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Conference Highlights
To hear or see many of the original important oral presentations, click here.
Joel Gallant, M.D.
Dr. Joel Gallant, M.D., M.P.H., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.
A review of CROI 2008 specifically for HIV-positive people. If you want to get the lowdown on recent HIV research in non-doctor speak, this is the interview you should read (or listen to).
Keith Henry, M.D., University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, Minn.
As the huge CROI 2008 conference drew to a close, we sat down with Dr. Keith Henry for an interview. What did he think were some of the highlights of the conference? Read this interview for one respected physician's perspective.
David Wohl, M.D., University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, N.C.
David Wohl, M.D., discusses what he thought was the highlight of CROI 2008: results from the failed STEP vaccine study, which indicate that the vaccine may have increased HIV infection rates only for uncircumcised men.
Robert Schooley, M.D., University of California, San Diego, Calif.
Robert Schooley, M.D., discusses some study findings presented at CROI 2008 on immune-based therapies; the best time to start patients on HAART; HIV and aging; non-AIDS-related infections and malignancies; hepatitis C coinfection; and vaccine and microbicide research.
Viral Clade May Impact HIV Disease Progression Rate Among Treatment-Naive Patients, Canadian Study Suggests
In a study comparing CD4+ cell count change and HIV disease progression among French Canadians, African immigrants and Haitian immigrants in Montreal, Marina Klein, M.D., M.Sc., and Marina Keller, M.D., find evidence to suggest that HIV viral clade matters.
Growing Syphilis Epidemic Among HIV-Infected MSM in New York City
Lawrence Siegel, M.D., discusses his study, which found high rates of syphilis infection among HIV-infected men who have sex with men in a racially diverse clinic in the New York City neighborhood of Chelsea.
Short-Term Ritonavir Exposure Impacts HDL, CD36 and Triglyceride Levels in Healthy Volunteers
Marta Boffito, M.D., Ph.D., discusses her study, which examines the possible role of ritonavir in increasing cardiovascular risk.
Bone Loss Similar Among Patients Taking Lopinavir/Ritonavir or Efavirenz; Race, Baseline CD4 May Play Role
Barbara da Silva, M.D., summarizes the findings of her study, in which patients taking lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r, Kaletra) and efavirenz (EFV, Sustiva, Stocrin) did not experience different levels of bone mineral density (BMD) loss. This was not altered by simplification to lopinavir/ritonavir monotherapy, which suggests that BMD loss occurs independently of the treatment regimen used.
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Is Common in HAART-Experienced Patients; Several HIV- and Antiretroviral-Related Factors May Play Role
An interview with Giovanni Guaraldi, M.D.
Antiretroviral Exposure May Increase Liver Fibrosis Risk; Non-Invasive Tool Simplifies Fibrosis Assessment
Francisco Blanco, M.D., Ph.D., summarizes his study, which utilized non-invasive FibroScan elastometry rather than biopsy to measure fibrosis in HIV monoinfected and HIV/hepatitis C-coinfected patients.
Vitamin D Deficiency More Common Among Perinatally HIV-Infected Children Than HIV-Uninfected Children
Richard Rutstein, M.D., discusses the impact of HIV status, ethnicity, diet and season on likelihood of vitamin D deficiency in his study of perinatally infected children.
Abacavir, Didanosine Associated With Higher Heart Attack Risk, D:A:D Study Finds
One of the most talked-about studies presented at CROI 2008, the new D:A:D findings focus on the impact of specific antiretrovirals on heart attack risk in HIV-infected patients. Jens Lundgren, M.D., Chief Physician and Director of the Copenhagen HIV Programme, summarizes the data and discusses the ramifications of the results.
Among Patients on Boosted-PI Regimens, Dose Staggering and Selective Non-Adherence to Ritonavir Is Relatively Common
Gerald Pierone, M.D., interviews Jonathan Shuter, M.D., regarding his study on ritonavir (RTV, Norvir) non-adherence in patients receiving atazanavir (ATV, Reyataz) + ritonavir or fosamprenavir (FPV, Lexiva, Telzir).
APOBEC3G/F Mutation Not Responsible for HIV Viremia Control in Most Elite HIV Suppressors
Shiv Gandhi discusses his study, which examined the potential role of the APOBEC3 protein in patients who are able to maintain full suppression of HIV viremia despite never taking antiretroviral therapy.
Elite Controllers May Experience Higher Immune Activation Levels Than Other HIV-Infected Patients, Spurring Concerns of CD4+ Decline
In this interview with Gerald Pierone, M.D., Peter Hunt, M.D., discusses his study on the relationship between HIV-specific immune response, T-cell activation and CD4+ T-cell depletion in elite viremic controllers.
Presence of Binding Antibodies in Genital Secretions of High-Risk, HIV-Uninfected Women Offers Possible Explanation of "HIV Immunity" Enigma
Richard Novak, M.D., speaks with Gerald Pierone, M.D., about his study of the potentially protective effect of genital mucosal secretions in high-risk HIV-uninfected women and its implications for vaccine development.
CD4+ Cell Count Declines Slowly, But Steadily, in Elite HIV Controllers, Small Study Finds
Hans-Jürgen Stellbrink, M.D., speaks about his study, which finds an unmistakable (albeit gradual) downward trend in CD4+ cell count over time among a small cohort of patients with undetectable HIV viral load in the absence of HAART.
Mortality Higher Among HIV-Infected Black Patients; Women, Blacks Spend Less Time on HAART
In this interview, Diana Lemly, M.D., discusses her study, which found disparities in antiretroviral use and survival comparing women with men, and African Americans with whites.
Study Examines Pro-Inflammatory Responses in HIV/HCV-Coinfected Injection Drug Users
Camilla Graham, M.D., discusses her study examining immune response and pro-inflammatory marker activation in HIV/hepatitis C-coinfected heroin and methadone users.
Higher HCV RNA Levels Associated With Greater Early T-Cell Activation and CD4+ Cell Depletion Among Antiretroviral-Naive, HIV/HCV-Coinfected Patients
Roksana Karim, M.D., Ph.D., discusses her study, which examines the impact of HIV/hepatitis C coinfection on immune activation-driven CD4+ decline in women who have not yet commenced HAART.
HIV/HCV-Coinfected Patients Appear More Likely Than HIV-Monoinfected Patients to Develop Insulin Resistance After Initiating HAART
Cecilia Shikuma, M.D., reviews her study, which compares metabolic changes in HIV/hepatitis C-coinfected patients initiating HAART versus HIV-monoinfected patients initiating HAART.
HIV/Hepatitis C Coinfection Does Not Influence CD4+ Cell Recovery in Patients on Suppressive HAART
Lars Peters, M.D., discusses his study, which counters long-established assumptions about the effect of HCV/HIV coinfection on immune recovery after patients commence antiretroviral therapy.
Perinatally Infected Women Experience Viral Load Increase During Pregnancy and Postpartum Period
Usha Phillips, M.D., discusses her study comparing HIV-infected pregnant women who were perinatally infected versus horizontally infected. Sustained virologic suppression was rarely achieved among the perinatally infected mothers, which may have negative long-term consequences for both the mother and child.
Unique, Statewide Program of Acute HIV Testing and Partner Outreach Finds That Many Acute Infections in North Carolina May Stem From Exposure to Chronically Infected Patients
Sandra McCoy, Ph.D., reviews her study on counseling and referral services for partners of acutely infected individuals in North Carolina.
Peptide in Human Semen May Increase Infectiousness of HIV
Frank Kirchhoff, M.D., Ph.D., discusses his study, which found that prostatic acid phosphatase, a naturally occurring peptide found in human semen, appears to increase the infectiousness of HIV.
HIV Vaccine Research at a Crossroads
Susan Buchbinder, M.D., Michael Robertson, M.D., Ronald Desrosiers, Ph.D., and Neal Nathanson, M.D., discuss their studies and the challenges they face as they attempt to identify more promising approaches to developing a vaccine. These challenges include the need for more development research and an understanding of how to induce antibodies that block HIV infection across the different varieties of the virus that are being passed around the world.
Three Cases of HIV Transmission to Infants Through Food Pre-Chewed by HIV-Infected Caregivers
Kenneth Dominguez, M.D., M.P.H., Charles Mitchell, M.D., and Aditya Gaur, M.D., summarize their study of three cases of HIV transmission from adults to babies through pre-chewed food.
Successful Implementation of a Clinic-Based Prevention Intervention Program for HIV-Infected Persons
Lisa Hirschhorn, M.D., M.P.H., reviews her study, which looked at implementation in 15 U.S. HIV clinics of a prevention education program for HIV-infected persons.
Surprisingly, Acyclovir for HSV-2 Treatment Fails to Curtail HIV Acquisition
Connie Celum, M.D., discusses unexpectedly disappointing results from a study examining whether the use of acyclovir to treat herpes simplex virus type-2 infection can, in turn, help reduce a person's risk of HIV acquisition.
Increase in High-Risk Behaviors Among Mexican Immigrants After Migration to U.S.
Melissa Sanchez reviews the findings of her study of Mexican immigrants to the United States, in which males especially were found to participate in more high-risk activities after migration, such as sex work, having multiple sexual partners, and having sex under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Atazanavir Noninferior to Lopinavir in Treatment-Naive HIV-Infected People
Although atazanavir (ATV, Reyataz) is not uncommonly used in first-line patients, it is not officially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for such use. In a large study presented at CROI 2008, atazanavir + ritonavir (RTV, Norvir) was compared with lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r, Kaletra). Dr. Donnie McGrath, of Bristol-Myers Squibb, summarizes the findings.
Interleukin-2 Ineffective in Maintaining Baseline CD4+ Cell Count During Treatment Interruption
Brian Porter, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., speaks with Gerald Pierone, M.D., about his study of interleukin-2 use during treatment interruption versus interleukin-2 use during continuous HAART.
