Current HIV Research - Volume 23, Issue 1, 2025

Due to the impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on personal and social life, people living with HIV (PLWH) are faced with several challenges and issues. Therefore, PLWH requires psychological interventions. The study aims were to create a suitable platform for psychological structures that empower them to address their issues effectively. In this regard, we evaluated the effect of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Silva-based Relaxation Therapy (SBRT) on Psychological Capital (PsyCap), Social Anxiety (SA), and CD4 count in PLWH.

This study employed an intervention-based semi-experimental design. The population consisted of 90 individuals infected with HIV. Participants were divided into two experimental groups receiving MBCT and SBRT, respectively, and one control group, selected randomly. Before and after the intervention, questionnaires and CD4+ tests were administered to the participants. Only two experimental groups received the intervention, while the control group received no training. The appropriate training for each group was conducted twice a week over eight sessions and each session lasted 90 minutes. In the intervention groups, all the people participated in all the group training sessions. No intervention was performed for the participants of the control group, and they only completed the questionnaires in the same period as the intervention groups. “Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy” and “Mind Control” books were used for the implementation of MBCT and SBRT, respectively.

It was revealed that a number of male participants constituted the majority with 58 (64.4%) compared to females. Regarding the means of transmission, sexual contact was the most common with 62 (68.8%) compared to other routes. The mean age of the participants was 40.5 ± 10.8 years. For the SBRT group, the mean CD4+ count was higher, with 599.5 ± 290.9 for pre-test and 563.2 ± 366.7 for post-test assessments, compared to other groups. After performing the linear regression analysis, it was found that the variables had no effect on the main outcome, which is CD4 count after the intervention (p-value= 0.27). For the MBCT group, the CD4+ count variable had a p-value = 0.10 (pretest: 447.2 ± 19.5, posttest: 411.9 ± 235.9), for the SBRT group, the CD4+ count variable had a p-value = 0.05 (pretest: 599.5 ± 290.9, posttest: 549 ± 259.9), and the control group, the CD4+ count variable had a p-value = 0.5 (pretest: 445 ± 222.7, posttest: 563.2 ± 366.7).

MBCT and SBRT may enhance the mental well-being of PLWH. Therefore, following the interventions, the mean level of SA decreased, and PsyCap increased. Thus, strategies to improve psychological support interventions may have a significant impact on improving the health status of individuals living with HIV, including indicators of SA and PsyCap.

In people living with human immune deficiency (PLHIV), the rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, mixed types, and high-risk (HR) strains increase, while the virus clearance does not occur. Here, we report HPV genotyping in PLHIVs from Iran and the Middle East region for the first time.

HPV genotyping in referring individuals from different provinces to our laboratory was evaluated over 2023-2024. For this, the HPV types in specimens were detected through the INNO-LiPA HPV genotyping kit. Statistical analysis was conducted with a 95% confidence interval (95%CI) and P < 0.05. Accordingly, 481 subjects from various provinces participated in this study.

The rate of HPV infection was 45.7%, of which 14% were HIV-infected women referred from all provinces. The most prevalent types included 6, 51, and 18, but not 16 HR types. Mixed infections in dually infected women were significantly more than in HPV-infected ones. The HPV+/HIV+ subgroup had the lowest median age. The prevalence of HPV types and mixed infection in PLHIVs was congruent with the previous reports, except for the low rate of type 16 infection, perhaps due to the healthy nature of our subjects. Only HIV+/HPV+ cases' age was similar to the previous reports, perhaps because of sample collection and study designs. Among all factors, age and gender affected the HPV type distribution notably.

The current study corroborated the results of many prior reports, demonstrating the considerable impact of HIV status on HPV distribution. The authors recommend implementing a national HPV vaccination and more comprehensive reports of HPV genotyping in PLHIVs.

Circulating recombinant form (CRF) 01_AE and subtype C are two HIV-1 subtypes. In recent years, novel HIV-1 recombinant forms have become more and more prevalent in China; however, new HIV-1 CRF01_AE/C recombinant forms are less prevalent nationwide.

Our study aimed to investigate new recombinant forms between different HIV-1 subtypes and evaluate their transmission risk among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Hebei, China.

The near full-length genome (NFLG) of HIV-1 was identified using the analyses of the phylogenetic tree and gene breakpoints.

In the present work, we have reported a novel HIV-1 recombinant form composed of CRF01_AE and subtype C. The NFLG of this CRF01_AE/C form contained eight gene subregions, with four subtype C gene segments inserted into the CRF01_AE backbone, consisting of I CRF01_AE (790–1,171 nt), II subtype C (1,172–1,840 nt), III CRF01_AE (1,841–5,089 nt), IV subtype C (5,090–5,666 nt), V CRF01_AE (5,667–6,317 nt), VI subtype C (6,318–8,586 nt), VII CRF01_AE (8,587–9,246 nt), and VIII subtype C (9,247–9,409 nt). This new recombinant form was identified as CRF140_0107.

The study suggested that it is important to monitor HIV-1 diversity to reduce HIV-1 transmission in China.

Family support is an important component of family-oriented care and a vital element in the care of patients with chronic illnesses, including HIV/AIDS. We investigated the association between perceived family support and depression among adolescents living with HIV in northern Nigeria.

This was a cross-sectional study on 125 adolescents (10-19 years of age) presenting for care at a large urban outpatient HIV clinic in Kano, Nigeria. We assessed family support utilizing the Perceived Social Support Family Scale (PSS-Fa) tool, and depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) tool. Logistic regression was done to determine the independent relationship between perceived family support and depression.

Approximately half of the respondents were males (49.6%). The median age (±IQR) of the participants was 16 (± 4) years. The overall prevalence of depression was 56%. More than half (57.6%) of the respondents reported having strong family support. Depression was independently associated with no family support (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 3.85, 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.10-13.43), weak family support (aOR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.04-9.63), and feelings of shame about their HIV status (aOR = 5.20, 95% CI = 1.76-15.35).

Depression is common among adolescents presenting for HIV care in northern Nigeria and is independently associated with perceived family support and feelings of shame regarding HIV diagnosis. Our findings support routine screening for depression among adolescents with HIV, coupled with the integration of family-oriented care and counseling into routine HIV services for this population.

About 10% of individuals with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) develop tuberculosis (TB) disease during their lifetime. People living with HIV (PLWH) have a significantly higher risk of developing tuberculosis disease from latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) compared to those without HIV. Many HIV treatment guidelines recommend screening and treating for LTBI.

This study aimed to investigate the LTBI screening frequency of PLWH and the rates of tuberculosis disease development during their follow-up.

A total of 483 PLWH were admitted to 3 research hospitals between January 2005 and April 2020. Patients who were 18 years and older, who did not have active TB disease, and who were followed up regularly were included in the study. Demographic characteristics and laboratory results of the patients, and tuberculin skin test (TST) and/or interferon gamma releasing assay (IGRA) results were recorded. Whether TB developed during the follow-up of the patients or not was recorded.

A total of 482 PLWH were enrolled in the study, and 429 (89%) of them were male. The mean age of the patients was 37±13 years. The patients were followed for an average of 27.5 months (2-180 months). The mean CD4 count was 381±246/mm3 at the time of diagnosis. A total of 331 patients (68.7%) were screened for latent infection, and 62 (18.7%) of them were diagnosed with LTBI. During the follow-up of the patients, TB disease did not develop in anyone who was not screened for LTBI, while TB disease developed in 4 people who were screened. The mean age of PLWH who developed tuberculosis disease was 54±10 years, while those who did not develop it was 37±13 years, and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.009).

Screening for LTBI in PLWH and treating it when positive are recommended in the EACS guidelines. However, some local HIV guidelines recommend latent TB treatment according to ethnicity, CD4 count, and antiretroviral therapy use. Although the mean follow-up period was short, it was found that there was no difference in the development of TB disease in LTBI-positive and negative individuals in our study. For countries that are not on the list of high-burden countries for TB, it may be an option to give latent TB treatment only to selected patients who have lower CD4 counts.