Broadly neutralizing antibody treatment maintained HIV suppression in children with favorable reservoir characteristics in Botswana.

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) may provide an alternative to standard antiretroviral treatment (ART) for controlling HIV-1 replication and may have immunotherapeutic effects against HIV-1 reservoirs. We conducted a prospective clinical trial with two HIV-1 bNAbs (VRC01LS and 10-1074) in children (n = 25) who had previously initiated small-molecule ART treatment before 7 days of age and who continued treatment for at least 96 weeks. Both bNAbs were dosed intravenously every 4 weeks, overlapping with ART for at least 8 weeks and then continued for up to 24 weeks or until detectable viremia of HIV-1 RNA rose above 400 copies per milliliter in the absence of ART. Eleven (44%) children maintained HIV-1 RNA below 400 copies per milliliter through 24 weeks of bNAb-only treatment; 14 (56%) had detectable viremia above 400 copies per milliliter at a median of 4 weeks. Archived HIV-1 provirus susceptible to 10-1074, lower birth HIV-1 DNA reservoir in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, sustained viral suppression throughout early life, and combined negative qualitative HIV-1 DNA polymerase chain reaction and negative HIV-1 serology at entry were associated with maintaining suppression on bNAbs alone. This proof-of-concept study suggests that bNAbs may represent a promising treatment modality for infants and children living with HIV-1. Future studies using newer bNAb combinations with greater breadth and potency are warranted.

HIV risk among a sample of Mexican and Puerto Rican men and women.

HIV/AIDS has disproportionately affected the Hispanic communities in the United States. Consequently, Hispanic communities at risk for HIV infection should be considered a high priority for prevention and education efforts. Although such efforts ideally consider variations across subpopulations, including differences in high-risk behaviors and routes of transmission by national origin, gender, and acculturation levels, relatively few studies of risk behavior have considered such differences. This paper reports on an interview-based study of HIV knowledge, risk behavior, and protective behaviors among a sample of 143 men and women of Mexican ethnicity in San Diego County, California and 189 men and women of Puerto Rican ethnicity in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The authors' findings indicate that individuals who have been in the United States for longer periods of time and who are younger in age are at increased risk of HIV infection. Increased perceived risk may also be predictive of increased actual risk.

Antibody responses to hepatitis A virus vaccine in HIV-infected children with evidence of immunologic reconstitution while receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients have weak responses to vaccines and may require revised immunization regimens. We investigated the safety and immunogenicity of 2 doses of hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccine followed by a booster dose in HIV-infected children receiving stable highly active antiretroviral therapy. METHODS: A total of 235 children with CD4+ T cell percentages > or = 20% received 2 vaccine doses 24 weeks apart, and 117 received a third vaccine dose after 104 weeks. Anti-HAV antibody titers were measured at baseline and at 32, 104, and 112 weeks after the first vaccination. Subjects with antibody titers > or = 20 mIU/mL were defined as being seropositive. High and low antibody responses were defined as titers > or = 250 and <250 mIU/mL, respectively. RESULTS: Of 151 subjects who were HAV seronegative at baseline, 97% seroconverted after 2 vaccine doses, and 47% had low antibody responses. At 104 weeks, 90% of subjects had antibody titers > or = 20 mIU/mL, and those with low antibody responses were more likely to lose protective antibody titers. A third vaccine dose generated significantly higher antibody titers than those observed after the second vaccine dose. Undetectable HIV RNA at baseline was associated with higher anti-HAV antibody titers after the second vaccine dose. Antibody titers after the second and third vaccine doses were weakly correlated with CD4+ T cell percentages at the time when each vaccine dose was administered. In the 45 subjects who were HAV seropositive at baseline, responses to 2 and 3 vaccine doses were higher than those in subjects who were HAV seronegative at baseline, but the responses showed similar correlations. There were no serious adverse events associated with the vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-infected children with CD4+ T cell percentages > or = 20% responded better to the HAV vaccine if they had undetectable HIV RNA. The standard 2-dose immunization regimen generated low antibody titers with limited persistence. A third vaccine dose was safe and increased the antibody titers, suggesting that an increase in immunizations may be warranted in this population.

Welfare and immigration reform and use of prenatal care among women of Mexican ethnicity in San Diego, California.

Foreign-born women and, in particular, Hispanic foreign-born women, are less likely to have insurance, are less likely to have insurance that covers prenatal care, and are less likely to utilize prenatal care compared with US-born Hispanic women. Significant concern has been raised regarding the ability of immigrant women to access prenatal care services because of severe restrictions imposed on immigrants' eligibility for Medicaid-funded services following the passage in 1996 of the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reform Act (PRWORA) and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA). We conducted an interview-based study of prenatal care utilization with women of Mexican ethnicity and diverse immigration statuses in San Diego County, California. Our findings indicate that, despite increased levels of fear associated with recent immigration and with undocumented status, there were no statistically significant differences across immigration statuses in length of time to receipt of medical care for gynecological events and for prenatal care.

HIV knowledge among a sample of Puerto Rican and Mexican men and women.

This study assessed levels of HIV knowledge and identified factors associated with HIV knowledge among a sample of heterosexual Puerto Rican and Mexican men and women, ages 18 to 45. The sample consisted of 144 men and women living in San Diego County, California, who self-identified as being of Mexican ethnicity and 209 men and women living in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, who self-identified as Puerto Rican. Interviews were conducted by trained, bilingual interviewers. Data were collected on demographic variables, attitudes towards decision-making in relationships, and HIV knowledge and risk behaviors. Puerto Rican individuals were significantly more likely than Mexican individuals to respond correctly to almost one-half of the 12 HIV knowledge items. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that higher levels of education, greater U.S. acculturation, legal status and birth in the United States, a self-focused locus of control in relationships, and being male were predictors of higher knowledge.

Locus of control and HIV risk among a sample of Mexican and Puerto Rican women.

The disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on Hispanic women in the United States has been variously attributed to a failure to utilize protective measures due to low levels of HIV knowledge, a denial or minimization of risk, and conflicts with cultural norms. It has been hypothesized that women's relative lack of power in relationships may be associated with higher risk sexual behavior. We examined the relationship between higher risk sexual behavior and perceived locus of control in sexual relationships among a sample of Puerto Rican and Mexican women. We interviewed 71 women of self-reported Mexican ethnicity in San Diego, California, and 79 women of self-reported Puerto Rican ethnicity in Cleveland, Ohio, to examine the relationship between HIV risk, HIV knowledge, and locus of control. Univariate logistic regression indicates that among Puerto Rican women, the perception that locus of control in a sexual relationship resides in the male partner was significantly associated with increased HIV risk, while younger age was significantly associated with increased risk among Mexican women only. In a combined sample of both Puerto Rican and Mexican women, multiple logistic regression analysis indicates that younger age, increased length of residence in the United States, and an other-focused locus of control are significantly associated with increased HIV risk. Women who have been in the United States for relatively longer periods of time may be more likely to integrate U.S. sexual norms into their own behavior and may, as a consequence, be at higher risk of HIV infection. Increased HIV prevention efforts must be made available to Mexican and Puerto Rican women born outside of the United States. These prevention efforts must necessarily focus not only on HIV prevention strategies, but also on the dynamics within male-female intimate relations. Increased attention to younger Puerto Rican and Mexican women is also needed.