Mental health, pain and likelihood of opioid misuse among adults with sickle cell disease.

Depressive symptoms are prevalent in individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD) and may exacerbate pain. This study examines whether higher depressive symptoms are associated with pain outcomes, pain catastrophizing, interference and potential opioid misuse in a large cohort of adults with SCD. The study utilized baseline data from the 'CaRISMA' trial, which involved 357 SCD adults with chronic pain. Baseline assessments included pain intensity, daily mood, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), the Generalized Anxiety Disorders scale, PROMIS Pain Interference, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Adult Sickle Cell Quality of Life Measurement Information System and the Current Opioid Misuse Measure. Participants were categorized into 'high' or 'low' depression groups based on PHQ scores. Higher depressive symptoms were significantly associated with increased daily pain intensity, negative daily mood, higher pain interference and catastrophizing, poorer quality of life and a higher likelihood of opioid misuse (all p < 0.01). SCD patients with more severe depressive symptoms experienced poorer pain outcomes, lower quality of life and increased risk of opioid misuse. Longitudinal data from this trial will determine whether addressing depressive symptoms may potentially reduce pain frequency and severity in SCD.

Internal Medicine Residents' Perceptions of Their Continuity Clinic Training.

OBJECTIVES: Internal Medicine (IM) residents have reported dissatisfaction with continuity clinic (CC) training, which may contribute to the increasing shortage of primary care physicians. Studies show balancing inpatient and outpatient duties as a driver of dissatisfaction, but few studies have compared CC with inpatient (IP) training, following transition to an X + Y model, or assessed the impact of show rates, continuity, and telemedicine use on resident perceptions. The aim of this study was to adapt a validated survey to compare residents' perceptions of their CC with their inpatient medicine training and examine the impact of objective clinic measures on training. METHODS: This quantitative cross-sectional study included a survey that was sent to 152 residents at an academic IM program in May-June 2021. Clinic measures such as show versus no-show rates, continuity with the residents' own patients, and visit modality were obtained through the electronic health records at Veterans Affairs and non-Veterans Affairs CCs. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 78% (118/152). Residents were more satisfied with inpatient general medicine rotations than their CC experience (4.5 vs 3.3 on a 5-point scale, P < 0.001). Residents were more likely to pursue a profession in inpatient IM than in primary care (3.7 vs 2.3, P < 0.001). No correlation was found between higher show rates, continuity with patients, or proportion of visits conducted through telemedicine and resident satisfaction with CC. CONCLUSIONS: This study aligns with previous findings of IM resident dissatisfaction with CC training while adding a side-by-side comparison to inpatient training and including objective CC data. We identified new areas for improvement of CC training, including residents' medical knowledge through review of quality metrics, making CC representative of real-world practice, and mentorship from faculty.

Low Incidence of Adverse Outcomes in Adults With Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection in the Era of Antiviral Therapy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Outcomes of persons with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the era of antiviral therapy (AVT) are not well characterized. We determined the incidence and factors associated with clinical outcomes in a multiethnic, North American cohort of adults with chronic HBV infection, who were not on AVT at enrollment. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Adults with chronic HBV infection, not receiving AVT, and without a history of decompensation, HCC, or liver transplantation (LT), were prospectively followed. Participants with known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus, or hepatitis D virus (HDV) coinfection were excluded. During follow-up, treatment could be initiated per standard of care. Clinical outcomes included: incident cirrhosis, decompensation, HCC, OLT, and HBV-related death. Among 1,418 participants analyzed, 51.5% were women, median age was 41.1 years, 75% were Asian, 10% White, 13% Black, 24% HBeAg(+), and 1.5% cirrhosis at baseline. During the study, 274 started treatment, 83 had an alanine aminotransferase flare, 118 of 330 initially HBeAg(+) became HBeAg(-), and 90 of 1,329 became HBsAg(-). After 6,641 person-years follow-up, 8 participants (4 of 21 with baseline cirrhosis) had 12 clinical outcomes (2 decompensation, 5 HCC, 2 OLT, and 3 HBV-related deaths) and 19 of 1,397 had incident cirrhosis. Twenty-one of 26 participants had first outcome before treatment, none had become HBsAg(-), whereas 5/9 HBeAg(+) had become HBeAg(-) at time of first outcome. Cumulative percentage of clinical outcomes was 16% at year 4 in participants with baseline cirrhosis and 2% (including incident cirrhosis) at year 7 in those without. CONCLUSIONS: Incidence of adverse outcomes was low in this closely monitored, large cohort of North American adults with predominantly inactive, chronic HBV without cirrhosis. Our data highlight the benefits of HBsAg loss and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment to prevent cirrhosis and other complications of chronic HBV infection.

Primary results of the randomized trial of metformin administration in polycystic kidney disease (TAME PKD).

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by growth of kidney cysts and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decline. Metformin was found to impact cystogenesis in preclinical models of polycystic disease, is generally considered safe and may be a promising candidate for clinical investigation in ADPKD. In this phase 2 two-year trial, we randomly assigned 97 patients, 18-60 years of age, with ADPKD and estimated GFR over 50 ml/min/1.73 m2, in a 1:1 ratio to receive metformin or placebo twice daily. Primary outcomes were medication safety and tolerability. Secondary outcomes included estimated GFR decline, and total kidney volume growth. Thirty-eight metformin and 39 placebo participants still received study product at 24-months. Twenty-one participants in the metformin arm reduced drug dose due to inability to tolerate, compared with 14 in the placebo arm (not significant). Proportions of participants experiencing serious adverse events was similar between the groups. The Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rating Scale score was low at baseline and did not significantly change over time. The annual change for estimated GFR was -1.71 with metformin and -3.07 ml/min/1.73m2 per year with placebo (mean difference 1.37 {-0.70, 3.44} ml/min/1.73m2), while mean annual percent change in height-adjusted total kidney volume was 3.87% in metformin and 2.16% per year in placebo, (mean difference 1.68% {-2.11, 5.62}). Thus, metformin in adults with ADPKD was found to be safe and tolerable while slightly reducing estimated GFR decline but not to a significant degree. Hence, evaluation of efficacy requires a larger trial, with sufficient power to detect differences in endpoints.

Factor VIII concentrate dosing with lean body mass, ideal body weight and total body weight in overweight and obesity: A randomized, controlled, open-label, 3 × 3 crossover trial.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity alters the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of drugs making it difficult to determine the appropriate dose when administering weight-based medications. Alternative descriptors of body weight, such as lean body mass (LBM) and ideal body weight (IBW), are sometimes used in these situations. METHODS: We performed a single-centre, randomized, controlled, open-label, 3 × 3 crossover trial to determine whether recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) dosing based on LBM and IBW achieves a targeted FVIII recovery with better precision than based on total body weight (TBW) in overweight and obese, adult males with haemophilia A. Participants were randomized to 1 of 6 possible FVIII concentrate dosing sequence scenarios (TBW, LBM and IBW). Recombinant FVIII was administered on 3 separate weeks following a washout period of at least 72 hours. RESULTS: A total of 19 participants were randomized and completed the study. FVIII recovery was lower at 30 minutes post-rFVIII infusion in LBM vs TBW and IBW vs TBW-based dosing, mean difference -0.38 (95% CI: -0.56, -0.20) and -0.28 (95% CI: -0.47, -0.10) IU/dL per IU/kg, respectively. In LBM vs TBW and IBW vs TBW-based dosing, there was a non-significant increase in the proportion of participants with a targeted FVIII recovery of 2.00 ± 0.20 IU/dl per IU/kg, OR = 1.93 (95% CI: 0.44, 8.55) and OR = 3.65 (0.80, 16.72), respectively. DISCUSSION: Based on our study's findings, overweight and obese patients with haemophilia A may benefit from an individualized PK analysis using LBM and IBW to determine the most accurate, and potentially cost-effective, method of achieving targeted FVIII recovery.

Antiretroviral Therapy Reduces T-cell Activation and Immune Exhaustion Markers in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Controllers.

BACKGROUND: Despite low plasma human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA, HIV controllers have evidence of viral replication and elevated inflammation. We assessed the effect of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on HIV suppression, immune activation, and quality of life (QoL). METHODS: A5308 was a prospective, open-label study of rilpivirine/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in ART-naive HIV controllers (N = 35), defined as having HIV RNA <500 copies/mL for ≥12 months. The primary outcome measured change in %CD38+HLA-DR+ CD8+ T cells. Residual plasma viremia was measured using the integrase single-copy assay. QoL was measured using the EQ-5D questionnaire. Outcomes were evaluated using repeated measures general estimating equations models. RESULTS: Before ART, HIV controllers with undetectable residual viremia <0.6 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL had higher CD4+ counts and lower levels of T-cell activation than those with detectable residual viremia. ART use was effective in further increasing the proportion of individuals with undetectable residual viremia (pre-ART vs after 24-48 weeks of ART: 19% vs 94%, P < .001). Significant declines were observed in the %CD38+HLA-DR+CD8+ T cells at 24-48 (-4.0%, P = .001) and 72-96 (-7.2%, P < .001) weeks after ART initiation. ART use resulted in decreases of several cellular markers of immune exhaustion and in a modest but significant improvement in self-reported QoL. There were no significant changes in CD4+ counts or HIV DNA. CONCLUSIONS: ART in HIV controllers reduces T-cell activation and improves markers of immune exhaustion. These results support the possible clinical benefits of ART in this population.

Levels of HIV-1 persistence on antiretroviral therapy are not associated with markers of inflammation or activation.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces levels of HIV-1 and immune activation but both can persist despite clinically effective ART. The relationships among pre-ART and on-ART levels of HIV-1 and activation are incompletely understood, in part because prior studies have been small or cross-sectional. To address these limitations, we evaluated measures of HIV-1 persistence, inflammation, T cell activation and T cell cycling in a longitudinal cohort of 101 participants who initiated ART and had well-documented sustained suppression of plasma viremia for a median of 7 years. During the first 4 years following ART initiation, HIV-1 DNA declined by 15-fold (93%) whereas cell-associated HIV-1 RNA (CA-RNA) fell 525-fold (>99%). Thereafter, HIV-1 DNA levels continued to decline slowly (5% per year) with a half-life of 13 years. Participants who had higher HIV-1 DNA and CA-RNA before starting treatment had higher levels while on ART, despite suppression of plasma viremia for many years. Markers of inflammation and T cell activation were associated with plasma HIV-1 RNA levels before ART was initiated but there were no consistent associations between these markers and HIV-1 DNA or CA-RNA during long-term ART, suggesting that HIV-1 persistence is not driving or driven by inflammation or activation. Higher levels of inflammation, T cell activation and cycling before ART were associated with higher levels during ART, indicating that immunologic events that occurred well before ART initiation had long-lasting effects despite sustained virologic suppression. These findings should stimulate studies of viral and host factors that affect virologic, inflammatory and immunologic set points prior to ART initiation and should inform the design of strategies to reduce HIV-1 reservoirs and dampen immune activation that persists despite ART.

T-cell responses targeting HIV Nef uniquely correlate with infected cell frequencies after long-term antiretroviral therapy.

HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses limit viral replication in untreated infection. After the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), these responses decay and the infected cell population that remains is commonly considered to be invisible to T-cells. We hypothesized that HIV antigen recognition may persist in ART-treated individuals due to low-level or episodic protein expression. We posited that if persistent recognition were occurring it would be preferentially directed against the early HIV gene products Nef, Tat, and Rev as compared to late gene products, such as Gag, Pol, and Env, which have higher barriers to expression. Using a primary cell model of latency, we observed that a Nef-specific CD8+ T-cell clone exhibited low-level recognition of infected cells prior to reactivation and robust recognition shortly thereafter. A Gag-specific CD8+ T-cell clone failed to recognized infected cells under these conditions, corresponding with a lack of detectable Gag expression. We measured HIV-specific T-cell responses in 96 individuals who had been suppressed on ART for a median of 7 years, and observed a significant, direct correlation between cell-associated HIV DNA levels and magnitudes of IFN-γ-producing Nef/Tat/Rev-specific T-cell responses. This correlation was confirmed in an independent cohort (n = 18). Correlations were not detected between measures of HIV persistence and T-cell responses to other HIV antigens. The correlation with Nef/Tat/Rev-specific T-cells was attributable to Nef-specific responses, the breadth of which also correlated with HIV DNA levels. These results suggest that ongoing Nef expression in ART-treated individuals drives preferential maintenance and/or expansion of T-cells reactive to this protein, implying sensing of infected cells by the immune system. The direct correlation, however, suggests that recognition does not result in efficient elimination of infected cells. These results raise the possibility that enhancing the cytolytic activity of Nef-specific T-cells may lead to reductions in infected cell frequencies, even in the absence of therapeutic latency reversal.

Comparison of Three Different FDA-Approved Plasma HIV-1 RNA Assay Platforms Confirms the Virologic Failure Endpoint of 200 Copies per Milliliter Despite Improved Assay Sensitivity.

Discrepancies between HIV-1 RNA results assayed by different FDA-approved platforms have been reported. Plasma samples collected from 332 randomly selected clinical trial participants during the second year of antiretroviral treatment were assayed with three FDA-approved platforms: UltraSensitive Roche Amplicor Monitor, v1.5 (Monitor), the Abbott RealTime HIV-1 test on the m2000 system (Abbott), and the Roche TaqMan HIV-1 test, v2.0 (TaqMan). Samples from 61 additional participants with confirmed HIV-1 RNA levels of >50 copies/ml during trial follow-up were also included. Endpoints were HIV-1 RNA quantification of ≤50 copies/ml versus >50 copies/ml at an individual-sample level (primary) and determination of confirmed virologic failure (VF) from longitudinal samples. A total of 389 participants had results obtained from all assays on at least one sample (median = 6). Proportions of results of >50 copies/ml were 19% (Monitor), 22% (TaqMan), and 25% (Abbott). Despite indication of strong agreement (Cohen's kappa, 0.76 to 0.82), Abbott was more likely to detect HIV-1 RNA levels of >50 copies/ml than Monitor (matched-pair odds ratio [mOR] = 4.2; modified Obuchowski P < 0.001) and TaqMan (mOR = 2.1; P < 0.001); TaqMan was more likely than Monitor (mOR = 2.6; P < 0.001). Despite strong agreement in classifying VF across assay comparisons (kappa, 0.75 to 0.92), at a 50-copies/ml threshold, differences in the probability of VF classification (in the same direction as primary) were apparent (all McNemar's P < 0.007). At a 200-copies/ml VF threshold, no differences between assays were apparent (all P > 0.13). Despite strong agreement among assays, significant differences were observed with respect to detecting HIV-1 RNA levels of >50 copies/ml and identifying VF at the 50-copies/ml threshold. This has important implications for the definition of VF in clinical trials and clinical practice.

HIV-1 DNA decay dynamics in blood during more than a decade of suppressive antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) DNA dynamics during long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) are not defined. METHODS: Blood mononuclear cells obtained during 7-12 years of effective ART were assayed for total HIV-1 DNA and 2-long terminal repeat (LTR) circles by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Slopes of HIV-1 DNA were estimated by participant-specific linear regressions. Plasma was assayed for residual viremia (HIV-1 RNA) by qPCR. RESULTS: Thirty participants were studied. HIV-1 DNA decreased significantly from years 0-1 and 1-4 of ART with median decay slopes of -0.86 (interquartile range, -1.05, -0.59) and -0.11 (-0.17, -0.06) log10(copies/10(6) CD4+ T-cells)/year, respectively (P < .001). Decay was not significant for years 4-7 (-0.02 [-0.06, 0.02]; P = .09) or after year 7 of ART (-0.006 [-0.030, 0.015]; P = .17). All participants had detectable HIV-1 DNA after 10 years (median 439 copies/10(6) CD4+ T-cells; range: 7-2074). Pre-ART HIV-1 DNA levels were positively associated with pre-ART HIV-1 RNA levels (Spearman = 0.71, P < .001) and with HIV-1 DNA at years 4, 7, and 10 on ART (Spearman ≥ 0.75, P < .001). No associations were found (P ≥ .25) between HIV-1 DNA slopes or levels and % activated CD8+ T-cells (average during years 1-4) or residual viremia (n = 18). 2-LTR circles were detected pre-ART in 20/29 and in 8/30 participants at last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Decay of HIV-1 DNA in blood is rapid in the first year after ART initiation (86% decline), slows during years 1-4 (23% decline/year), and subsequently plateaus. HIV-1 DNA decay is not associated with the levels of CD8+ T-cell activation or persistent viremia. The determinants of stable HIV-1 DNA persistence require further elucidation. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT00001137.

Riociguat in patients with sickle cell disease and hypertension or proteinuria (STERIO-SCD): a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled, phase 1-2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Although nitric oxide based therapeutics have been shown in preclinical models to reduce vaso-occlusive events and improve cardiovascular function, a clinical trial of a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor increased rates of admission to hospital for pain. We aimed to examine if riociguat, a direct stimulator of the nitric oxide receptor soluble guanylate cyclase, causes similar increases in vaso-occlusive events. METHODS: This was a phase 1-2, randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eligible patients were 18 years or older, had confirmed sickle cell disease documented by haemoglobin electrophoresis or HPLC fractionation (haemoglobin SS, SC, Sß-thalassemia, SD, or SO-Arab), and stage 1 hypertension or proteinuria. Participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive either riociguat or matching placebo via a web-based system to maintain allocation concealment. Both treatments were administered orally starting at 1·0 mg three times a day up to 2·5 mg three times a day (highest tolerated dose) for 12 weeks. Dose escalation by 0·5 mg was considered every 2 weeks if systolic blood pressure was greater than 95 mm Hg and the participant had no signs of hypotension; otherwise, the last dose was maintained. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants who had at least one adjudicated treatment-emergent serious adverse event. The analysis was performed by the intention-to-treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02633397) and was completed. FINDINGS: Between April 11, 2017, and Dec 31, 2021, 165 participants were screened and consented to be enrolled into the study. Of these, 130 participants were randomly assigned to either riociguat (n=66) or placebo (n=64). The proportion of participants with at least one treatment-emergent serious adverse event was 22·7% (n=15) in the riociguat group and 31·3% (n=20) in the placebo group (difference -8·5% [90% CI -21·4 to 4·5]; p=0·19). A similar pattern emerged in other key safety outcomes, sickle cell related vaso-occlusive events (16·7 [n=11] vs 21·9% [n=14]; difference -5·2% [-17·2 to 6·5]; p=0·42), mean pain severity (3·18 vs 3·32; adjusted mean difference -0·14 [-0·70 to 0·42]; p=0·69), and pain interference (3·15 vs 3·12; 0·04 [-0·62 to 0·69]; p=0·93) at 12 weeks were similar between groups. Regarding the key clinical efficacy endpoints, participants taking riociguat had a blood pressure of -8·20 mm Hg (-10·48 to -5·91) compared with -1·24 (-3·58 to 1·10) in those taking placebo (-6·96 mm Hg (90% CI -10·22 to -3·69; p<0·001). INTERPRETATION: Riociguat was safe and had a significant haemodynamic effect on systemic blood pressure. The results of this study provide measures of effect and variability that will inform power calculations for future trials. FUNDING: Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

HIV-1 amino acid changes among participants with virologic failure: associations with first-line efavirenz or atazanavir plus ritonavir and disease status.

BACKGROUND: Although specific human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) drug resistance mutations are well studied, little is known about cumulative amino acid changes, or how regimen and participant characteristics influence these changes. METHODS: In the AIDS Clinical Trials Group randomized study A5202 of treatment-naive HIV-infected participants, cumulative HIV-1 amino acid changes from pretreatment to virologic failure were evaluated in protease and reverse transcriptase (RT) gene sequences. RESULTS: Among 265 participants with virologic failure, those assigned atazanavir plus ritonavir (ATV/r) did not have significantly more protease changes compared with those assigned efavirenz (EFV) (P ≥ .13). In contrast, participants with virologic failure assigned EFV had more RT changes, including and excluding known resistance codons (P < .001). At pretreatment, lower CD4 cell count, major resistance, more amino acid mixtures (all P < .001), hepatitis C antibody negativity (P = .05), and black race/ethnicity (P = .02) were associated with more HIV-1 amino acid changes. CONCLUSIONS: Virologic failure following EFV-containing treatment was associated with more HIV-1 amino acid changes compared to failure of ATV/r-containing treatment. Furthermore, we show that non-drug resistance mutations occurred more frequently among those failing EFV, the clinical relevance of which warrants further investigation. Pretreatment immunologic status may play a role in viral evolution during treatment, as evidenced by increased amino acid changes among those with lower pretreatment CD4 count. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT00118898.

A pilot trial of adding maraviroc to suppressive antiretroviral therapy for suboptimal CD4⁺ T-cell recovery despite sustained virologic suppression: ACTG A5256.

BACKGROUND: Despite viral suppression, antiretroviral therapy (ART) does not restore CD4(+) T-cell counts in many patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). METHODS: In a single-arm pilot trial involving ART recipients with suppressed plasma levels of HIV-1 RNA for at least 48 weeks and stable suboptimal CD4(+) T-cell recovery, subjects added maraviroc, a CCR5 antagonist, to their existing ART for 24 weeks. After stopping maraviroc, they were followed for an additional 24 weeks. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to evaluate whether maraviroc was associated with an increase of at least 20 cells/µL in the CD4(+) T-cell count. RESULTS: A total of 34 subjects were enrolled. The median age was 50 years, and the median baseline CD4(+) T-cell count was 153 cells/µL. The median increase in CD4(+) T-cell count from baseline to week 22/24 was 12 cells/µL (90% confidence interval, 1-22). A CD4(+) T-cell count increase of at least 20 cells/µL was not detected (P = .97). Markers of immune activation and apoptosis decreased during maraviroc intensification; this decline partially reversed after discontinuing maraviroc. CONCLUSIONS: Adding maraviroc to suppressive ART for 24 weeks was not associated with an increase in CD4(+) T-cell counts of at least 20 cells/µL. Further studies of CCR5 antagonists in the dampening of immune activation associated with HIV infection are warranted. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT 00709111.

Design, rationale, and baseline characteristics of a randomized controlled trial evaluating a mobile relational agent to enhance atrial fibrillation self-care.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a chronic cardiovascular disease that frequently causes disruptive symptoms, adverse outcomes, and poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We have developed a mobile health application for individuals with AF which provides a longitudinal, patient-centered program to improve self-care. The defining feature of the application is the use of a relational agent, which uses synthetic speech accompanied by animation to provide health education, empathic counseling, and monitoring. In the present manuscript we present the design, rationale, and baseline characteristics of participants enrolled in "A Mobile Relational Agent to Enhance Atrial Fibrillation Self-Care Trial," a randomized trial testing the effectiveness the application for urban-dwelling individuals with AF being treated with oral anticoagulation for prevention of thromboembolic ischemic stroke. This is a single-center, parallel-arm randomized trial that assigned patients to the novel application (relational agent) versus a control intervention (WebMD). This ongoing RCT aims to determine the effect of the mobile health application on: (1) anticoagulation adherence; (2) patient-centered outcomes (quality of life and symptoms); and (3) health care utilization. The primary outcome, anticoagulation adherence, will be measured using the proportion of days covered (PDC). The study completed enrollment on April 1, 2022 (final enrollment n = 243 participants) with expected completion date of April 2023. (http://clinicaltrials.gov registration NCT04075994).

Mid-pregnancy sleep disturbances are not associated with mid-pregnancy maternal glycemia.

Background: In pregnancy, epidemiological data have consistently shown strong associations between sleep quality and duration and maternal glycemia. However, other sleep disturbances such as difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep are common in pregnancy. They may contribute to impaired maternal glycemia through sympathetic nervous system activity, systemic inflammation, and hormonal pathways. However, there is little research examining associations between these specific sleep disturbances and maternal glycemia. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the associations of sleep disturbances during mid-pregnancy and mid-pregnancy maternal glycemia and gestational diabetes subtypes. Study Design: This is a secondary data analysis of the Comparison of Two Screening Strategies for Gestational Diabetes trial. Participants (n = 828) self-reported the frequency of sleep disturbances (i.e., trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, waking several times per night, and waking feeling tired or worn out) in mid-pregnancy. Gestational diabetes was diagnosed using either the International Associations of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups or Carpenter-Coustan approach. We defined gestational diabetes subtypes based on the degree of insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction. We used multinomial logistic regression to examine associations of sleep disturbances with gestational diabetes status (i.e., normal, mild glycemic dysfunction, and gestational diabetes) and gestational diabetes subtypes (i.e., neither insulin resistance or beta-cell dysfunction, insulin resistance only, beta-cell dysfunction only, and insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction). Results: A total of 665 participants (80%) had normal glycemia, 81 (10%) mild hyperglycemia, and 80 (10%) had gestational diabetes. Among participants with gestational diabetes, 62 (78%) had both insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction, 15 (19 %) had insulin resistance only, and 3 had beta-cell dysfunction only or neither insulin resistance nor beta-cell dysfunction. Sleep disturbance frequency was not associated with maternal glycemia or gestational diabetes subtypes. Conclusions: Sleep disturbances in mid-pregnancy were not associated with maternal glycemia during mid-pregnancy. Future research should collect data on sleep disturbances at multiple time points in pregnancy and in combination with other sleep disturbances to determine whether sleep plays any role in maternal glycemic control.

Association of Longitudinal Urinary Metabolic Biomarkers With ADPKD Severity and Response to Metformin in TAME-PKD Clinical Trial Participants.

Introduction: Dysregulated cellular metabolism contributes to autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) pathogenesis. The Trial of Administration of Metformin in Polycystic Kidney Disease (TAME-PKD) tested the effects of metformin treatment over 2 years in adult ADPKD patients with mild-moderate disease severity. Metformin was found to be safe and tolerable with an insignificant trend toward reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline compared to placebo. Here we tested whether targeted urinary metabolic biomarkers measured in TAME-PKD participants correlated with disease progression, severity, and metformin treatment in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Methods: Concentrations of total protein, targeted metabolites (lactate, pyruvate, and succinate), and glycolytic enzymes (pyruvate kinase-M2, lactate dehydrogenase-A, and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-1) were measured and normalized by creatinine or osmolality in urine specimens and compared with height-adjusted total kidney volume (htTKV) and eGFR at the different study timepoints. Results: In cross-sectional analyses utilizing placebo group data, urinary succinate normalized by creatinine negatively correlated with ln (htTKV), whereas protein excretion strongly positively correlated with ln (htTKV), and negatively correlated with eGFR. Significant time-varying negative associations occurred with eGFR and the lactate/pyruvate ratio and with urine protein normalized by osmolality, indicating correlations of these biomarkers with disease progression. In secondary analyses, urinary pyruvate normalized by osmolality was preserved in metformin-treated participants but declined in placebo over the 2-year study period with a significant between-arm difference, suggesting time-dependent urinary pyruvate changes may serve as a discriminator for metformin treatment effects in this study population. Conclusion: Proteinuria with enhanced glycolytic and reduced oxidative metabolic markers generally correlated with disease severity and risk of progression in the TAME-PKD study population.

Pre-existing minority drug-resistant HIV-1 variants, adherence, and risk of antiretroviral treatment failure.

BACKGROUND: The clinical relevance of detecting minority drug-resistant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) variants is uncertain. METHODS: To determine the effect of pre-existing minority nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-resistant variants on the risk of virologic failure, we reanalyzed a case-cohort substudy of efavirenz recipients in AIDS Clinical Trials Group protocol A5095. Minority K103N or Y181C populations were determined by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction in subjects without NNRTI resistance by population sequencing. Weighted Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for recent treatment adherence estimated the relative risk of virologic failure in the presence of NNRTI-resistant minority variants. RESULTS: The evaluable case-cohort sample included 195 subjects from the randomly selected subcohort (51 with virologic failure, 144 without virologic failure), plus 127 of the remaining subjects who experienced virologic failure. Presence of minority K103N or Y181C mutations, or both, was detected in 8 (4.4%), 54 (29.5%), and 11 (6%), respectively, of 183 evaluable subjects in the random subcohort. Detection of minority Y181C mutants was associated with an increased risk of virologic failure in the setting of recent treatment adherence (hazard ratio, 3.45 [95% confidence interval, 1.90-6.26]) but not in nonadherent subjects (hazard ratio, 1.39 [95% confidence interval, 0.58-3.29]). Of note, 70% of subjects with minority Y181C variants achieved long-term viral suppression. CONCLUSIONS: In adherent patients, pre-existing minority Y181C mutants more than tripled the risk of virologic failure of first-line efavirenz-based antiretroviral therapy. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT00013520.

HIV-specific T cell responses reflect substantive in vivo interactions with antigen despite long-term therapy.

Antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) abrogate HIV replication; however, infection persists as long-lived reservoirs of infected cells with integrated proviruses, which reseed replication if ART is interrupted. A central tenet of our current understanding of this persistence is that infected cells are shielded from immune recognition and elimination through a lack of antigen expression from proviruses. Efforts to cure HIV infection have therefore focused on reactivating latent proviruses to enable immune-mediated clearance, but these have yet to succeed in reducing viral reservoirs. Here, we revisited the question of whether HIV reservoirs are predominately immunologically silent from a new angle: by querying the dynamics of HIV-specific T cell responses over long-term ART for evidence of ongoing recognition of HIV-infected cells. In longitudinal assessments, we show that the rates of change in persisting HIV Nef-specific responses, but not responses to other HIV gene products, were associated with residual frequencies of infected cells. These Nef-specific responses were highly stable over time and disproportionately exhibited a cytotoxic, effector functional profile, indicative of recent in vivo recognition of HIV antigens. These results indicate substantial visibility of the HIV-infected cells to T cells on stable ART, presenting both opportunities and challenges for the development of therapeutic approaches to curing infection.

T cells with high PD-1 expression are associated with lower HIV-specific immune responses despite long-term antiretroviral therapy.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated frequencies of T cells with high PD-1 expression (PD-1) before and after long-term effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), and determined if frequencies on-ART correlated positively with measures of HIV persistence and negatively with HIV-specific responses. METHODS: We enrolled individuals who started ART during chronic infection and had durable suppression of viremia for at least 4 years (N = 99). We assessed PD-1 T-cell frequencies at timepoints pre-ART and on-ART using flow cytometry, and evaluated how frequencies on-ART are associated with measures of HIV persistence, HIV-specific immune responses, and immune activation levels. RESULTS: Pre-ART, PD-1 CD4 T cells correlated positively with viremia and negatively with CD4 T-cell count. At year 1 on-ART, %PD-1 CD4 T cells decreased but then remained stable at 4 and 6-15 years on-ART, whereas %PD-1 CD8 T cells on-ART remained similar to pre-ART. PD-1 CD4 T cells correlated positively with HIV DNA pre-ART and on-ART, and with CD4 T-cell activation on-ART. PD-1 CD4 T cells negatively correlated with HIV Gag-specific and Env-specific T-cell responses but not with CMV-specific or EBV-specific responses. PD-1 CD8 T cells trended towards a negative correlation with responses to Gag and Env, but not to CMV and EBV. CONCLUSION: PD-1 T cells persist in blood despite prolonged suppression on ART, correlate with HIV DNA levels, and are associated with lower HIV-specific T-cell responses but not CMV-specific or EBV-specific responses, suggesting that these cells are HIV-specific. The findings support evaluating PD-1 blockade strategies for their effect on HIV persistence and HIV-specific immunity.