Hepatitis C Virus Seroconversion among Hiv-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men with No History of Injection Drug Use: Results from a Clinical Hiv Cohort

BACKGROUND: Internationally, there is a growing recognition that hepatitis C virus (HCV) may be sexually transmitted among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM).OBJECTIVE: To report the first Canadian estimate of HCV seroincidence in 2000 to 2010 and its risk factors among HIV-positive MSM with no known history of injection drug use.METHODS: Data from the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study, an ongoing cohort of individuals in HIV care in Ontario, were analyzed. Data were obtained from medical charts, interviews and record linkage with the provincial public health laboratories. The analysis was restricted to 1534 MSM who did not report injection drug use and had undergone ≥2 HCV antibody tests, of which the first was negative (median 6.1 person-years [PY] of follow-up; sum 9987 PY).RESULTS: In 2000 to 2010, 51 HCV seroconversions were observed, an overall incidence of 5.1 per 1000 PY (95% CI 3.9 to 6.7). Annual incidence varied from 1.6 to 8.9 per 1000 PY, with no statistical evidence of a temporal trend. Risk for seroconversion was elevated among men who had ever had syphilis (adjusted HR 2.5 [95% CI 1.1 to 5.5) and men who had acute syphilis infection in the previous 18 months (adjusted HR 2.8 [95% CI 1.0 to 7.9]). Risk was lower for men who had initiated antiretroviral treatment (adjusted HR 0.49 [95% CI 0.25 to 0.95]). There were no statistically significant effects of age, ethnicity, region, CD4 cell count or HIV viral load.CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that periodic HCV rescreening may be appropriate in Ontario among HIV-positive MSM. Future research should seek evidence whether syphilis is simply a marker for high-risk sexual behaviour or networks, or whether it potentiates sexual HCV transmission among individuals with HIV.Peer Reviewe

A randomized control trial of high-dose micronutrient-antioxidant supplementation in healthy persons with untreated HIV infection.

BackgroundAlthough micronutrient and antioxidant supplementation are widely used by persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a therapeutic role beyond recommended daily allowances (RDA) remains unproven. An oral high-dose micronutrient and antioxidant supplement (Treatment) was compared to an RDA supplement (Control) for time to progressive immunodeficiency or initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in people living with HIV (PLWH).MethodsThis study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial. PLWH were recruited from Canadian HIV Trials Network sites, and followed quarterly for two years. Eligible participants were asymptomatic, antiretroviral treatment (ART)-naïve, HIV-seropositive adults with a CD4 T lymphocyte count (CD4 count) between 375-750 cells/μL. Participants were randomly allocated 1:1 to receive Treatment or Control supplements. The primary outcome was a composite of time-to-first of confirmed CD4 count below 350 cells/μL, initiation of ART, AIDS-defining illness or death. Primary analysis was by intention-to-treat. Secondary outcomes included CD4 count trajectory from baseline to ART initiation or two years. A Data and Safety Monitoring Board reviewed the study for safety, recruitment and protocol adherence every six months.ResultsOf 171 enrolled participants: 66 (38.6%) experienced a primary outcome: 27 reached a CD4 count below 350 cells/μL, and 57 started ART. There was no significant difference in time-to-first outcome between groups (Hazard Ratio = 1.05; 95%CI: 0.65, 1.70), or in time to any component outcome. Using intent-to-treat censoring, mean annualized rates of CD4 count decline were -42.703 cells/μL and -79.763 cells/μL for Treatment and Control groups, with no statistical difference in the mean change between groups (-37.06 cells/μL/52 weeks, 95%CI: (-93.59, 19.47); p = 0.1993). Accrual was stopped at 171 of the 212 intended participants after an interim analysis for futility, although participant follow-up was completed.ConclusionsIn ART-naïve PLWH, high-dose antioxidant, micronutrient supplementation compared to RDA supplementation had no significant effect on disease progression or ART initiation.Clinical trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00798772

HIV Viral Suppression Results in Higher Antibody Responses in HIV-Positive Women Vaccinated with the Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine

Objective: To evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of the quadrivalent HPV (qHPV) vaccine in HIV-positive women over 24 months. Design: Between November 2008 and December 2012, 372 women aged 15 and older were enrolled from 14 Canadian HIV outpatient clinics in an open label cohort study. The qHPV vaccine (0.5 mL) was administered intramuscularly at months 0, 2 and 6. The primary study endpoint was seroconversion to any of the HPV types targeted by the qHPV vaccine. Antibody levels were measured at 0, 2, 7, 18, and 24 months. Adverse events were recorded throughout. Results: Of 372 participants enrolled, 310 (83%) received at least one dose of the qHPV vaccine and 277 (74%) received all three doses. Ninety-five percent (293/308) were seronegative for at least one vaccine type at baseline. The median age was 38 years (IQR 32-45, range 15-66), 36% were white, 44% black and 13% were of Indigenous origin. Seventy-two percent of participants had suppressed HIV viral load (VL<40c/ml) at baseline, with a median CD4 count of 510 cells/mm³ (376-695). Month 7 HPV type-specific seroconversion rates were 99.0%, 98.7%, 98.1% and 93.6% for HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18 respectively in the per-protocol population. Participants with suppressed HIV VL at first vaccine had a 1.74-3.05 fold higher peak antibody response compared to those without (p from 0.006-<0.0001). Conclusions: This study is the first to examine the qHPV vaccine in HIV-positive women out to 24 months and the first to include HIV-positive women through to age 66. The qHPV vaccine was well tolerated, and highly immunogenic. As women with suppressed viral load had higher antibody responses, planning HPV vaccination to occur when persons are virologically suppressed would be optimal for maximizing immune response. Findings provide strong evidence that older HIV-positive women can still benefit from HPV vaccination.Medicine, Faculty ofNon UBCFamily Practice, Department ofInfectious Diseases, Division ofObstetrics and Gynaecology, Department ofPathology and Laboratory Medicine, Department ofPediatrics, Department ofPopulation and Public Health (SPPH), School ofMedicine, Department ofReviewedFacultyUnknow