December 2001

Contents

Conference reports

• 3rd International Workshop on Adverse Drug Reactions and Lipodystrophy in HIV, Athens, 23-26 October 2001

• Insulin resistance

• Thyroid function abnormalities

• Lipodystrophy and metabolic changes in children

• Bone studies at lipodystrophy workshop

Antiretrovirals

• Delaying antiretroviral therapy may be considered for many patients

• Correlation between reduction in plasma HIV1 RNA concentration 1 week after start of antiretroviral treatment and longerterm efficacy

• One week on, one week off experimental regimen might reduce the cost and toxicities of HIV therapy

• Enteric coated didanosine significantly reduces nausea, bloating, GI upset

• Secondary mutations in HIV-1 protease predict treatment failure in naive patients

• Antiretroviral regimen complexity, self-reported adherence, and HIV patients’ understanding of their regimens: survey of women in the HERS study

• Study indicates NNRTI mutations have little effect upon HIV-1 replicative capacity

Treatment access

• Survey reveals pregnant Zambians support universal nevirapine treatment

Paediatric care

• Syncytium inducing viral phenotype halves thymic T cell production in children

• Children with advanced disease who take HAART experience immune reconstitution

PK and drug interactions

• Garlic can impede HIV medication

• Caution needed with nelfinavir and some lipid-lowering drugs

Guidelines

• New US guidelines for the prevention of opportunistic infections in people infected with HIV

Side effects

• Elevated blood pressure in subjects with lipodystrophy

• Fat distribution is strongly tied to metabolic disturbances in HIV lipodystrophy

• Eating more often can reduce cholesterol levels

Opportunistic infections and complications

• Incidence and prognosis of AIDS-related lymphoma have improved since the advent of HAART

TB coinfection

• Coinfection does not appear to augment TB infectivity

Basic science and immunology

• Detailed picture emerges of how HIV travels into and out of cells

• High levels of HIV replication shut down anti-HIV immune responses

• Natural killer cell activity varies with viral burden in HIV-1 infection

Other news

• MDMA: acute effects of ecstasy on T-cell numbers and function

• TRAIL ligand induces apoptosis of cells infected with HIV in-vitro

• DHEA replacement therapy improves quality of life

• Medicinal plant ‘fights’ AIDS

On the web

• Review: treatment of chronic hepatitis

PDFs

• Volume 2 Number 10 December 2001 PDF