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Study Sheds New Light on What Happens During Acute HIV Infection

An individual's HIV viral load set-point is generally reached about a month after plasma viremia is first detectable, according to an analysis published in the May 18 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. The RV217 study, which included more than 100 people with acute HIV infection in East Africa and Thailand, found that signs and symptoms were uncommon during the earliest stages of infection, and what happens during this period influences later disease progression.

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Diagnosis of Early HIV Infections May Have Contributed to Fall in Incidence in San Diego

An HIV testing program targeting individuals with acute or early infection likely contributed to a decline in incident or new infections in San Diego after 2008, investigators report in the May 11 online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. The Early Test initiative involved negative HIV antibody tests being rescreened using nucleic acid testing (NAT) -- a technique capable of detecting new HIV infections within 7-10 days after exposure.

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Very Early HIV Treatment May Delay Disease Progression, Raise CD4 Count

Starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) within the first 6 months after infection may slow immune system decline and raise CD4 T-cell counts, but the benefits may not last after treatment is stopped, according to a pair of studies published in January 17, 2013, New England Journal of Medicine.

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CROI 2015: Inflammation and Gut Damage Persist in People with HIV Despite Early ART

Inflammatory changes and damage to the gut begin very soon after initial HIV infection, and may not return to normal even when people start antiretroviral therapy (ART) very early, researchers reported at the recent 2015 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Seattle. Biomarkers of inflammation, coagulation and fibrosis increased early on, and while they generally decreased after starting ART, they did not fall to levels seen in HIV-negative people.

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IAS 2011: HIV Treatment In Primary Infection: 48 Week Course Modestly Delays CD4 Drop

A 48-week course of antiretroviral treatment started within six months of becoming infected modestly delays the need for lifelong treatment, reported Sarah Fidler of Imperial College, London, at the 6th International AIDS Society Conference (IAS 2011) in Rome.alt

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