Interleukin 6 Blockade With Tocilizumab Diminishes Indices of Inflammation That Are Linked to Mortality in Treated Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection.

BACKGROUND: People with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) are at increased risk for comorbidities, and plasma interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels are among the most robust predictors of these outcomes. Tocilizumab (TCZ) blocks the receptor for IL-6, inhibiting functions of this cytokine. METHODS: This was a 40-week, placebo-controlled, crossover trial (NCT02049437) where PWH on stable antiretroviral therapy (ART) were randomized to receive 3 monthly doses of TCZ or matching placebo intravenously. Following a 10-week treatment period and a 12-week washout, participants were switched to the opposite treatment. The primary endpoints were safety and posttreatment levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and CD4+ T-cell cycling. Secondary endpoints included changes in inflammatory indices and lipid levels. RESULTS: There were 9 treatment-related toxicities of grade 2 or greater during TCZ administration (mostly neutropenia) and 2 during placebo administration. Thirty-one of 34 participants completed the study and were included in a modified intent-to-treat analysis. TCZ reduced levels of CRP (median decrease, 1819.9 ng/mL, P < .0001; effect size, 0.87) and reduced inflammatory markers in PWH, including D-dimer, soluble CD14, and tumor necrosis factor receptors. T-cell cycling tended to decrease in all maturation subsets after TCZ administration, but was only significant among naive CD4 T cells. Lipid levels, including lipid classes that have been related to cardiovascular disease risk, increased during TCZ treatment. CONCLUSIONS: TCZ is safe and decreases inflammation in PWH; IL-6 is a key driver of the inflammatory environment that predicts morbidity and mortality in ART-treated PWH. The clinical significance of lipid elevations during TCZ treatment requires further study. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT02049437.

Markers of T Cell Exhaustion and Senescence and Their Relationship to Plasma TGF-ß Levels in Treated HIV+ Immune Non-responders.

Background: Immune non-responders (INR) are HIV+, ART-controlled (>2 yrs) people who fail to reconstitute their CD4 T cell numbers. Systemic inflammation and markers of T cell senescence and exhaustion are observed in INR. This study aims to investigate T cell senescence and exhaustion and their possible association with soluble immune mediators and to understand the immune profile of HIV-infected INR. Selected participants were <50 years old to control for the confounder of older age. Methods: Plasma levels of IL-6, IP10, sCD14, sCD163, and TGF-ß and markers of T cell exhaustion (PD-1, TIGIT) and senescence (CD57, KLRG-1) were measured in ART-treated, HIV+ participants grouped by CD4 T cell counts (n = 63). Immune parameters were also measured in HIV-uninfected, age distribution-matched controls (HC; n = 30). Associations between T cell markers of exhaustion and senescence and plasma levels of immune mediators were examined by Spearman rank order statistics. Results: Proportions of CD4 T cell subsets expressing markers of exhaustion (PD-1, TIGIT) and senescence (CD57, KLRG-1) were elevated in HIV+ participants. When comparing proportions between INR and IR, INR had higher proportions of CD4 memory PD-1+, EM CD57+, TEM TIGIT+ and CD8 EM and TEM TIGIT+ cells. Plasma levels of IL-6, IP10, and sCD14 were elevated during HIV infection. IP10 was higher in INR. Plasma TGF-ß levels and CD4 cycling proportions of T regulatory cells were lower in INR. Proportions of CD4 T cells expressing TIGIT, PD-1, and CD57 positively correlated with plasma levels of IL-6. Plasma levels of TGF-ß negatively correlated with proportions of TIGIT+ and PD-1+ T cell subsets. Conclusions: INR have lower levels of TGF-ß and decreased proportions of cycling CD4 T regulatory cells and may have difficulty controlling inflammation. IP10 is elevated in INR and is linked to higher proportions of T cell exhaustion and senescence seen in INR.

Effects of oxygen on post-surgical infections during an individualised perioperative open-lung ventilatory strategy: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to examine whether using a high fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) in the context of an individualised intra- and postoperative open-lung ventilation approach could decrease surgical site infection (SSI) in patients scheduled for abdominal surgery. METHODS: We performed a multicentre, randomised controlled clinical trial in a network of 21 university hospitals from June 6, 2017 to July 19, 2018. Patients undergoing abdominal surgery were randomly assigned to receive a high (0.80) or conventional (0.3) FIO2 during the intraoperative period and during the first 3 postoperative hours. All patients were mechanically ventilated with an open-lung strategy, which included recruitment manoeuvres and individualised positive end-expiratory pressure for the best respiratory-system compliance, and individualised continuous postoperative airway pressure for adequate peripheral oxyhaemoglobin saturation. The primary outcome was the prevalence of SSI within the first 7 postoperative days. The secondary outcomes were composites of systemic complications, length of intensive care and hospital stay, and 6-month mortality. RESULTS: We enrolled 740 subjects: 371 in the high FIO2 group and 369 in the low FIO2 group. Data from 717 subjects were available for final analysis. The rate of SSI during the first postoperative week did not differ between high (8.9%) and low (9.4%) FIO2 groups (relative risk [RR]: 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59-1.50; P=0.90]). Secondary outcomes, such as atelectasis (7.7% vs 9.8%; RR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.48-1.25; P=0.38) and myocardial ischaemia (0.6% [n=2] vs 0% [n=0]; P=0.47) did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: An oxygenation strategy using high FIO2 compared with conventional FIO2 did not reduce postoperative SSIs in abdominal surgery. No differences in secondary outcomes or adverse events were found. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02776046.

Changes in Inflammation but Not in T-Cell Activation Precede Non-AIDS-Defining Events in a Case-Control Study of Patients on Long-term Antiretroviral Therapy.

Background: We examined changes in soluble inflammatory cytokines and T-cell activation after antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation in an AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) nested case-control study. Methods: Cases were 143 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected adults who developed a non-AIDS event; 315 controls remained event-free. Specimens were tested pre-ART, year 1 post-ART, and at the visit preceding the event. Conditional logistic regression evaluated the associations of biomarker changes with non-AIDS events. Results: Inflammatory and most activation biomarkers declined from pre-ART to year 1 for cases and controls. Subsequently, inflammatory biomarkers remained mostly stable in controls but not cases. Cellular activation markers generally declined for both cases and controls between year 1 and the pre-event sampling. Controls with greater pre-ART RNA levels or lower CD4+ levels had higher biomarker levels while also experiencing greater biomarker declines in the first year of ART. Changes in biomarkers to year 1 showed no significant associations with non-AIDS events. Cases, however, had significantly greater increases in all plasma biomarkers (but not cellular activation) from year 1 to the visit preceding the event. Conclusions: Inflammation increases prior to non-AIDS events in treated HIV-infected adults. These biomarker changes may reflect subclinical disease processes or other alterations in the inflammatory environment that causally contribute to disease. Clinical Trials Registration: NCT00001137.

Influence of Substance Use Disorders on 2-Year HIV Care Retention in the United States.

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are thought to predict care discontinuity, though magnitude and substance-specific variance of effects are unclear. This report of analytic work undertaken with a multi-regional American cohort of 9153 care enrollees addresses these gaps. Care retention was computed from 24-month post-linkage clinic visit documentation, with SUD cases identified from patient-report screening instruments. Two generalized estimating equations tested binary and hierarchial SUD predictors of retention, and potential effect modification by patient age-group, sex, and care site. Findings demonstrate: (1) detrimental SUD effect, equivalent to a nine percentage-point decrease in retention, with independent effects of age-group and care site; (2) substance-specific effect of marijuana UD associated with lower retention; and (3) age-modification of each effect on care discontinuity, with SUDs serving as a risk factor among 18-29 year-olds and protective factor among 60+ year-olds. Collective findings document patient attributes as influences that place particular subgroups at-risk to discontinue care.

Identifying HIV care enrollees at-risk for cannabis use disorder.

Increased scientific attention given to cannabis in the United States has particular relevance for its domestic HIV care population, given that evidence exists for both cannabis as a therapeutic agent and cannabis use disorder (CUD) as a barrier to antiretroviral medication adherence. It is critical to identify relative risk for CUD among demographic subgroups of HIV patients, as this will inform detection and intervention efforts. A Center For AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems cohort (N = 10,652) of HIV-positive adults linked to care at seven United State sites was examined for this purpose. Based on a patient-report instrument with validated diagnostic threshold for CUD, the prevalence of recent cannabis use and corresponding conditional probabilities for CUD were calculated for the aggregate sample and demographic subgroups. Generalized estimating equations then tested models directly examining patient demographic indices as predictors of CUD, while controlling for history and geography. Conditional probability of CUD among cannabis-using patients was 49%, with the highest conditional probabilities among demographic subgroups of young adults and those with non-specified sexual orientation (67-69%) and the lowest conditional probability among females and those 50+ years of age (42% apiece). Similarly, youthful age and male gender emerged as robust multivariate model predictors of CUD. In the context of increasingly lenient policies for use of cannabis as a therapeutic agent for chronic conditions like HIV/AIDS, current study findings offer needed direction in terms of specifying targeted patient groups in HIV care on whom resources for enhanced surveillance and intervention efforts will be most impactful.

During Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection and HCV-HIV Coinfection, an Elevated Plasma Level of Autotaxin Is Associated With Lysophosphatidic Acid and Markers of Immune Activation That Normalize During Interferon-Free HCV Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Immune activation predicts morbidity during hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, although mechanisms underlying immune activation are unclear. Plasma levels of autotaxin and its enzymatic product, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), are elevated during HCV infection, and LPA activates immunocytes, but whether this contributes to immune activation is unknown. METHODS: We evaluated plasma levels of autotaxin, interleukin 6 (IL-6), soluble CD14 (sCD14), soluble CD163 (sCD163), and Mac2 binding protein (Mac2BP) during HCV infection, HIV infection, and HCV-HIV coinfection, as well as in uninfected controls, before and after HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and during interferon-free HCV therapy. RESULTS: We observed greater plasma autotaxin levels in HCV-infected and HCV-HIV-coinfected participants, compared with uninfected participants, primarily those with a higher ratio of aspartate aminotransferase level to platelet count. Autotaxin levels correlated with IL-6, sCD14, sCD163, Mac2BP, and LPA levels in HCV-infected participants and with Mac2BP levels in HCV-HIV-coinfected participants, while in HIV-infected individuals, sCD14 levels correlated with Mac2BP levels. Autotaxin, LPA, and sCD14 levels normalized, while sCD163 and Mac2BP levels partially normalized within 6 months of starting interferon-free HCV therapy. sCD163 and IL-6 levels normalized within 6 months of starting ART for HIV infection. In vitro, LPA activated monocytes. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that elevated levels of autotaxin and soluble markers of immune activation during HCV infection are partially reversible within 6 months of initiating interferon-free HCV treatment and that autotaxin may be causally linked to immune activation during HCV infection and HCV-HIV coinfection.

IL-15 promotes activation and expansion of CD8+ T cells in HIV-1 infection.

In HIV-1-infected patients, increased numbers of circulating CD8+ T cells are linked to increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Here, we identified a bystander mechanism that promotes CD8 T cell activation and expansion in untreated HIV-1-infected patients. Compared with healthy controls, untreated HIV-1-infected patients have an increased population of proliferating, granzyme B+, CD8+ T cells in circulation. Vß expression and deep sequencing of CDR3 revealed that in untreated HIV-1 infection, cycling memory CD8 T cells possess a broad T cell repertoire that reflects the repertoire of the resting population. This suggests that cycling is driven by bystander activation, rather than specific antigen exposure. Treatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with IL-15 induced a cycling, granzyme B+ phenotype in CD8+ T cells. Moreover, elevated IL-15 expression in the lymph nodes of untreated HIV-1-infected patients correlated with circulating CD8+ T cell counts and was normalized in these patients following antiretroviral therapy. Together, these results suggest that IL-15 drives bystander activation of CD8+ T cells, which predicts disease progression in untreated HIV-1-infected patients and suggests that elevated IL-15 may also drive CD8+ T cell expansion that is linked to increased morbidity and mortality in treated patients.

Identification of occult Fusobacterium nucleatum central nervous system infection by use of PCR-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Anaerobic bacteria are often difficult to detect, especially after the initiation of antibiotics. We describe the application of PCR-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS) using a sample of cerebrospinal fluid to identify an anaerobic Gram-negative bacillus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, in a patient with "culture-negative" meningitis and cerebral abscesses.

Soluble markers of inflammation and coagulation but not T-cell activation predict non-AIDS-defining morbid events during suppressive antiretroviral treatment.

BACKGROUND: Defining the association of non-AIDS-defining events with inflammation and immune activation among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons with antiretroviral therapy (ART)-associated virological suppression is critical to identifying interventions to decrease the occurrence of these events. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study of HIV-infected subjects who had achieved virological suppression within 1 year after ART initiation. Cases were patients who experienced non-AIDS-defining events, defined as myocardial infarction, stroke, non-AIDS-defining cancer, non-AIDS-defining serious bacterial infection, or death. Controls were matched to cases on the basis of age, sex, pre-ART CD4(+) T-cell count, and ART regimen. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma specimens obtained at the visit before ART initiation (hereafter, baseline), the visit approximately 1 year after ART initiation (hereafter, year 1), and the visit immediately preceding the non-AIDS-defining event (hereafter, pre-event) were analyzed for activated CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, plasma interleukin 6 (IL-6) level, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I (sTNFR-I) level, sTNFR-II level, soluble CD14 level, kynurenine-to-tryptophan (KT) ratio, and D-dimer level. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to study the association between biomarkers and outcomes, with adjustment for potential confounders. RESULTS: Higher IL-6 level, sTNFR-I level, sTNFR-II level, KT ratio, and D-dimer level at year 1 were associated with the occurrence of a non-AIDS-defining event. Significant associations were also seen between non-AIDS-defining events and values of these biomarkers in specimens obtained at baseline and the pre-event time points. Effects remained significant after control for confounders. T-cell activation was not significantly related to outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Interventional trials to decrease the incidence of non-AIDS-defining events among HIV-infected persons with virological suppression should consider targeting the pathways represented by these soluble markers. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT00001137.

Gut epithelial barrier dysfunction and innate immune activation predict mortality in treated HIV infection.

BACKGROUND: While inflammation predicts mortality in treated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, the prognostic significance of gut barrier dysfunction and phenotypic T-cell markers remains unclear. METHODS: We assessed immunologic predictors of mortality in a case-control study within the Longitudinal Study of the Ocular Complications of AIDS (LSOCA), using conditional logistic regression. Sixty-four case patients who died within 12 months of treatment-mediated viral suppression were each matched to 2 control individuals (total number of controls, 128) by duration of antiretroviral therapy-mediated viral suppression, nadir CD4(+) T-cell count, age, sex, and prior cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis. A similar secondary analysis was conducted in the SCOPE cohort, which had participants with less advanced immunodeficiency. RESULTS: Plasma gut epithelial barrier integrity markers (intestinal fatty acid binding protein and zonulin-1 levels), soluble CD14 level, kynurenine/tryptophan ratio, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 level, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level, and D-dimer level all strongly predicted mortality, even after adjustment for proximal CD4(+) T-cell count (all P ≤ .001). A higher percentage of CD38(+)HLA-DR(+) cells in the CD8(+) T-cell population was a predictor of mortality before (P = .031) but not after (P = .10) adjustment for proximal CD4(+) T-cell count. Frequencies of senescent (defined as CD28(-)CD57(+) cells), exhausted (defined as PD1(+) cells), naive, and CMV-specific T cells did not predict mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Gut epithelial barrier dysfunction, innate immune activation, inflammation, and coagulation-but not T-cell activation, senescence, and exhaustion-independently predict mortality in individuals with treated HIV infection with a history of AIDS and are viable targets for interventions.

Lymphoma immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in the center for AIDS research network of integrated clinical systems cohort.

BACKGROUND: Lymphoma incidence is increased among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals soon after antiretroviral therapy (ART), perhaps due to unmasking immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). Clinical characteristics and survival for unmasking lymphoma IRIS have not been described. METHODS: We studied lymphoma patients in the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS) from 1996 until 2011. Unmasking lymphoma IRIS was defined as lymphoma within 6 months after ART accompanied by a ≥ 0.5 log10 copies/mL HIV RNA reduction. Differences in presentation and survival were examined between IRIS and non-IRIS cases. RESULTS: Of 482 lymphoma patients, 56 (12%) met criteria for unmasking lymphoma IRIS. Of these, 12 (21%) had Hodgkin lymphoma, 22 (39%) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, 5 (9%) Burkitt lymphoma, 10 (18%) primary central nervous system lymphoma, and 7 (13%) other non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Median CD4 cell count at lymphoma diagnosis among IRIS cases was 173 cells/µL (interquartile range, 73-302), and 48% had suppressed HIV RNA <400 copies/mL. IRIS cases were similar overall to non-IRIS cases in histologic distribution and clinical characteristics, excepting more frequent hepatitis B and C (30% vs 19%, P = .05), and lower HIV RNA at lymphoma diagnosis resulting from the IRIS case definition. Overall survival at 5 years was similar between IRIS (49%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 37%-64%) and non-IRIS (44%; 95% CI, 39%-50%), although increased early mortality was suggested among IRIS cases. CONCLUSIONS: In a large HIV-associated lymphoma cohort, 12% of patients met a uniformly applied unmasking lymphoma IRIS case definition. Detailed studies of lymphoma IRIS might identify immunologic mechanisms of lymphoma control.

Inflammatory cytokines drive CD4+ T-cell cycling and impaired responsiveness to interleukin 7: implications for immune failure in HIV disease.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation has been linked to a failure to normalize CD4(+) T-cell numbers in treated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Although inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 6 (IL-6) are predictors of disease progression in treated HIV infection, it is not clear how or whether inflammatory mediators contribute to immune restoration failure. METHODS: We examined the in vitro effects of IL-6 and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) on peripheral blood T-cell cycling and CD127 surface expression. RESULTS: The proinflammatory cytokine IL-1ß induces cell cycling and turnover of memory CD4(+) T cells, and IL-6 can induce low-level cycling of naive T cells. Both IL-1ß and IL-6 can decrease T-cell surface expression and RNA levels of CD127, the interleukin 7 receptor α chain (IL-7Rα). Preexposure of healthy peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to IL-6 or IL-1ß attenuates IL-7-induced Stat5 phosphorylation and induction of the prosurvival factor Bcl-2 and the gut homing integrin α4ß7. We found elevated expression of IL-1ß in the lymphoid tissues of patients with HIV infection that did not normalize with antiretroviral therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Induction of CD4(+) T-cell turnover and diminished T-cell responsiveness to IL-7 by IL-1ß and IL-6 exposure may contribute to the lack of CD4(+) T-cell reconstitution in treated HIV-infected subjects.

HIV viremia and incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in patients successfully treated with antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients remains high despite treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART). METHODS: We evaluated NHL incidence in HIV-infected patients followed in the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems who started combination ART and achieved suppression of HIV. We estimated the hazard ratio for NHL by time-varying HIV viremia categories, accounting for time-varying CD4 cell count using marginal structural models. RESULTS: We observed 37 incident NHL diagnoses during 21 607 person-years of follow-up in 6036 patients (incidence rate, 171 per 100 000 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI], 124-236). NHL incidence was high even among patients with nadir CD4 cell count >200 cells/µL (140 per 100 000 person-years [95% CI, 80-247]). Compared with ≤50 copies/mL, hazard ratios (HRs) for NHL were higher among those with HIV viremia of 51-500 copies/mL (HR current = 1.66 [95% CI, .70-3.94]; HR 3-month lagged = 2.10 [95% CI, .84-5.22]; and HR 6-month lagged = 1.46 [95% CI, .60-3.60]) and >500 copies/mL (HR current = 2.39 [95% CI, .92-6.21]; HR 3-month lagged = 3.56 [95% CI, 1.21-10.49]; and HR 6-month lagged = 2.50 [95% CI, .91-6.84]). Current HIV RNA as a continuous variable was also associated with NHL (HR = 1.42 per log10 copies/mL [95% CI, 1.05-1.92]). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate a high incidence of NHL among HIV-infected patients on ART and suggest a role of HIV viremia in the pathogenesis of NHL. Earlier initiation of potent ART and maximal continuous suppression of HIV viremia may further reduce NHL risk.

Temporal trends in presentation and survival for HIV-associated lymphoma in the antiretroviral therapy era.

BACKGROUND: Lymphoma is the leading cause of cancer-related death among HIV-infected patients in the antiretroviral therapy (ART) era. METHODS: We studied lymphoma patients in the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems from 1996 until 2010. We examined differences stratified by histology and diagnosis year. Mortality and predictors of death were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards. RESULTS: Of 23 050 HIV-infected individuals, 476 (2.1%) developed lymphoma (79 [16.6%] Hodgkin lymphoma [HL]; 201 [42.2%] diffuse large B-cell lymphoma [DLBCL]; 56 [11.8%] Burkitt lymphoma [BL]; 54 [11.3%] primary central nervous system lymphoma [PCNSL]; and 86 [18.1%] other non-Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL]). At diagnosis, HL patients had higher CD4 counts and lower HIV RNA than NHL patients. PCNSL patients had the lowest and BL patients had the highest CD4 counts among NHL categories. During the study period, CD4 count at lymphoma diagnosis progressively increased and HIV RNA decreased. Five-year survival was 61.6% for HL, 50.0% for BL, 44.1% for DLBCL, 43.3% for other NHL, and 22.8% for PCNSL. Mortality was associated with age (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 1.28 per decade increase, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06 to 1.54), lymphoma occurrence on ART (AHR = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.53 to 3.20), CD4 count (AHR = 0.81 per 100 cell/µL increase, 95% CI = 0.72 to 0.90), HIV RNA (AHR = 1.13 per log10copies/mL, 95% CI = 1.00 to 1.27), and histology but not earlier diagnosis year. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-associated lymphoma is heterogeneous and changing, with less immunosuppression and greater HIV control at diagnosis. Stable survival and increased mortality for lymphoma occurring on ART call for greater biologic insights to improve outcomes.

Incidence and timing of cancer in HIV-infected individuals following initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but patterns of cancer incidence after combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation remain poorly characterized. METHODS: We evaluated the incidence and timing of cancer diagnoses among patients initiating ART between 1996 and 2011 in a collaboration of 8 US clinical HIV cohorts. Poisson regression was used to estimate incidence rates. Cox regression was used to identify demographic and clinical characteristics associated with cancer incidence after ART initiation. RESULTS: At initiation of first combination ART among 11 485 patients, median year was 2004 (interquartile range [IQR], 2000-2007) and median CD4 count was 202 cells/mm(3) (IQR, 61-338). Incidence rates for Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and lymphomas were highest in the first 6 months after ART initiation (P < .001) and plateaued thereafter, while incidence rates for all other cancers combined increased from 416 to 615 cases per 100 000 person-years from 1 to 10 years after ART initiation (average 7% increase per year; 95% confidence interval, 2%-13%). Lower CD4 count at ART initiation was associated with greater risk of KS, lymphoma, and human papillomavirus-related cancer. Calendar year of ART initiation was not associated with cancer incidence. CONCLUSIONS: KS and lymphoma rates were highest immediately following ART initiation, particularly among patients with low CD4 cell counts, whereas other cancers increased with time on ART, likely reflecting increased cancer risk with aging. Our results underscore recommendations for earlier HIV diagnosis followed by prompt ART initiation along with ongoing aggressive cancer screening and prevention efforts throughout the course of HIV care.

Association of early HIV viremia with mortality after HIV-associated lymphoma.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between early HIV viremia and mortality after HIV-associated lymphoma. DESIGN: Multicenter observational cohort study. SETTING: Center for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems cohort. PARTICIPANTS: HIV-infected patients with lymphoma diagnosed between 1996 and 2011, who were alive 6 months after lymphoma diagnosis and with at least two HIV RNA values during the 6 months after lymphoma diagnosis. EXPOSURE: Cumulative HIV viremia during the 6 months after lymphoma diagnosis, expressed as viremia copy-6-months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: All-cause mortality between 6 months and 5 years after lymphoma diagnosis. RESULTS: Of 224 included patients, 183 (82%) had non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and 41 (18%) had Hodgkin lymphoma. At lymphoma diagnosis, 105 (47%) patients were on antiretroviral therapy (ART), median CD4⁺ cell count was 148 cells/µl (interquartile range 54-322), and 33% had suppressed HIV RNA (<400 copies/ml). In adjusted analyses, mortality was associated with older age [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) 1.37 per decade increase, 95% CI 1.03-1.83], lymphoma occurrence on ART (AHR 1.63, 95% CI 1.02-2.63), lower CD4⁺ cell count (AHR 0.75 per 100 cells/µl increase, 95% CI 0.64-0.89), and higher early cumulative viremia (AHR 1.35 per log10 copies × 6-months/ml, 95% CI 1.11-1.65). The detrimental effect of early cumulative viremia was consistent across patient groups defined by ART status, CD4⁺ cell count, and histology. CONCLUSION: Exposure to each additional 1-unit log10 in HIV RNA throughout the 6 months after lymphoma diagnosis was associated with a 35% increase in subsequent mortality. These results suggest that early and effective ART during chemotherapy may improve survival.

High levels of antiretroviral use and viral suppression among persons in HIV care in the United States, 2010.

BACKGROUND: Contemporary data on patterns of antiretroviral therapy (ART) use in the United States are needed to inform efforts to improve the HIV care cascade. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients in the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems cohort who were in HIV care in 2010 to assess ART use and outcomes, stratified by nadir CD4 count (≤350, 351-500, or >500 cells/mm), demographics, psychiatric diagnoses, substance use, and engagement in continuous care (≥2 visits ≥3 months apart in 2010). RESULTS: Of 8633 patients at 7 sites who had ≥1 medical visit and ≥1 viral load in 2010, 94% had ever initiated ART, 89% were on ART, and 70% had an undetectable viral load at the end of 2010. Fifty percent of ART-naive patients had nadir CD4 counts >500 cells per cubic millimeter, but this group comprised just 3% of the total population. Among patients who were ART naive at the time of cohort entry (N = 4637), both ART initiation and viral suppression were strongly associated with nadir CD4 count. Comparing 2009 and 2010, the percentages of patients with viral suppression among those with nadir CD4 counts 351-500 and >500 cells per cubic millimeter were 44% vs. 57% and 25% vs. 33%, respectively. Engagement in care was the only factor consistently associated with ART use and viral suppression across nadir CD4 count strata. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that ART use and viral suppression among persons in HIV care may be more common than estimated in some previous studies and increased from 2009 to 2010.

Impaired T-cell responses to sphingosine-1-phosphate in HIV-1 infected lymph nodes.

The determinants of HIV-1-associated lymphadenopathy are poorly understood. We hypothesized that lymphocytes could be sequestered in the HIV-1+ lymph node (LN) through impairments in sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) responsiveness. To test this hypothesis, we developed novel assays for S1P-induced Akt phosphorylation and actin polymerization. In the HIV-1+ LN, naïve CD4 T cells and central memory CD4 and CD8 T cells had impaired Akt phosphorylation in response to S1P, whereas actin polymerization responses to S1P were impaired dramatically in all LN maturation subsets. These defects were improved with antiretroviral therapy. LN T cells expressing CD69 were unable to respond to S1P in either assay, yet impaired S1P responses were also seen in HIV-1+ LN T cells lacking CD69 expression. Microbial elements, HIV-1, and interferon α - putative drivers of HIV-1 associated immune activation all tended to increase CD69 expression and reduce T-cell responses to S1P in vitro. Impairment in T-cell egress from lymph nodes through decreased S1P responsiveness may contribute to HIV-1-associated LN enlargement and to immune dysregulation in a key organ of immune homeostasis.