The Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), an annual meeting of American Society for Microbiology held in the early fall, is an interdisciplinary forum of international renown. ICAAC programs encourage the exchange of information among researchers and clinicians interested in antimicrobial and anticancer drugs and infectious diseases. Sessions are often developed in cooperation with other societies, domestic and international.

In addition to its scientific symposia, the conference includes special lectures, slide sessions and late-breaker slide sessions, poster presentations, state-of-the-art minilectures, meet-the-experts sessions, and interactive sessions that enable audience participation.

The American Society for Microbiology is the oldest and largest single life science membership organization in the world. The Society represents 24 disciplines of microbiological specialization plus a division for microbiology educators.

The following selected conference summaries are reported exclusively for The Body by Andrew T. Pavia, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine, and Director of Clinical Research for the University Health Sciences AIDS Center.

Funding for this conference coverage at The Body is provided, in part, through an unrestricted educational grant by Bristol-Myers Squibb Immunology.

Conference Summaries:

• Impact of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy on Opportunistic Infections (3 abstracts)
  1. Abstract I-31. The impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on the incidence of CMV disease
  2. Abstract I-33. Lack of progression after discontinuation of maintenance therapy for cytomegalovirus retinitis in AIDS patients responding to HAART
  3. Abstract I-36. Long lasting remission of cytomegalovirus retinitis without maintenance therapy in HIV+ patients

• HIV Late Breakers I (2 abstracts)
  1. LB-2. Incidence and predictors of virologic failure to indinavir or ritonavir in a urban health clinic.
  2. LB-6. Virologic efficacy of AZT+3TC vs. in stable antiretroviral experienced children.

• DMP-266 Resistance, Interactions, and Clinical Efficacy (4 abstracts)

• Saquinavir Soft Gel Capsules Versus Indinavir as Part of AZT and 3TC Containing Triple Therapy

• Safety of Saquinavir Soft Gelatin Capsule (SQV-SGC) with Other Antiviral Agents

• Double Protease Inhibitor Combinations (8 abstracts)
  1. Abstract I-202. Safety and efficacy of a combination of ritonavir and saquinavir added to AZT + 3TC in HIV-infected patients. ANRS 069
  2. Abstract I-203. A pilot study of saquinavir in combination with ritonavir and d4T in patients with advanced HIV disease
  3. I-207. The antiviral effects of ritonavir and saquinavir among HIV-infected adults: preliminary results from a community-based study
  4. I-201. Usefulness of ritonavir and saquinavir combination therapy in HIV advanced patients failing on indinavir
  5. I-205. Virologic effect of ritonavir plus saquinavir in subjects who have failed indinavir
  6. I-206. Efficacy of ritonavir and saquinavir in combination in protease inhibitor experienced patients
  7. I-204. Experience with ritonavir/saquinavir based regimens for the treatment of HIV infection in subjects developing increased viral loads while receiving nelfinavir
  8. State-of-the-Art Minilecture (John Mellors)