Efficacy of Lamivudine Plus Dolutegravir vs Dolutegravir-Based 3-Drug Regimens in People With HIV Who Are Virologically Suppressed.

Background: Lamivudine + dolutegravir maintenance dual therapy (DT) could be less effective than 3-drug therapy (TT) in the context of resistance-associated mutations to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). The ARCA database was queried to test this hypothesis with a trial emulation strategy. Methods: People with HIV taking 2 NRTIs plus a protease inhibitor or a non-NRTI who switched to DT or dolutegravir-based TT were followed up from the first HIV RNA <50 copies/mL (baseline) to virologic failure (VF; ie, 2 consecutive HIV RNA ≥50 copies/mL or 1 HIV RNA ≥200 copies/mL). Those switching to DT within 6 months were assigned to the treatment arm and all other patients to the control arm. Each participant was also cloned, assigned to the opposite strategy, and censored at the time of deviation from that strategy. Using inverse probability of censoring weight Cox regression models, we calculated hazard ratios of VF for DT vs TT stratified for the presence of resistance-associated mutations. Results: Overall 626 people were analyzed: 204 with DT and 422 with TT (73% men; mean age, 44 years). Ten and 31 VFs occurred with DT and TT, respectively, over a median 5.8 years. When compared with a fully active TT, the DT had similar efficacy (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.88; 95% CI, .29-2.61; P = .812) when full susceptibility was confirmed at historical genotype. When previous M184V/I was present in both groups, the risk of VF was higher for DT vs TT but was not statistically significant (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.06; 95% CI, .45-20.84; P = .252). Conclusions: DT was not associated with a significantly higher risk of VF than dolutegravir-based TT.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and pleural empyema caused by multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in HIV and COVID 19 infected patient: A case report.

We analyzed the case of a 49-year-old woman with HIV infection off-therapy with poor viro-immunological compensation, not vaccinated for SARS-COV-2, hospitalized for lobar pneumonia and severe COVID19-related respiratory failure in intensive care unit (ICU). The hospitalization was complicated by bacteraemic ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-AB) isolated on pleural fluid culture, treated with colistin and cefiderocol for about 3 weeks. The molecular research of MDR-AB on transtracheal aspirate was negative following this therapy. The aim is to show the safety, efficacy and tolerability of colistin-based combination therapy with cefiderocol for Acinetobacter baumannii infection in HIV-infected patient.

Methadone dose escalation in patients with opioid use disorder and cancer as a strategy for controlling cancer-related pain: A case series.

OBJECTIVES: Opioid use disorder (OUD) and cancer gained attention as co-occurring diseases in the last 2 decades due to the possible relationship between opioid prescriptions for cancer pain and the risk of developing substance use disorder in cancer patients. However, little is known about patients previously diagnosed with OUD who develop cancer and how to manage both OUD symptoms and control pain. METHODS: The present case series deals with this subpopulation and proposes a dose escalation of methadone to control both the cancer-related pain and drug addiction symptoms. RESULTS: This approach is peculiar because methadone is not used as a first-line treatment in cancer pain management and is not often used as a second-line treatment as well. Our 4 patients experienced good clinical control of symptoms and no major adverse reactions. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: The subgroup of patients with OUD who develop cancer could be the perfect population to reconsider the use of methadone as a first-line treatment for cancer pain. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of increasing doses of methadone in these patients to validate our clinical approach.

Toxoplasmosis mimicking CMV chorioretinitis in newly diagnosed PLWH: a case report.

Background: cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis, cerebral and ocular toxoplasmosis are common infections in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Material and methods: this is a case of a 46-year-old female with previous Kaposi's sarcoma, diagnosed with an HIV infection two weeks prior to hospitalization. Blood test at diagnosis showed a CD4+ count of 77 cell/µL and HIV-RNA 3.758.745 copies/mL. Therapy with bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide fumarate was started and clinical, viroimmunological and microbiological investigations were performed. Results: the patient went to our hospital for the onset of left occipito-parietal headache and blurred vision. Brain CT and MRI were performed which did not show focal lesions or vascular alterations. Syphilis serology was negative, Toxoplasma gondii serology showed positive IgG and negative IgM, serum CMV-DNA was 31.184 IU/mL. Eye fundus evidenced intraretinal hemorrhages, fluorescein angiography and computed optical tomography documented cottony exudates, retinal hemorrhages and vitreous involvement. Therapy with valganciclovir was initiated for suspicion of CMV retinitis. About a month later, the patient reported blurred vision for which she was re-admitted. Ocular fundus showed a cottony lesion near the macula. Molecular test on vitreous body was positive for Toxoplasma gondii, while on cerebrospinal fluid it was negative; in addition, an MRI of the brain with contrast medium was performed which showed an area of altered hyperintense signal compatible with a diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii uveitis and neurotoxoplasmosis. Therapy with pyrimethamine and clindamycin (allergy for sulfonamide reported by the patient) was started. Allergy counseling was performed with the execution of allergy tests (patch test) with negative result; therefore the administration of clindamycin was replaced with sulfadiazine. A month following the start of anti-toxoplasma therapy, there was a clinical and radiological improvement. Conclusions: despite progressive developments in the management of PLWH, in this case two different kind of opportunistic infection are found in a late-presenter patient. In particular, two aspects can be highlighted. The first one is that, in the setting of an highly impaired immune system, clinical presentation can be deceptive and more than one opportunistic infection can be observed together in the same patient. The second aspect is that after starting antiretroviral therapy, a rapid improvement of viro-immunologic parameters has been documented, probably leading to an immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS).

A lamprey neural cell type atlas illuminates the origins of the vertebrate brain.

The vertebrate brain emerged more than ~500 million years ago in common evolutionary ancestors. To systematically trace its cellular and molecular origins, we established a spatially resolved cell type atlas of the entire brain of the sea lamprey-a jawless species whose phylogenetic position affords the reconstruction of ancestral vertebrate traits-based on extensive single-cell RNA-seq and in situ sequencing data. Comparisons of this atlas to neural data from the mouse and other jawed vertebrates unveiled various shared features that enabled the reconstruction of cell types, tissue structures and gene expression programs of the ancestral vertebrate brain. However, our analyses also revealed key tissues and cell types that arose later in evolution. For example, the ancestral brain was probably devoid of cerebellar cell types and oligodendrocytes (myelinating cells); our data suggest that the latter emerged from astrocyte-like evolutionary precursors in the jawed vertebrate lineage. Altogether, our work illuminates the cellular and molecular architecture of the ancestral vertebrate brain and provides a foundation for exploring its diversification during evolution.

Two-Drug Regimen Containing Darunavir: Metabolic Evaluation of an Old Dual Therapy.

Regimens containing darunavir are one of the first one with two drugs that demonstrated good efficacy as a simplification strategy. We wanted to describe the characteristics of patients followed in our center on a dual therapy regimen containing darunavir evaluating the metabolic aspects during follow-ups. We collected data from 208 patients switching to lamivudine plus darunavir with either ritonavir or cobicistat between 2010 and 2019. In all patients we found an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL), with no rising in creatinine, total cholesterol, or triglycerides. Twenty-five patients reached 120 weeks of follow-up. In these patients, no significant metabolic changes were described without concomitant treatment with drugs for dyslipidemia. These regimens seem to be more tolerable in metabolic profile compared with the data concerning three-drug therapies, leading only to a slight increase in LDL. The main reason for discontinuation was for a single-tablet therapy. None of the patients started treatment for dyslipidemia.

Changes in Metabolic Profile in PLWHIV Switching to Doravirine-Based Regimen.

Thanks to the modern ARV regimens and the fact that the morbidity and mortality of metabolic syndrome increases with age, clinicians are continuously researching effective and safe antiretroviral regimens with low impact on the lipid profile. Doravirine (DOR) is the latest non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) that shows long-term safety and tolerability and a favorable lipid profile. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of DOR-based three-drug regimens on the lipid profile in clinical practice. We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 38 treatment-experienced, virologically suppressed people living with HIV (PLWH) switching to this regimen, following the eligibility criteria. We carried out comparison analysis of immunological and metabolic parameters between baseline and 48 weeks of follow up. In our cohort of treatment-experienced, virologically suppressed PLWH, three-drug regimens with DOR showed good efficacy and a positive profile on lipid metabolism at 48 weeks of follow up.

Characteristics of Stress Sensitivity in Heroin Use Disorder Patients during Their Opioid Agonist Treatment.

In the present study, performed on a sample of Heroin Use Disorder (HUD) patients undergoing Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT), we attempted to explore the relationships between stress sensitivity and heroin addiction-related clinical aspects. HUD patients' stress sensitivity was evaluated with the Heroin/PTSD-Spectrum questionnaire (H/PSTD-S). The Drug Addiction History Questionnaire (DAH-Q), the Symptomatological Check List-90 (SCL-90), and The Behavioural Covariate of Heroin Craving inventory (CRAV-HERO) were all used, as were the Deltito Subjective Wellness Scale (D-SWS), a self-report scale evaluating subjective well-being; the Cocaine Problem Severity Index (CPSI), a questionnaire determining the extent of a cocaine problem; and the Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MC-Q), an instrument assessing craving for cannabinoids. We checked correlations between stress sensitivity and the extent of HUD clinical features and compared patients with and without problematic stress sensitivity. H/PTSD-S was positively correlated with patients' income, altered mental status, legal problems, the lifetime different treatments index, the current treatment load index, and all SCL-90 indexes and factors. Regarding subjective well-being, stress sensitivity negatively correlated with the contrast best week (last five years) index. Patients with high-stress sensitivity were females with a low income. They exhibited a more severe mental status at treatment entry, greater difficulty in working adaptation, and legal problems during treatment. Additionally, these patients showed a higher level of psychopathology, more impairment in well-being, and more risky behaviours during treatment. Stress sensitivity, as H/PTSD-S, must be considered an outcome of HUD. HUD's addiction history and clinical features are significant risk factors for H/PTSD-S. Therefore, social and behavioural impairment in HUD patients could be considered the clinical expression of the H/PTSD spectrum. In summary, the long-term outcome of HUD is not represented by drug-taking behaviours. Rather, the inability to cope with the contingent environmental conditions is the key feature of such a disorder. H/PTSD-S, therefore, should be seen as a syndrome caused by an acquired inability (increased salience) concerning regular (daily) life events.

The molecular evolution of spermatogenesis across mammals.

The testis produces gametes through spermatogenesis and evolves rapidly at both the morphological and molecular level in mammals1-6, probably owing to the evolutionary pressure on males to be reproductively successful7. However, the molecular evolution of individual spermatogenic cell types across mammals remains largely uncharacterized. Here we report evolutionary analyses of single-nucleus transcriptome data for testes from 11 species that cover the three main mammalian lineages (eutherians, marsupials and monotremes) and birds (the evolutionary outgroup), and include seven primates. We find that the rapid evolution of the testis was driven by accelerated fixation rates of gene expression changes, amino acid substitutions and new genes in late spermatogenic stages, probably facilitated by reduced pleiotropic constraints, haploid selection and transcriptionally permissive chromatin. We identify temporal expression changes of individual genes across species and conserved expression programs controlling ancestral spermatogenic processes. Genes predominantly expressed in spermatogonia (germ cells fuelling spermatogenesis) and Sertoli (somatic support) cells accumulated on X chromosomes during evolution, presumably owing to male-beneficial selective forces. Further work identified transcriptomal differences between X- and Y-bearing spermatids and uncovered that meiotic sex-chromosome inactivation (MSCI) also occurs in monotremes and hence is common to mammalian sex-chromosome systems. Thus, the mechanism of meiotic silencing of unsynapsed chromatin, which underlies MSCI, is an ancestral mammalian feature. Our study illuminates the molecular evolution of spermatogenesis and associated selective forces, and provides a resource for investigating the biology of the testis across mammals.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk in a Cohort of Virologically Suppressed People Living with HIV Switching to Doravirine: Preliminary Data from the Real Life.

Aim of this study is to assess the impact of doravirine (DOR)-based regimens on cardiovascular risk in treatment-experienced people living with HIV (PLWHIV). We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 40 treatment-experienced PLWHIV switching to a DOR-based three-drug regimen, evaluating 10-year risk of manifesting clinical cardiovascular diseases (CD) through the Framingham Risk Score at baseline, 12, and 24 weeks of follow-up. At baseline, median predicted 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease (10Y-CD) was 8.0% (interquartile range 4.0-13.0). After 12 weeks, we observed a significant reduction in 10Y-CD (mean decrease -2.21, p = .012); similarly, we observed a nonsignificant reduction at week 24 (p = .336). Regarding metabolic parameters, after 24 weeks we observed a significant reduction in total cholesterol (median change -8.8 mg/dL, p = .018), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (median -9.5 mg/dL, p = .007), and triglycerides (median -19.8 mg/dL, p < .001). Our results show a favorable metabolic impact of DOR-based regimens along with a promising reduction in 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease.

Effect of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Butter on Endothelial Function in Type 1 Diabetes.

Post-prandial hyperglycemia can be relevant in developing early manifestations of atherosclerosis. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), rich in saturated fatty acids and commonly used in the Mediterranean diet, seems to control post-prandial hyperglycemia better than butter. Subjects with type 1 diabetes are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and show endothelial dysfunction, an early manifestation of atherosclerosis in the first years of the disease. Our study aims to evaluate whether EVOO and butter influence endothelial function in subjects with type 1 diabetes when added to a single high glycemic index (HGI) meal. In this exploratory cross-over study, 10 subjects with type 1 diabetes and 6 healthy subjects were scheduled to receive two types of HGI meals: one enriched with EVOO and one with butter. Before and after each test meal at different time points, all subjects underwent the evaluation of endothelial function by flow-mediated dilation technique, glucose and lipids measurements, and gastric emptying assessment by ultrasound. Flow-mediated dilation significantly increased after EVOO-enriched meal compared with butter in subjects with type 1 diabetes (two-way-repeated measurements ANOVA, p = 0.007). In patients with type 1 diabetes, the add-on of EVOO to HGI meal improves vascular function compared to butter, which has detrimental effects.

Evaluation of doravirine-based regimen population target in a large Italian clinical center.

BACKGROUND: Doravirine (DOR) is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) approved for HIV-1 infection treatment. Because of its genetic barrier, DOR appears to be a good alternative in switch strategies compared to other NNRTI. Our aim was to evaluate the percentage of people living with HIV (PLWHIV) followed in our center who could be eligible to a DOR-based regimen. METHODS: We collected data from all treatment-experienced PLWHIV, never exposed to DOR and with a demonstrated virological suppression. We analyzed previous genotypic analyses, clinical history, and previous exposure to NNRTIs. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 653 patients, whose characteristics are shown in Table 1. 59% of them presented no resistance mutation (RAM) at genotypic analysis. The most common DOR-related RAM were V106A, Y181V, and Y188L. We also analyzed RAM that can possibly interfere with combination therapy (mostly K65R and M184V). In the end, 81.8% of our patients results to be eligible for a DOR-based therapy regimen. CONCLUSIONS: DOR represents a good option for switch strategies in virological suppressed PLWHIV. It seems to have a higher genetic barrier and a lower risk for resistance mutation development compared to other NNRTI. In our cohort, we found 81.8% of patients who could be eligible for a regimen containing DOR and almost 2/3 of patients who can be treated with the fixed-dose combination DOR/3TC/TDF.

Galanin in an Agnathan: Precursor Identification and Localisation of Expression in the Brain of the Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus.

Galanin is a neuropeptide that is widely expressed in the mammalian brain, where it regulates many physiological processes, including feeding and nociception. Galanin has been characterized extensively in jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes), but little is known about the galanin system in the most ancient extant vertebrate class, the jawless vertebrates or agnathans. Here, we identified and cloned a cDNA encoding the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) galanin precursor (PmGalP). Sequence analysis revealed that PmGalP gives rise to two neuropeptides that are similar to gnathostome galanins and galanin message-associated peptides. Using mRNA in situ hybridization, the distribution of PmGalP-expressing neurons was mapped in the brain of larval and adult sea lampreys. This revealed PmGalP-expressing neurons in the septum, preoptic region, striatum, hypothalamus, prethalamus, and displaced cells in lateral areas of the telencephalon and diencephalon. In adults, the laterally migrated PmGalP-expressing neurons are observed in an area that extends from the ventral pallium to the lateral hypothalamus and prethalamus. The striatal and laterally migrated PmGalP-expressing cells of the telencephalon were not observed in larvae. Comparison with studies on jawed vertebrates reveals that the presence of septal and hypothalamic galanin-expressing neuronal populations is highly conserved in vertebrates. However, compared to mammals, there is a more restricted pattern of expression of the galanin transcript in the brain of lampreys. This work provides important new information on the early evolution of the galanin system in vertebrates and provides a genetic and neuroanatomical basis for functional analyses of the galanin system in lampreys.

Publisher Correction: The sea lamprey germline genome provides insights into programmed genome rearrangement and vertebrate evolution.

When published, this article did not initially appear open access. This error has been corrected, and the open access status of the paper is noted in all versions of the paper. Additionally, affiliation 16 denoting equal contribution was missing from author Robb Krumlauf in the PDF originally published. This error has also been corrected.

Publisher Correction: The sea lamprey germline genome provides insights into programmed genome rearrangement and vertebrate evolution.

In the version of this article initially published, the present addresses for authors Dorit Hockman and Chris Amemiya were switched. The error has been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.

The sea lamprey germline genome provides insights into programmed genome rearrangement and vertebrate evolution.

The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) serves as a comparative model for reconstructing vertebrate evolution. To enable more informed analyses, we developed a new assembly of the lamprey germline genome that integrates several complementary data sets. Analysis of this highly contiguous (chromosome-scale) assembly shows that both chromosomal and whole-genome duplications have played significant roles in the evolution of ancestral vertebrate and lamprey genomes, including chromosomes that carry the six lamprey HOX clusters. The assembly also contains several hundred genes that are reproducibly eliminated from somatic cells during early development in lamprey. Comparative analyses show that gnathostome (mouse) homologs of these genes are frequently marked by polycomb repressive complexes (PRCs) in embryonic stem cells, suggesting overlaps in the regulatory logic of somatic DNA elimination and bivalent states that are regulated by early embryonic PRCs. This new assembly will enhance diverse studies that are informed by lampreys' unique biology and evolutionary/comparative perspective.

Convergent origination of a Drosophila-like dosage compensation mechanism in a reptile lineage.

Sex chromosomes differentiated from different ancestral autosomes in various vertebrate lineages. Here, we trace the functional evolution of the XY Chromosomes of the green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis), on the basis of extensive high-throughput genome, transcriptome and histone modification sequencing data and revisit dosage compensation evolution in representative mammals and birds with substantial new expression data. Our analyses show that Anolis sex chromosomes represent an ancient XY system that originated at least ≈160 million years ago in the ancestor of Iguania lizards, shortly after the separation from the snake lineage. The age of this system approximately coincides with the ages of the avian and two mammalian sex chromosomes systems. To compensate for the almost complete Y Chromosome degeneration, X-linked genes have become twofold up-regulated, restoring ancestral expression levels. The highly efficient dosage compensation mechanism of Anolis represents the only vertebrate case identified so far to fully support Ohno's original dosage compensation hypothesis. Further analyses reveal that X up-regulation occurs only in males and is mediated by a male-specific chromatin machinery that leads to global hyperacetylation of histone H4 at lysine 16 specifically on the X Chromosome. The green anole dosage compensation mechanism is highly reminiscent of that of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster Altogether, our work unveils the convergent emergence of a Drosophila-like dosage compensation mechanism in an ancient reptilian sex chromosome system and highlights that the evolutionary pressures imposed by sex chromosome dosage reductions in different amniotes were resolved in fundamentally different ways.

Species delimitation and phylogenetic relationships in a genus of African weakly-electric fishes (Osteoglossiformes, Mormyridae, Campylomormyrus).

African weakly-electric fishes (Mormyridae) are able to communicate through species-specific electric signals; this feature might have favoured the evolutionary radiation observed in this family (over 200 species) by acting as an effective pre-zygotic isolation mechanism. In the present study we used mitochondrial (cytb) and nuclear (rps7, scn4aa) markers in order to reconstruct a species-phylogeny and identify species boundaries for the genus Campylomormyrus, by applying inference methods based on the multispecies coalescent model. Additionally, we employed 16 microsatellite markers, landmark-based morphometric measurements, and electro-physiological analyses as independent lines of evidence to the results obtained from the sequence data. The results show that groups that are morphologically different are also significantly divergent at the genetic level, whereas morphologically similar groups, displaying dissimilar electric signals, do not show enough genetic diversity to be considered separate species. Furthermore, the data confirm the presence of a yet undescribed species within the genus Campylomormyrus.