ASTRO Journals' Data Sharing Policy and Recommended Best Practices.

Transparency, openness, and reproducibility are important characteristics in scientific publishing. Although many researchers embrace these characteristics, data sharing has yet to become common practice. Nevertheless, data sharing is becoming an increasingly important topic among societies, publishers, researchers, patient advocates, and funders, especially as it pertains to data from clinical trials. In response, ASTRO developed a data policy and guide to best practices for authors submitting to its journals. ASTRO's data sharing policy is that authors should indicate, in data availability statements, if the data are being shared and if so, how the data may be accessed

Tuberculin Skin Test Conversion and Reactivity Rates among Adults with and without Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Urban Settings in Ethiopia

To investigate whether low CD4(+) T-cell counts in healthy and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected Ethiopians influence tuberculosis (TB) immunological memory, tuberculin skin test (TST) conversion and reactivity rates were investigated among adults with and without HIV infection in urban settings in Ethiopia. Reaction to the TST was analyzed with purified protein derivative by the Mantoux technique. A total of 1,286 individuals with TST results of ≥5-mm (n = 851) and ≤4-mm (n = 435) induration diameters were included. Individuals with ≤4-mm induration sizes were followed up for 21.4 ± 9.5 months (mean ± standard deviation) to observe skin test conversion. The overall TST reactivity (≥5-mm induration diameter) was 66.2% (n = 851). Reactivity was significantly lower among HIV-positive persons (40.5%) than among HIV-negative persons (68.7%) (P < 0.001). Of the above persons, 32 incident TB patients were checked for their TST status 13.05 ± 11.1 months before diagnosis and reactivity was found among 22 (68.7%) of them. Of the TST-negative persons with 0- to 4-mm indurations who were followed up for 3 years, the conversion rate to positivity was 17.9/100 person-years of observation (PYO) (14.4/100 PYO and 18.3/100 PYO in HIV-positive and -negative persons, respectively). Despite lower absolute CD4(+) T-cell numbers in Ethiopians, higher TST conversion and reactivity rates show the presence of a higher rate of latent TB infection and/or transmission. The lower TST positivity rate before a diagnosis of TB disease showed the lower sensitivity of the test. This indicates the need for other sensitive and specific diagnostic and screening methods to detect TB infection, particularly among HIV-positive persons, so that they can be given prophylactic isoniazid therapy

Behavioural survey for HIV/AIDS infection in Asosa, among the general population and commercial sex workers

Background: Assessment of high-risk behavior for HIV/AIDS transmission is rare in emerging regions of Ethiopia. Objective: To assess high-risk behaviors and factors for voluntary counseling and testing. Examination of the situation has been undertaken. Methods: A cross-sectional behavioral survey was done in Asosa Town on randomly selected adults and all female sex workers. Results: From 631 sexually active adults, 527 (84.6%) had sexual intercourse in last the 12months, 67(12.7%) sex in exchange with money and 88(16.7%) with their non-regular non-commercial partner. Ever use of condom among the general population and female sex workers was found in 168(26.6%) and 185(88.5%) respectively. More than one third of the respondents among the general population knew a person who died of HIV /AIDS and 47.6 % of the respondents lost a close relative due to the same cause. Among the general population, 421(47.6%) were aware of being engaged in high-risk practices, which expose them to HIV/AIDS. Multi variate analysis revealed female [OR= 1.5, 95%CI=1.02-2.10] and individuals who had a positive attitude to take VCT test [OR=1.60: 95% CI=1.2-2.2] felt themselves more at risk. Conclusion: High-risk behavior, low levels of condom use and knowledge about the epidemic have been found in Asosa. Behavioral change communication has to be implemented to reduce those risky behavior and scale up condom use. [Ethiop.J.Health Dev. 2004;18(2):75-81

Overall HIV-1 prevalence in pregnant women over-estimates HIV-1 in the predominantly rural population of Afar Region

The appropriateness of sentinel sero-surveillance based upon ante-natal clinic (ANC) attendees to estimate HIV-1 prevalence in the general population has been questioned. In Ethiopia, where the population is heterogeneous and where economic and practical barriers to ANC attendance exist, problems of extrapolation may be exacerbated. We planned an unlinked anonymous sero-survey which included data on basic population characteristics to investigate whether sero-surveillance data from ANCs in Afar Region might be taken to represent the situation among the general population of the Region. 371 pregnant women attending Dubti Hospital and Assayta Health Centre were tested for HIV-1 (using a single ELISA test) and active syphilis (RPR test). Socio-demographic characteristics were collected for each woman. Of the women tested, 278 (75%) were 28 years of age or younger. Two hundred eighty (76%) were urban residents and 237 (64%) described themselves as being of Amhara ethnicity. Overall, 73 (19.7%) were HIV-1 positive, but prevalence was three times higher among the 237 women of Amhara ethnicity compared to the 112 of Afar ethnicity (24.9% vs 8.0%, p < 0.001), and almost three times higher for urban compared to rural residents (23.2% vs 8.8%, p < 0.001). Positive RPR results were strongly associated with HIV-1 infection (OR 3.37, 95% CI 1.47-7.71). According to the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2000, only 4.5% of the population of Afar Region is of Amhara ethnicity, and 7.8% urban residents. We have demonstrated that basing ANC sero-surveillance in urban areas of Afar Region over-samples urban residents of Amhara ethnicity and yields a major over-estimation of overall HIV-1 prevalence for the Region. Reliable estimation of HIV-1 prevalence in Afar Region will require more flexible strategies that permit sampling of rural Afar resident

The effect of HIV coinfection, HAART and TB treatment on cytokine/chemokine responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigens in active TB patients and latently Mtb infected individuals

Identification of Mtb specific induced cytokine/chemokine host biomarkers could assist in developing novel diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic tools for TB. Levels of IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-17, IL-10, IP-10 and MIP-1α were measured in supernatants of whole blood stimulated with Mtb specific fusion protein ESAT-6/CFP-10 using xMAP technology. The study groups were HIV positive TB patients (HIV+TB+), HIV negative TB patients (HIV-TB+), HIV positive tuberculin skin test positive (TST+) (HIV+TST+), HIV negative TST+ (HIV-TST+), and HIV-TST- individuals. Compared to HIV-TST-, latent TB infection led to increased levels of IP-10, IFN-γ and IL-17, while levels of IL-2 and IP-10 were increased with active TB. Levels of IFN-γ, IL-17, MIP-1α, and IL-10 were increased in HIV-TST+ individuals compared to HIV-TB+ patients. HIV coinfection decreased the level of IFN-γ, IL-17, IP-10 and IL-2. After six months (M6) of anti-TB treatment (ATT) in HIV-TB+ patients, IFN-γ, IL-10, and MIP-1α levels normalized. After M6 and M18 of ATT plus HAART in HIV+TB+ patients, levels of MIP-1α and IL-10 normalized, while this was not the case for IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-17, and IP-10 levels. In HIV+TST+ patients on HAART, levels of IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-10 and MIP-1α normalized, while no change in the levels of IL-2 and IP-10 were observed. In conclusion, the simultaneous measurement of IFN-γ, IL-17 and IP-10 may assist in diagnosing LTBI; IL-2 and IP-10 may assist in diagnosing active TB; while IFN-γ, IL-17, MIP-1α, and IL-10 levels could help to discriminate LTBI and active TB. In addition, IL-10 and MIP-1α levels could help to monitor responses to TB treatment and HAART

The effect of HIV coinfection, HAART and TB treatment on cytokine/chemokine responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigens in active TB patients and latently Mtb infected individuals

Identification of Mtb specific induced cytokine/chemokine host biomarkers could assist in developing novel diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic tools for TB. Levels of IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-17, IL-10, IP-10 and MIP-1α were measured in supernatants of whole blood stimulated with Mtb specific fusion protein ESAT-6/CFP-10 using xMAP technology. The study groups were HIV positive TB patients (HIV+TB+), HIV negative TB patients (HIV-TB+), HIV positive tuberculin skin test positive (TST+) (HIV+TST+), HIV negative TST+ (HIV-TST+), and HIV-TST- individuals. Compared to HIV-TST-, latent TB infection led to increased levels of IP-10, IFN-γ and IL-17, while levels of IL-2 and IP-10 were increased with active TB. Levels of IFN-γ, IL-17, MIP-1α, and IL-10 were increased in HIV-TST+ individuals compared to HIV-TB+ patients. HIV coinfection decreased the level of IFN-γ, IL-17, IP-10 and IL-2. After six months (M6) of anti-TB treatment (ATT) in HIV-TB+ patients, IFN-γ, IL-10, and MIP-1α levels normalized. After M6 and M18 of ATT plus HAART in HIV+TB+ patients, levels of MIP-1α and IL-10 normalized, while this was not the case for IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-17, and IP-10 levels. In HIV+TST+ patients on HAART, levels of IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-10 and MIP-1α normalized, while no change in the levels of IL-2 and IP-10 were observed. In conclusion, the simultaneous measurement of IFN-γ, IL-17 and IP-10 may assist in diagnosing LTBI; IL-2 and IP-10 may assist in diagnosing active TB; while IFN-γ, IL-17, MIP-1α, and IL-10 levels could help to discriminate LTBI and active TB. In addition, IL-10 and MIP-1α levels could help to monitor responses to TB treatment and HAART

Development of a Nucleic Acid Sequence-Based Amplification Assay That Uses gag-Based Molecular Beacons To Distinguish between Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Subtype C and C′ Infections in Ethiopia

A gag-based molecular beacon assay utilizing real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification technology has been developed to differentiate between the two genetic subclusters of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype C (C and C′) circulating in Ethiopia. Of 41 samples, 36 could be classified as C or C′ by sequencing of the gag gene. All 36 isolates were correctly identified by the gag beacon test. Three isolates with genomes that were recombinant in gag were unambiguously typed as belonging to the C′ subcluster. Further analysis revealed that these contained the most sequence homology with a reference subcluster C′ sequence in the target region of the beacon and hence were correct for the analyzed region. For one sample, sequencing and gag molecular beacon results did not match, while another isolate could not be detected at all by the beacon assay. Overall, high levels of sensitivity and specificity were achieved for both beacons (90.5% sensitivity and 100% specificity for the C beacon and 100% sensitivity and 95.2% specificity for the C′ beacon). The availability of a diagnostic test which can quickly and reliably discriminate between C and C′ HIV-1 infections in Ethiopia is an important first step toward studying their respective biological characteristics. As the assay is specific to the Ethiopian HIV-1 subtype C epidemic, it will contribute to characterizing the circulating viruses in this population, thereby generating the information necessary for the development of a potential efficacious HIV-1 vaccine appropriate for the Ethiopian context