10 January 2002

Contents

Antiretrovirals

• Impaired response to HAART found in HIV-positive individuals with high autonomic nervous system activity

• Anti-HIV effects of the malarial drug chloroquine

• Treatment guidelines should place more emphasis on CD4+ counts than on viral loads

Paediatric care

• Birth defects linked to use of certain drugs during pregnancy

• Immune reconstitution in children treated with HAART is independent of age and pre-treatment immune status

Side effects

• Doubt over use of antioxidant vitamins for the prevention of coronary disease

• Endocrine disorders complicate ARV treatment

Opportunistic infections and complications

• The incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma has decreased significantly since the introduction of HAART

• HAART and CD4+ T cells protect positive people from toxoplasmic encephalitis

• KS-associated herpesvirus epidemic in San Francisco gay men predates HIV epidemic; oral sex is a likely risk for infection

• HAART improves anaemia in HIV-positive patients

• Unexplained vision loss in AIDS patients calls for fluorescein angiography

Cancer and HIV

• HAART has little effect on anal cancer precursor lesions or on HPV

Basic science and immunology

• Protease inhibitor based HAART and lymphoid regeneration