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The Pan African Medical Journal 2015More than decades have already elapsed since human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was identified as the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The... (Review)
Review
More than decades have already elapsed since human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was identified as the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The HIV has since spread to all parts of the world with devastating effects. In sub-saharan Africa, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has reached unprecedented proportions. Safe, effective and affordable HIV/AIDS vaccines for Africans are therefore urgently needed to contain this public health problem. Although, there are challenges, there are also scientific opportunities and strategies that can be exploited in the development of HIV/AIDS vaccines for Africa. The recent RV144 Phase III trial in Thailand has demonstrated that it is possible to develop a vaccine that can potentially elicit modest protective immunity against HIV infection. The main objective of this review is to outline the key scientific opportunities, challenges and strategies in HIV/AIDS vaccine development in Africa.
Topics: AIDS Vaccines; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Africa South of the Sahara; HIV Infections; Humans; Public Health
PubMed: 26185576
DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2015.20.386.4660 -
Statistics in Medicine May 2021The world has experienced three global pandemics over the last half-century: HIV/AIDS, H1N1, and COVID-19. HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 are still with us and have wrought...
The world has experienced three global pandemics over the last half-century: HIV/AIDS, H1N1, and COVID-19. HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 are still with us and have wrought extensive havoc worldwide. There are many differences between these two infections and their global impacts, but one thing they have in common is the mobilization of scientific resources to both understand the infection and develop ways to combat it. As was the case with HIV, statisticians have been in the forefront of scientists working to understand transmission dynamics and the natural history of infection, determine prognostic factors for severe disease, and develop optimal study designs to assess therapeutics and vaccines.
Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; COVID-19; Humans; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 33963579
DOI: 10.1002/sim.8936 -
Epidemiology and Infection Jul 2021The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is increasing day by day in the region, including Turkey. The study aimed to...
The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is increasing day by day in the region, including Turkey. The study aimed to examine AIDS-related deaths in Turkey between 2009 and 2018 according to the national death registration system records. In this descriptive study, data on AIDS-related deaths were obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute. The data consist of the cause of death codes, year of death, age and gender. Findings were presented using numbers and percentages. Seven hundred twenty-one AIDS-related deaths were reported in Turkey between 2009 and 2018. AIDS-related deaths in Turkey increased more than twice at the end of 10 years. The male/female death ratio is 4.5. Deaths under the age of 15 were 4.2% in total; however, they were increased to 10.2% in 2018. AIDS-related deaths are decreasing in the world but increasing in Turkey. The data from the Ministry of Health do not match the data of the national death registration system. Establishing a strong and accurate HIV/AIDS reporting system and identifying the causes and risk groups of this increase in AIDS-related deaths are critical.
Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Adult; Age Factors; Female; HIV Infections; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Sex Factors; Turkey
PubMed: 34210379
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268821001539 -
The Journal of Clinical Investigation May 2016Although the use of antioxidants for the treatment of cancer and HIV/AIDS has been proposed for decades, new insights gained from redox research have suggested a very... (Review)
Review
Although the use of antioxidants for the treatment of cancer and HIV/AIDS has been proposed for decades, new insights gained from redox research have suggested a very different scenario. These new data show that the major cellular antioxidant systems, the thioredoxin (Trx) and glutathione (GSH) systems, actually promote cancer growth and HIV infection, while suppressing an effective immune response. Mechanistically, these systems control both the redox- and NO-based pathways (nitroso-redox homeostasis), which subserve innate and cellular immune defenses. Dual inhibition of the Trx and GSH systems synergistically kills neoplastic cells in vitro and in mice and decreases resistance to anticancer therapy. Similarly, the population of HIV reservoir cells that constitutes the major barrier to a cure for AIDS is exquisitely redox sensitive and could be selectively targeted by Trx and GSH inhibitors. Trx and GSH inhibition may lead to a reprogramming of the immune response, tilting the balance between the immune system and cancer or HIV in favor of the former, allowing elimination of diseased cells. Thus, therapies based on silencing of the Trx and GSH pathways represent a promising approach for the cure of both cancer and AIDS and warrant further investigation.
Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Animals; Glutathione; HIV-1; Humans; Mice; Neoplasms; Oxidation-Reduction; Thioredoxins
PubMed: 27135880
DOI: 10.1172/JCI85339 -
Journal of Preventive Medicine and... Sep 2020HIV/AIDS remains a major public health concern globally and Health Care Workers (HCWs) are in the frontline of preventing and providing care in the health care system....
BACKGROUND
HIV/AIDS remains a major public health concern globally and Health Care Workers (HCWs) are in the frontline of preventing and providing care in the health care system. The aim of this study was to evaluate HIV/AIDS knowledge among Iranian HCWs.
METHODOLOGY
This cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 HCWs who were randomly selected from health care centers in Kermanshah city, west of Iran, 2018. HCWs filled out a self-administered questionnaire including the socio-demographic characteristics and HIV/AIDS knowledge items. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 using bivariate correlations, t-test, and ANOVA statistical tests.
RESULTS
The mean score of HIV/AIDS knowledge was 29.73 [95% CI: 28.79, 30.67], ranged from 0 to 40 (74.3% of total percent). There was no significant association and correlation between HIV/AIDS knowledge and sex, education level, marital status, age and job history. Up to 50% had inadequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS status and transmission in Iran.
CONCLUSIONS
HCWs HIV/AIDS knowledge was average and it seems need to be educating regarding HIV/AIDS status and transmission in Iran.
Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; HIV Infections; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Personnel; Humans; Iran; Male; Middle Aged; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
PubMed: 33150227
DOI: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2020.61.3.1474 -
Journal of Medicine and Life Oct 2022HIV/AIDS is one of the sexually transmitted diseases that cause death worldwide. Its prevalence increases due to low prevention behaviour. The study aimed to estimate... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
HIV/AIDS is one of the sexually transmitted diseases that cause death worldwide. Its prevalence increases due to low prevention behaviour. The study aimed to estimate the effect of social capital on HIV/AIDS preventive efforts. This study was a meta-analysis and systematic analysis. We retrieved articles from PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar from 2008-2021. The inclusion criteria were full-text articles with observational design and articles published in English. We focused on the problems of the PICO study, namely: population=men and women who were sexually active; intervention=high social capital; comparison=low social capital; outcome=HIV/AIDS prevention efforts. The articles were collected using the PRISMA flow diagram. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 with a random effect model. The study included 12 articles. The likelihood of sexually active men and women with high social capital to perform HIV/AIDS prevention efforts was 1.55 times higher than those with low social capital (aOR=1.55; CI 95%=1.11 to 2.16; p=0.009).
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Social Capital; HIV Infections; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Prevalence
PubMed: 36420290
DOI: 10.25122/jml-2021-0348 -
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences :... Jul 2017HIV/AIDS remains a major public health issue. In 2014, it was estimated that 36.9 million people are living with HIV worldwide, including 2.6 million children. Since... (Review)
Review
HIV/AIDS remains a major public health issue. In 2014, it was estimated that 36.9 million people are living with HIV worldwide, including 2.6 million children. Since the advent of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), in the 1990s, treatment has been so successful that in many parts of the world, HIV has become a chronic condition in which progression to AIDS has become increasingly rare. However, while people with HIV can expect to live a normal life span with cART, lifelong medication is required and cardiovascular, renal, liver, and neurologic diseases are still possible, which continues to prompt research for a cure for HIV. Infected reservoir cells, such as CD4+ T cells and myeloid cells, allow persistence of HIV as an integrated DNA provirus and serve as a potential source for the re-emergence of virus. Attempts to eradicate HIV from these cells have focused mainly on the so-called "shock and kill" approach, where cellular reactivation is induced so as to trigger the purging of virus-producing cells by cytolysis or immune attack. This approach has several limitations and its usefulness in clinical applications remains to be assessed. Recent advances in gene-editing technology have allowed the use of this approach for inactivating integrated proviral DNA in the genome of latently infected cells or knocking out HIV receptors. Here, we review this strategy and its potential to eliminate the latent HIV reservoir resulting in a sterile cure of AIDS.
Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Gene Editing; Genetic Therapy; HIV-1; Humans; Immune Evasion; Mutation
PubMed: 28210784
DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2479-z -
Viruses Sep 2020HIV-1 is the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It affects millions of people worldwide and the pandemic persists despite the implementation... (Review)
Review
HIV-1 is the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It affects millions of people worldwide and the pandemic persists despite the implementation of highly active antiretroviral therapy. A wide spectrum of techniques has been implemented in order to diagnose and monitor AIDS progression over the years. Besides the conventional approaches, microfluidics has provided useful methods for monitoring HIV-1 infection. In this review, we introduce continuous microfluidics as well as the fabrication and handling of microfluidic chips. We provide a review of the different applications of continuous microfluidics in AIDS diagnosis and progression and in the basic study of the HIV-1 life cycle.
Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Disease Progression; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; Microfluidics; Virus Replication
PubMed: 32899657
DOI: 10.3390/v12090982 -
Revista Chilena de Infectologia :... Feb 2015The ongoing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection epidemic coupled with more efficacious and available treatments has led to a larger number of patients living... (Review)
Review
The ongoing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection epidemic coupled with more efficacious and available treatments has led to a larger number of patients living with HIV or AIDS. As a result, skin manifestations related to HIV/AIDS or its therapy have become increasingly more common and are reported to occur in as many as 95% of patients. Herein, we review the most common HIV/AIDS related cutaneous pathologies and classify them into inflammatory, HAART-associated, neoplastic, and infectious manifestations. Cutaneous manifestations should be promptly recognized and treated by physicians and health care personnel in order to provide optimal care.
Topics: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Angiomatosis, Bacillary; Anti-Retroviral Agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Dermatitis, Seborrheic; Humans; Psoriasis; Sarcoma, Kaposi; Skin Diseases, Infectious; Skin Neoplasms; Syphilis, Cutaneous
PubMed: 25860154
DOI: 10.4067/S0716-10182015000100005 -
Viruses Dec 2019Dendritic cells (DCs) are involved in human and simian immunodeficiency virus (HIV and SIV) pathogenesis but also play a critical role in orchestrating innate and... (Review)
Review
Dendritic cells (DCs) are involved in human and simian immunodeficiency virus (HIV and SIV) pathogenesis but also play a critical role in orchestrating innate and adaptive vaccine-specific immune responses. Effective HIV/SIV vaccines require strong antigen-specific CD4 T cell responses, cytotoxic activity of CD8 T cells, and neutralizing/non-neutralizing antibody production at mucosal and systemic sites. To develop a protective HIV/SIV vaccine, vaccine regimens including DCs themselves, protein, DNA, mRNA, virus vectors, and various combinations have been evaluated in different animal and human models. Recent studies have shown that DCs enhanced prophylactic HIV/SIV vaccine efficacy by producing pro-inflammatory cytokines, improving T cell responses, and recruiting effector cells to target tissues. DCs are also targets for therapeutic HIV/SIV vaccines due to their ability to reverse latency, present antigen, and augment T and B cell immunity. Here, we review the complex interactions of DCs over the course of HIV/SIV prophylactic and therapeutic immunizations, providing new insights into development of advanced DC-targeted HIV/SIV vaccines.
Topics: AIDS Vaccines; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Animals; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Dendritic Cells; Humans; Macaca mulatta; Simian Immunodeficiency Virus
PubMed: 31878130
DOI: 10.3390/v12010024