Current HIV Research - Current Issue

The enduring presence of HIV reservoirs represents an important obstacle to clinical management. Extensive research has been conducted in this field, but there are no bibliometric analyses focusing on HIV reservoir research. Aim: This study aimed to present the current status and global trends in HIV reservoir research through bibliometric analysis.

Studies on HIV reservoirs published from 1 January 1994 to 31 December 2023 were included in the Web of Science Core Collection database, and annual publication numbers, institutions, countries, and authors were analysed using CiteSpace bibliometric software. Furthermore, popular research topics and trends were analysed using co-cited references and keywords. From 1994 to 2023, 5778 publications on HIV reservoirs were included, with the United States producing the most publications, citations, and research funding. The most productive individual author was Nicolas Chomont. Cell was the journal publishing the most publications, while Nat Med had the best total link strength. The University of California System was the institution that made the greatest contribution. Keyword clustering analysis of the extracted publications indicated that the research areas over the past three decades have primarily focused on “central nervous system,” “histone deacetylase,” “multiple Epstein‒Barr virus infection,” and “dendritic cell.”

Moreover, keyword emergence analysis indicates that “provirus” and “identification” are likely to become central themes in future research. Future investigations should prioritize elucidating the specific mechanisms underlying proviral persistence and the identification of novel biomarkers in HIV reservoirs. Additionally, exploring the role of proviral dynamics in therapeutic development and reservoir targeting could offer new insights into potential treatment strategies.

This study makes a significant contribution to the understanding of HIV reservoirs, shedding light on key characteristics and emerging trends while also pointing to future research directions.

Patients living with HIV (PLHIV) have a higher cardiovascular risk than others, which is why the early detection of atherosclerosis in this population is important. The present study reports predictive models of subclinical atherosclerosis for this population of patients, made up of variables that are easily collected in the clinic.

The study design is a cross-sectional observational study. PLHIV without established cardiovascular disease were recruited for this study. Predictive models of subclinical atherosclerosis (Doppler ultrasound) were developed by testing sociodemographic variables, pathological history, data related to HIV infection, laboratory parameters, and capillaroscopy as potential predictors. Logistic regression with internal validation (bootstrapping) and machine learning techniques were used to develop the models.

Data from 96 HIV patients were analysed, 19 (19.8%) of whom had subclinical atherosclerosis. The predictors that went into both machine learning models and the regression model were hypertension, dyslipidaemia, protease inhibitors, triglycerides, fibrinogen, and alkaline phosphatase. Age and C-reactive protein were also part of the machine learning models. The logistic regression model had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.84-0.99), which became 0.80 after internal validation by bootstrapping. The machine learning techniques produced models with AUCs ranging from 0.73 to 0.86.

We report predictive models for subclinical atherosclerosis in PLHIV, demonstrating relevant predictive performance based on easily accessible parameters, making them potentially useful as a screening tool. However, given the study’s limitations—primarily the sample size-external validation in larger cohorts is warranted.

Since the first recorded HIV-1 infection in 1998, Jiaxing City has seen increasing HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM), necessitating targeted research to understand HIV-1 subtypes and drug resistance patterns to improve prevention and treatment strategies.

The study aimed to assess the variety of HIV-1 subtypes, the pre-treatment drug resistance (PDR) among MSM in Jiaxing, China, and transmission dynamics of drug-resistant strains. The findings may contribute to the development of targeted HIV prevention and control strategies for the MSM population.

Plasma samples from all newly reported cases of HIV-1 transmitted through male-to-male sexual contact in Jiaxing City from 2020 to 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic and epidemiological data were collected. Partial pol gene regions were amplified, sequenced, and analyzed for drug resistance mutations (DRMs) using the Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database. The Calibrated Population Resistance (CPR) program was utilised to identify Surveillance Drug Resistance Mutation (SDRM). A molecular transmission network was constructed to investigate the scale of transmitted drug resistance (TDR) strains.

We obtained a total of 298 eligible genetic sequences, revealing a diverse distribution of HIV-1 subtypes, with CRF07_BC, CRF01_AE, and CRF55_01B as the most prevalent. Pretreatment DRMs were detected in 91 cases (30.5%), yielding an overall PDR prevalence of 11.0%. Resistance to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) and protease inhibitors (PIs) was most frequent (5.4% each). TDR prevalence reached 7.0%, showing an increasing trend (2020-2022). The molecular network analysis indicated sporadic dissemination of drug-resistant cases rather than large-scale transmission chains.

The convergence of high HIV-1 subtype diversity, elevated PDR prevalence, rising TDR rates, and sporadic resistant strain transmission within MSM networks necessitates the sustained resistance surveillance and precision public health interventions.

This study aims to examine neuroanatomical differences associated with depressive symptoms in people with HIV (PWH) by comparing three groups: depressed PWH (PWH Dep+), non-depressed PWH (PWH Dep−), and HIV-negative controls. The primary goal is to explore specific alterations in brain volume and cortical thickness linked to depressive symptomatology in PWH.

A total of 61 male participants (28 PWH, 33 controls) underwent psychiatric evaluation and high-resolution structural MRI scanning. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and cortical thickness analyses were conducted, with age and education considered as covariates. Participants were classified into PWH Dep+ and PWH Dep− based on depression scales.

The PWH Dep+ group exhibited increased gray matter volume in the left anterior cingulate cortex and decreased cortical thickness in the left frontal pole compared to controls. In contrast, PWH Dep− participants showed increased cortical thickness in the bilateral postcentral gyrus and posterior cingulate gyrus. Additionally, volume reductions in the middle occipital and middle temporal gyri distinguished PWH Dep+ from PWH Dep−.

Depression in PWH is associated with structural brain changes, particularly in frontal and occipital regions. Although causality cannot be inferred due to the cross-sectional design, these results may enhance our understanding of the neuropathological mechanisms underlying depression in PWH. The findings should be interpreted with caution, given the relatively small sample size and the exclusion of female participants.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions in the diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of non-COVID-19 patients due to the burden on the healthcare system. This may lead to missed early diagnosis opportunities in people living with HIV (PLWH). This study aimed to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the demographic characteristics, clinical and laboratory findings, diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment processes of PLWH, and the frequency of opportunistic infections (OIs), AIDS-defining malignancies (ADMs), and late diagnosis (LD).

In this study, 246 PLWH were identified. During the pandemic period, the mean age of PLWH was lower (p=0.025), the use of 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) + protease inhibitor (PI/r) decreased (p=0.026) and antiretroviral therapy (ART) adher-ence was higher (p=0.015). LD (48.8% vs. 47.5%) was similar for the two periods, OIs rate (22.6% vs. 18.5%) was lower and ADMs rate (4.8% vs. 6.2%) was higher in the pandemic period. Our study was designed as a retrospective cohort study. Individuals over the age of 18 years who were newly diagnosed with HIV infection in our hospital between 2018 and 2023 were included in the study.

During the quarantine period, OIs rate (p=0.008) and hospitalization (p=0.002) decreased significantly. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, there was a decrease in primary school graduates (p=0.043) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) category C applicants (p=0.029) and an increase in university graduates (p=0.027) in the quarantine period. After the quarantine period, there was an increase in hospitalization (p=0.002), CDC category C admissions (p=0.021) and ART adherence (p=0.016). Other data were similar for the three periods.

In summary, while the COVID-19 pandemic led to notable changes in patients' characteristics and HIV-related clinical characteristics and treatment, the incidence of LD, OIs and ADMs did not increase significantly. Continued monitoring and adaptation of healthcare services are crucial to managing PLWH effectively in the context of global health crises.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a primary health concern that leads to Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), with more than 39.9 million people living with HIV globally. Dolutegravir sodium is a lipophilic compound with a log P value of 2.2. The current research aimed at augmenting the solubility, dissolution, and therapeutic benefits of Dolutegravir sodium through Solid lipid nanoparticles.

The solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) of Dolutegravir sodium were developed using high-speed homogenization and probe sonication methods. The solid lipid and surfactant were scrutinized for the development of SLN. The optimization of SLN was established using the Box-Behnken design model. The effects of lipid, surfactant, and homogenization speed on particle size and entrapment efficiency were evaluated. The colloidal dispersion was lyophilized, and accelerated stability was assessed.

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the interactions between the drug excipients. The thermal behavior and crystalline nature were checked with Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Among the several tested solid lipids, the highest solubility was observed in glyceryl monostearate (GMS). The colloidal dispersion was stabilized by the Tween 20.

Accordingly, the Box-Behnken design model and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) model were applied. The p-values for the particle size and entrapment efficiency were 0.0050 and 0.0010, respectively. The optimized batch D5 showed a particle size of 189 nm, zeta potential (ZP) of -24.6 mV, entrapment efficiency of 85.94%, and drug release of 87.02%. The optimized batch D5 was further lyophilized and analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which confirmed the nanoscale range for SLN of Dolutegravir sodium.

A significant enhancement in solubility and dissolution was achieved with the solid lipid nanoparticles. The sustained delivery of 24 hours reduces the dosage frequency and minimizes the viral load for the effective therapy of HIV, thereby improving patients' comfort and compliance.