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HIV May Cause Cognitive Impairment by Disrupting Brain's Garbage Disposal

HIV's Tat protein interferes with autophagy, a process by which damaged or unneeded cell components are broken down and eliminated, according to research published in the February 4 Journal of Neuroscience. This disruption can lead to neuron damage, but the immunosuppressant drug rapamycin was able to reverse this process in a study of mice.

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HIV Rebound Linked to Liver Fibrosis Progression in HIV/HCV Coinfected

HIV-positive people with hepatitis C virus (HCV) experienced progression to liver fibrosis if their HIV viral load rebounded above 1000 copies/mL or remained detectable on 2 consecutive tests, researchers reported in the January edition of HIV Medicine. Smaller transient HIV "blips," however, were not associated with worsening fibrosis. Optimized antiretroviral therapy, the study authors suggested, may protect the liver.

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IDWeek 2014: Acute Retroviral Syndrome Linked to Higher HIV Levels in Blood, Gut and Brain

People with acute or very recent HIV infection who experience the flu-like symptoms of acute retroviral syndrome (ARS) have higher levels of HIV RNA and proviral DNA in their blood, colon, and brain tissue, indicating more active viral replication, as well as higher levels of certain inflammatory biomarkers researchers reported at IDWeek 2014 this month in Philadelphia.

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Kaiser Study Shows No Elevated Heart Attack Risk for People with HIV

A previously reported increase in the risk of myocardial infarction or heart attack among people living with HIV has been reversed in recent years, according to an analysis of nearly 25,000 Kaiser Permanent members published in the January 18 edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. In 2010-2011, HIV positive patients were at no greater risk than HIV negative people.

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HIVMA Issues Guidelines for Managing Chronic Kidney Disease in People with HIV

The HIV Medical Association (HIVMA) of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has released updated recommendations for HIV positive people with chronic kidney disease. The guidelines, published in the September 17 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, state that antiretroviral therapy (ART) is beneficial for such patients, but they should avoid tenofovir (Viread, also in the Truvada, Atripla, Complera, and Stribild coformulations), which can cause kidney impairment.

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Low CD4 Count, Suboptimal HIV Treatment Linked to Higher Anal Cancer Risk

People with HIV who experienced extensive immune deficiency or who used early antiretroviral drugs before the advent of combination highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the mid-90s may be at greater risk for developing anal cancer, according to a retrospective analysis published in the January 28 edition of AIDS.

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ICAAC 2014: New Drug Isavuconazole Is Effective Against Opportunistic Fungal Infections

A new antifungal drug, isavuconazole, matched the efficacy of voriconazole for treatment of invasive fungal infections in cancer patients with compromised immunity, but with fewer side effects, researchers reported at the 54th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy last week in Washington, DC.Isavuconazole was shown to be effective against various fungal infections that act as opportunistic illnesses in people with HIV/AIDS, including Aspergillus, Candida, and Cryptococcus.

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People with HIV May Experience Low- and High-Frequency Hearing Loss

People living with HIV were found to have impairment in both low-frequency and high-frequency hearing, but no association was seen with disease variables such as CD4 T-cell count or type of antiretroviral treatment, according to a recently published study.

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AIDS 2014: COPD Is Common Among People with HIV Even At High CD4 Counts

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not uncommon among HIV positive adults with CD4 counts above 500 cells/mm3 -- that is, even fairly early in the course of infection -- according to the first findings from a pulmonary substudy of the large international Strategic Timing of Antiretroviral Treatment (START) trial, presented At the 20th International AIDS Conference last month in Melbourne. Among the nearly 1000 participants with good quality spirometry (pulmonary function) tests, the overall COPD prevalence was 6.8%, but there was considerable variation across regions.

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