Gaps in HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Continuum of Care Following State Partner Services for Massachusetts Primary and Secondary Syphilis Cases, 2017 to 2018.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) reduces HIV acquisition. We used a PrEP continuum of care to measure impact of field epidemiologist-facilitated referrals for PrEP-naive infectious syphilis cases across multiple clinical and pharmacy sites of care. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 2017 to 2018 primary and secondary syphilis cases, medical charts, and pharmacy data to identify PrEP education, referral offer, referral acceptance, first visit, prescription pickup (PrEP initiation) and 2 to 3 months (PrEP persistence). The HIV seroconversion was determined using database match at syphilis diagnosis date and at 12 months. χ 2 or Fisher's exact tests were used to compare demographic characteristics associated with steps with lower progression rates. RESULTS: Of 1077 syphilis cases, partner services engaged 662 of 787 (84%) HIV-negative cases; 490 were PrEP-naive, 266 received education, 166 were offered referral, 67 accepted referral, 30 attended an initial appointment, and 22 were prescribed PrEP. Of 16 with pharmacy data, 14 obtained medication, and 8 persisted on PrEP at 2 to 3 months. Continuum progression was lowest from (1) PrEP-naïve to receiving PrEP education, (2) offered referral to referral acceptance, and (3) referral acceptance to initial PrEP appointment. Men with male partners were more likely to receive PrEP education or accept a referral. Higher social vulnerability was associated with increased PrEP referral acceptance. CONCLUSIONS: Few individuals accepted PrEP referrals and persisted on PrEP. Field and clinic data capture were inconsistent, possibly underestimating referral volume and impact of field engagement. Efforts aimed at increasing referral acceptance and clinic attendance may improve PrEP uptake especially among women and heterosexual men with syphilis.

Characteristics of Cases With Repeated Sexually Transmitted Infections, Massachusetts, 2014-2016.

Background: Persons with prior sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are at high risk for reinfection. No recent studies have examined frequency with which persons are diagnosed and reported with multiple bacterial STIs over time. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, of confirmed syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydial infections reported to Massachusetts state surveillance system within a 2-year period, 28 July 2014-27 July 2016. Results: Among Massachusetts population aged 13-65 years (4847510), 49142 (1.0%) were reported with ≥1 STIs; 6999 (14.2% of those with ≥1 STI) had ≥2 STIs, accounting for 27.7% of STIs. Of cases with ≥5 or more STIs (high-volume repeaters), 118 (74%) were men and 42 (26%) were women. Men spanned the age spectrum and were predominantly non-Hispanic white; 87% reported same-sex contacts. Women were younger, predominantly nonwhite, and without known same-sex contacts. Women were reinfected with gonorrhea and chlamydia or chlamydia alone; none had syphilis or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. All men with syphilis also had gonorrhea and/or chlamydia; 35% were diagnosed with HIV before, during, or within 10 months after study period. The majority (56%) of high-volume repeaters were seen at more than 1 care site/system. Conclusions: In Massachusetts, a large proportion of bacterial STIs are reported from a small subpopulation, many of whom have repeated infections and are likely to have higher impact on STI and HIV rates. Public health can play a crucial role in reaching high-volume repeaters whose STI histories may be hidden from clinicians due to fragmented care.

Does Nonmetropolitan Residence Impact Timely Chlamydia Treatment in Massachusetts?

A mean of 4.5 days until treatment was documented in a subset of reported laboratory-confirmed Massachusetts chlamydia cases selected for active case report form completion. Treatment delay was associated with longer test result turnaround time, and absence of symptoms or contact to sexually transmitted disease. Nonmetropolitan versus metropolitan residence did not appear to impact treatment time.

HIV-1 viral escape in infancy followed by emergence of a variant-specific CTL response.

Mutational escape from the CTL response represents a major driving force for viral diversification in HIV-1-infected adults, but escape during infancy has not been described previously. We studied the immune response of perinatally infected children to an epitope (B57-TW10) that is targeted early during acute HIV-1 infection in adults expressing HLA-B57 and rapidly mutates under this selection pressure. Viral sequencing revealed the universal presence of escape mutations within TW10 among B57- and B5801-positive children. Mutations in TW10 and other B57-restricted epitopes arose early following perinatal infection of B57-positive children born to B57-negative mothers. Surprisingly, the majority of B57/5801-positive children exhibited a robust response to the TW10 escape variant while recognizing the wild-type epitope weakly or not at all. These data demonstrate that children, even during the first years of life, are able to mount functional immune responses of sufficient potency to drive immune escape. Moreover, our data suggest that the consequences of immune escape may differ during infancy because most children mount a strong variant-specific immune response following escape, which is rarely seen in adults. Taken together, these findings indicate that the developing immune system of children may exhibit greater plasticity in responding to a continually evolving chronic viral infection.

Reconstitution of virus-specific CD4 proliferative responses in pediatric HIV-1 infection.

Gag-specific CD4 proliferative responses correlate inversely with HIV-1 RNA levels in infected adults, and robust responses are characteristic of long-term nonprogressive infection. However, strong responses are seldom detected in adult subjects with progressive infection and are not generally reconstituted on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). To date, the role of HIV-1-specific Th responses in children has not been thoroughly examined. We characterized Gag-specific CD4 responses among 35 perinatally infected subjects, including 2 children who spontaneously control viremia without antiretroviral therapy, 21 children with viral loads (VL) of <400 on HAART, and 12 viremic children. Gag-specific Th activity was assessed by lymphoproliferative assay, and responses were mapped using overlapping Gag peptides in an IFN-gamma ELISPOT. Robust proliferative responses were detected in the children exhibiting spontaneous control of viremia, and mapping of targeted Gag regions in one such subject identified multiple epitopes. Among children >or=5 years old, 14 of 17 subjects with VL of <400 on HAART demonstrated a significant p24 proliferative response (median p24 stimulation index, 20), in contrast with only 1 of 9 viremic children (median p24 stimulation index, 2.0; p = 0.0008). However, no subject younger than 5 years of age possessed a significant response, even when viremia was fully suppressed. When compared with adults with VL of <400 on HAART, Th responses among children with VL of <400 were both more frequent (p = 0.009) and of greater magnitude (p = 0.002). These data suggest that children may have a greater intrinsic capacity to reconstitute HIV-1-specific immunity than adults, and may be excellent candidates for immune-based therapies.