load and current syphilis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify risk factors associated with current syphilis infection., Result: A total of 30,744 participants were included in the analysis. 82.7% of participants were male, the mean age was 44.9 ± 14.1 years, 84.9% had received ART in a hospital setting, the mean time on ART was 5.9 ± 3.1 years and 5.6% of participants were infected with current syphilis. Multivariable logistic regression showed that being male [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.12, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.69-2.66], high level of education (aOR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.02-1.49), homosexual route of HIV infection (aOR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.60-2.04), non-local registered residence (aOR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.11-1.51), had history of STIs before HIV diagnosis (aOR: 1.95, 95 % CI: 1.75-2.18) and treatment provided by a municipal hospital (aOR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.31-3.55) were associated with increased risk of current syphilis infection. Being married (aOR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.58-0.76) was associated with a decreased risk of current syphilis infection., Conclusion: Our findings revealed a high rate of current syphilis infection among virally suppressed PLWH in eastern China. Duration of ART did not reduce the prevalence of current syphilis infection. Targeted interventions to reduce current syphilis infection should be prioritized for subgroups at higher risk., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 He, Pan, Yang, Zheng, Luo, Cheng and Chai.)

Objective: To identify the status and risk factors of transmission in couples which males was HIV-positive in Zhejiang province., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV-serodiscordant couple (male positive) and HIV-seroconcordant couple (male first infected). A self-designed questionnaire was complimented containing basic information, the awareness of infection and HIV-testing, sexual relationship power, self-efficacy of condom use, sex. The univariated and multivariate logistic regression methods were used to analyze the influence factors., Results: A total of 263 couples were enrolled in this study, including 210 HIV HIV-serodiscordant couples and 53 HIV-seroconcordant couples. HIV-positive males aged 30-50 accounted for 57.8% (152 cases) and females under junior high school accounted for 79.1% (208 cases). HIV/AIDS accounted for 41.1% (217 cases). The proportion of man who were diagnosed as HIV, MSM and ever heard HIV were 61.9% (130 cases), 38.3% (80 cases) and 81.9% (172 cases), which were higher than that in HIV positive 47.2% (25 cases), 7.5% (4 cases), 64.2% (34 cases); χ(2)=3.80, 18.33, 7.86;P=0.051, 0.001, 0.005. The results revealed that AIDS patients had high risk to infect their spouse than HIV patients (OR=2.93, 95% CI: 1.05-8.21). Male patients who had ever heard " HIV" before were less likely pass virus to their wives than those who had never heard " HIV" (OR=0.13, 95% CI: 0.04-0.41). Compared with heterosexuality man, homosexuality man' wives had high risk to get virus from their husbands (OR=0.14, 95% CI: 0.03-0.73). Female infected with STIs was the independent factors for HIV infection (OR=4.86, 95% CI: 1.23-19.11)., Conclusion: Among the couples of male HIV-positive in Zhejiang Province, the risk of spouses infected with HIV virus has relationship with male disease progression, sexual orientation and awareness of AIDS knowledge. For females who infected with sexual diseases in last 6 months might be infected by their spouses.

Objective: To understand the prevalence of HIV infection, syphilis and hepatitis C infection and related risk behaviors among club drug users in Zhejiang province., Methods: The drug users were interviewed with questionnaires in 2011 to collect the information about their demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, drug use behaviors and the utilization of intervention services. Blood samples were collected from them to detect HIV, syphilis and HCV antibodies., Results: A total of 3 253 drug users were surveyed, in which 1 298 were club drug users, accounted for 39.9%. The proportion of club drug users was high in northern and central Zhejiang, in females, in age group≤25 years, in local residents and in those having commercial sexual behaviors during previous 12 months. Of the 1 298 club drug users, 91.2% were methamphetamine users, 0.1% were infected with HIV (95% CI: 0.0%-0.2%), 8.1% suffered from syphilis (95% CI: 6.6%-9.6%), 17.3% were infected with HCV (95% CI: 15.2%-19.4%). Among the interviewed club drug users, 12.7% were aware of AIDS, 9.2% had injecting drug use histories, 29.6% reported having commercial sex during the previous 12 months, only 33.4% received free condom and counsel, 14.0% received HIV test. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that living in central and southern Zhejiang was associated with syphilis prevalence, HCV infection and injecting drug use behavior, being female was associated with syphilis prevalence. Injecting drug use and commercial sex during the previous 12 months were associated with HCV infection, and injecting drug use and commercial sex during the previous 12 months were associated with each other. Among the 1 285 club drug users, males, local residents in Zhejiang and those who never received free condom or counsel were more likely to have commercial sex., Conclusion: The prevalence of syphilis and HCV infection are high and unprotected sexual behaviors are common among the club drug users in Zhejiang, but less intervention services were received by them, suggesting that more attention should be paid to the prevention and control of HIV, HCV infections and syphilis in club drug users by taking effective intervention measures and increasing intervention coverage.

Objective: To identify the HIV transmission in discordant couples and the epidemic characteristics of concordant couples related to HIV infection., Methods: HIV/AIDS database was down-loaded from AIDS information reported system for analysis. Patients with HIV-negative couples between 2009 and 2013 in Zhejiang province were enrolled in this study. Information included demography characteristics, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), HIV incidence rate and risk factors, characteristics on HIV concordant couples., Results: The HIV incidence rate on HIV-negative couples of 2 575 HIV/AIDS was 3.56 per 1 000 person-year, reducing from 5.49 per 1 000 person-year in 2009 to 3.20 per 1 000 person-year in 2013. There was a slight increase on HIV incidence rate among couples in those HIV-positive men who were heterosexual, while it decreased among couples of HIV-positive women. Initiation of HAART over 1 years (OR = 0.063, 95% CI: 0.019-0.204) seemed to be a preventive factor for HIV transmission between the couples under study. Factors as history of infection longer than 3 years (OR = 3.564, 95% CI: 1.296-9.804) and beingnon-local resident (OR = 2.626, 95% CI: 1.098-6.230) were risky factors., Conclusion: The incidence rate of HIV transmission between HIV discordant couples was low but imbalance in different areas. People who were non-local residents under HIV discordant status, would need more attention. HAART, time of infection, status of residency appeared risk factors for HIV transmission within the couples.

Objective: To understand the HIV-1 subtype diversity and transmission characteristics in men having sex with men (MSM) in Zhejiang province., Methods: A total of 233 newly diagnosed as HIV-1 positive patients in 2011 were screened out by BED capture enzyme immunoassay (BED-CEIA). Among them, 107 eligible subjects were enrolled for further molecular epidemiological study. Viral RNA was extracted from plasma samples and followed by reverse transcription PCR and nested PCR for amplification of pol gene fragments, sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis., Results: There were no statistically significant differences regarding the social demographic distribution between the subjects under study and those recently infected MSM population. The rate of success for sequence acquisition was 94.4% (101/107). The highest proportion of subtype was CRF01&#95;AE (62.4%), followed by CRF07&#95;BC (31.7%) and with three cases of subtype B, one case of CRF55&#95;01B and two cases of unique recombinant form (CRF01&#95;AE/B and CRF01&#95;AE/CRF07&#95;BC). The phylogenetic trees were mainly divided into CRF01&#95;AE cluster 1, cluster 2 and CRF07&#95;BC cluster 3. The strains located in Hangzhou were diffused in the branches of phylogenetic tree. 10 transmission clusters were found, in which 80% involved two or more regions and 90% was associated with patients residing in Hangzhou. Three surveillance drug resistance mutations (M46I, T215S and G190A) were found in three samples (each sample harbored only one resistance mutation). The overall rate of transmitted drug resistance (TDR) was 2.97%., Conclusion: The increasing complexity of HIV was noticed in MSM in Zhejiang province. However, the prevalence of TDR was low. Cross-regional HIV transmission in MSM was common, which inferred from the study. Hangzhou might play a central regional role in the intra-provincial spread of HIV, to form an interwoven complex network in the MSM population.

Objective: To assess the characteristics and influencing factors of HIV detection among HIV/AIDS patients in Zhejiang province., Methods: HIV/AIDS cases information were selected from the case reporting database of HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Response Information Management System in Zhejiang province in 2012. HIV late diagnosed patients and early diagnosed patients were classified by first CD4(+) T cell counts (less than 200 cells/µl) and positive BED HIV-1 capture enzyme immunoassay (BED-CEIA) tests result. A total of 1 894 patients were enrolled and 1 383 patients were served by BED-CEIA tests. Information including social demographics, transmission routes, test history were collected for analysis. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression methods was used to analyze the characteristics of HIV detection and related influence factors., Results: Among 1 894 cases, 26.4% (500/1 894) were late diagnosed and 19.2% (361/1 883) were early diagnosed. The highest rate of late diagnose (36.5%, 27/74) and lowest rate of early diagnose(3.9%, 14/74) were both in Lishui city. Age, transmission routes, HIV testing style, permanent residence were independent reasons for late diagnosed. Compared with patients < 20 years old, participants over 50 years old had higher risk of late diagnosed (OR = 2.885, P < 0.05); patients with homosexual behaviors had lower risk of late diagnosed than patients with heterosexual behaviors and other high risk behaviors(OR = 1.471 or 2.416, P < 0.05). Age, marriage status, HIV testing style, transmission routes, the detection unit, permanent residence were independent reasons for early diagnosed. The risky of early diagnosed among patients ≥ 50 years old were 0.432 times than that among patients < 20 years old (OR = 0.432, P < 0.05). Compared with unmarried participants, married patients had lower risk of early diagnosed (OR = 0.603, P < 0.05). Compared with homosexual behaviors, high risk heterosexual behaviors and other risk behavior significantly reduced the chance of early diagnosis(OR = 0.719 or 0.763, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Late diagnoses and early diagnosis coexist among reported HIV/AIDS in Zhejiang province in 2012. The main reasons for late diagnosis of HIV infection are older age, heterosexual behaviors and other risk behavior, testing in hospital, living in other province. The main reasons for early diagnosis of HIV infection are young age, unmarried, homosexual behaviors, testing in CDC, living in Zhejiang province.