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AIDSinfo At-a-Glance: Offering Information on HIV/AIDS Treatment, Prevention, and Research, A Service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
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Study Suggests Profiling Anti-Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Antibodies is Useful for Monitoring Treatment
“[Researchers] quantified antibody responses to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) proteome that are associated with sustained virologic response (SVR) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/HCV-coinfected patients treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Analysis of pre- and posttreatment samples revealed significant decreases in the combined anti-core, anti-E1, and anti-NS4 HCV antibody titers in those with SVRs but not in those who experienced relapse or who did not respond. Furthermore, anti-HIV p24 antibody titers inversely correlated with treatment response. These results suggest that profiling anti-HCV antibody is useful for monitoring HCV therapy, especially in discriminating between those who experience relapse and those who have SVRs at 48 weeks.”
More information is available:
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Study Suggests Chronic Skin Eruption in HIV-Infected People is Related to Immune Deficiency and is Nonmalignant
“A CD8 cutaneous lymphoinfiltrative disease has been described in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients presenting with a severe erythroderma. … Although some clinical features of this syndrome have raised the hypothesis of its malignant nature in initial observations, several studies have provided stronger support to the hypothesis that it is a reactive pseudotumoral process. …
“From 1995 through 2008, 8 HIV type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients presenting with a chronic skin eruption, diagnosed as CD8 T cell infiltration of the skin, were studied. …
“All patients showed diffuse infiltrated skin with superficial lymphadenopathy. A profound CD4(+) lymphocytopenia and eosinophilia were other major features. Histological and immunostaining analysis revealed a predominant dermal and epidermal infiltration by CD8(+) T cells belonging to the cytotoxic lineage, without evidence for a monoclonal status by polymerase chain reaction-based molecular analysis of lesional skin. A remission of skin symptoms occurred in all cases following highly active antiretroviral therapy, which paralleled the decrease of HIV-1 RNA load and the increase of CD4(+) peripheral blood absolute count. …
“Altogether, these results emphasize the reactive, nonmalignant nature of this syndrome and strongly support the coupling between HIV-induced immune deficiency and uncontrolled CD8 activation.”
More information is available:
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Contact the AIDSinfo Call Center!
Do you have questions about HIV medication side effects?
Are you interested in finding an HIV/AIDS clinical trial in an area near you?
The AIDSinfo call center has health information specialists prepared to confidentially answer your questions about HIV treatment and research—in both English and Spanish. Health information specialists are available via our free hotline, online chat, e-mail, or postal mail.
Our call center offers information on HIV treatment and research, customized clinical trial searches, and referrals to a host of other useful, government-approved resources. AIDSinfo publications, including fact sheets, glossaries, and other materials in both English and Spanish, can be ordered through the call center.
Call us:
Hotline available from Monday to Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
• 1-800-HIV-0440 (1-800-448-0440)
• FAX: 1-301-315-2818
• Outside U.S.: 1-301-315-2816
• TTY: 1-888-480-3739
Chat with us:
Live Help available from Monday to Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
• English
• Spanish
E-mail Us:
ContactUs@aidsinfo.nih.gov
Write Us:
AIDSinfo
P.O. Box 6303
Rockville, MD 20849-6303
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AIDSinfo Launches Mobile Site!
AIDSinfo has a new site optimized for mobile devices. When viewing AIDSinfo on your mobile device, you will be automatically redirected to the mobile site. JavaScript must be enabled on your device for the mobile site to function properly. The AIDSinfo mobile site is available at http://m.aidsinfo.nih.gov.
The following AIDSinfo features are available on the mobile site:
- Guidelines: Federally approved medical practice guidelines related to HIV/AIDS, available in PDF format.
- Clinical Trials: Clinical trials database to help patients and health care providers locate trials studying HIV/AIDS, searchable by topic or keyword.
- Drugs: Database of fact sheets on HIV/AIDS-related drugs, searchable by drug name, drug class, or via an A-Z index.
- Glossary: Database of medical and scientific terms related to HIV/AIDS treatment and research, searchable by keyword or via an A-Z index.
- e-newsletter: AIDSinfo weekly newsletter showcasing the latest on HIV/AIDS treatment and research.
- Twitter: Tweets about HIV/AIDS research and treatment from AIDSinfo, available from the Twitter mobile site.
- HIV Awareness Days: AIDSinfo specialty pages marking annual HIV/AIDS awareness days.
- Questions?: Contact information for the AIDSinfo call center, where information specialists are available to answers questions via online chat, phone, and e-mail.
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AIDSinfo Updates Homework Help Page
AIDSinfo invites you to visit our updated Homework Help page. The new page is intended to assist students in Grades 6 through 12 with school projects on HIV/AIDS. The page is organized into sections, including basic information about HIV/AIDS, images and diagrams of the HIV virus, HIV prevention resources, HIV treatment information, research about HIV, and policy pertaining to HIV/AIDS. The links provided on this page are all from reliable, government-approved Web sites.
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Study Suggests New Approach May Cause Apoptotic Cell Death of HIV-Infected Cells
“A correlation between increase in the integration of Human Immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) cDNA and cell death was previously established. Here [study researchers] show that combination of peptides that stimulate integration together with the protease inhibitor Ro 31-8959 caused apoptotic cell death of HIV infected cells with total extermination of the virus. This combination did not have any effect on non-infected cells. Thus it appears that cell death is promoted only in the infected cells. It is [the study researchers'] view that the results described in this work suggest a novel approach to specifically promote death of HIV-1 infected cells and thus may eventually be developed into a new and general anti-viral therapy.”
More information is available:
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Updated HHS Pediatric Antiretroviral Treatment Guidelines Now Available
AIDSinfo announces the release of the updated Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Pediatric Infection. Key updates and new information included in the guidelines are prefaced in What’s New in the Pediatric Guidelines? Additions and revisions are also highlighted in yellow throughout the text and tables of the guidelines.
Key updates to the guidelines include:
- A ratings system to indicate strength and quality of evidence for each major recommendation.
- A single appendix combining information from the previous Appendix B (Characteristics of Available Antiretroviral Drugs) and Supplement I (Pediatric Antiretroviral Drug Information). The information for each antiretroviral drug is summarized in a table-with-text format in the current Appendix B: Pediatric Antiretroviral Drug Information.
- Information from previous Supplement III: Adverse Drug Effects is now included in the body of the guidelines in table format.
- New information or key changes to recommendations in several sections of the guidelines including Diagnosis of HIV Infection in Infants, When to Initiate Therapy, What Drugs to Start, and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-Infected Children and Adolescents.
- Addition of updated references throughout the guidelines.
The updated guidelines and separate PDF files of the tables in the guidelines can be downloaded from the Pediatric Guidelines section of AIDSinfo. You may also go to the AIDSinfo Order Publications page to request the guidelines via e-mail.
Your Feedback Is Important
The HHS Panel on Antiretroviral Therapy and Medical Management of HIV-Infected Children welcomes feedback on the latest revisions to the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Pediatric Infection. Please send your comments with the subject line "Comments on Pediatric Guidelines" to ContactUs@aidsinfo.nih.gov by August 30, 2010.
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