Switch to a raltegravir-based antiretroviral regimen in people with HIV and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: The effect of antiretroviral therapy (ART), particularly integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs), on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in people with HIV remains unclear. We evaluated the effect of switching non-INSTI backbone antiretroviral medications to raltegravir on NAFLD and metabolic parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single-centre, phase IV, open-label, randomized controlled clinical trial. People living with HIV with NAFLD and undetectable viral load while receiving a non-INSTI were randomized 1:1 to the switch arm (raltegravir 400 mg twice daily) or the control arm (continuing ART regimens not containing INSTI). NAFLD was defined as hepatic steatosis by controlled attenuation parameter ≥238 dB/m in the absence of significant alcohol use and viral hepatitis co-infections. Cytokeratin 18 was used as a biomarker of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Changes over time in outcomes were quantified as standardized mean differences (SMDs), and a generalized linear mixed model was used to compare outcomes between study arms. RESULTS: A total of 31 people with HIV (mean age 54 years, 74% male) were randomized and followed for 24 months. Hepatic steatosis improved between baseline and end of follow-up in both the switch (SMD -43.4 dB/m) and the control arm (-26.6 dB/m); the difference between arms was not significant. At the end of follow-up, aspartate aminotransferase significantly decreased in the switch arm compared with the control arm (SMD -9.4 vs. 5.5 IU/L). No changes in cytokeratin 18, body mass index, or lipids were observed between study arms. DISCUSSION: Switching to a raltegravir-based regimen improved aspartate aminotransferase but seemed to have no effect on NAFLD, body weight, and lipids compared with remaining on any other ART.

Clinical HIV outcome trajectories associated with a history of child protective service out-of-home care: Longitudinal cohort findings with women living with HIV in Canada.

OBJECTIVES: Knowledge gaps exist regarding the effects of experiencing child protective services (CPS) out-of-home care (e.g. foster homes) among women with HIV. We examined whether CPS out-of-home care was associated with HIV clinical outcome trajectories among women with HIV in a longitudinal cohort study in Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec, Canada. METHODS: At three timepoints across 5 years (2013-2018), we examined self-reported current antiretroviral therapy (ART) use and viral load (VL) detectability (>50 copies/mL). We used latent class growth analysis (LCGA) to identify trajectories of ART use and VL outcomes across study waves. LCGA identifies subgroups (classes) with similar trajectories within the sample. We assessed whether HIV outcome trajectories could be predicted by CPS history. We then conducted a mediation analysis to test whether a mental health latent construct mediated the association between CPS history and detectable VL. RESULTS: Nearly one-fifth (n = 272; 19%) of participants (n = 1422; mean age 42.8 years) reported CPS out-of-home care. Most participants (89%) were in classes that consistently used ART and had an undetectable VL. Individuals with CPS out-of-home care histories were twice as likely to have a consistently detectable VL (ß = 0.72, p = 0.02); there were no differences in ART use trajectories. In mediation analyses, we found an indirect path from CPS history to a consistently detectable VL via baseline mental health status (ß = 0.02, 95% confidence interval 0.005-0.04, p = 0.02), with a significant odds ratio (1.12, z = 2.43, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Among women with HIV in Canada, experiencing childhood CPS out-of-home care was associated with a reduced likelihood of achieving viral suppression, via poorer mental health.

Impact of social determinants of health on time to antiretroviral therapy initiation and HIV viral undetectability for migrants enrolled in a multidisciplinary HIV clinic with rapid, free, and onsite B/F/TAF: 'The ASAP study'.

OBJECTIVE: Multidisciplinary care with free, rapid, and on-site bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) dispensation may improve health outcomes among migrants living with HIV. However, models for rapid B/F/TAF initiation are not well studied among migrants living with HIV, and an understanding of how social determinants of health (SDH) may affect HIV-related health outcomes for migrants enrolled in such care models is limited. METHODS: Within a 96-week pilot feasibility prospective cohort study at a multidisciplinary HIV clinic, participants received free B/F/TAF rapidly after care linkage. The effects of SDH (i.e., birth region, sexual orientation, living status, education, employment, French proficiency, health coverage, use of a public health facility outside our clinic for free blood tests, and time in Canada) and other covariates (i.e., age, sex) on median time to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and HIV viral undetectability from care linkage were calculated via survival analyses. RESULTS: Thirty-five migrants were enrolled in this study. Median time to ART initiation and HIV undetectability was 5 days (range 0-50) and 57 days (range 5-365), respectively. Those who took significantly longer to initiate ART were aged <35 years, identified as heterosexual, had less than university-level education, or were unemployed. No factor was found to significantly affect time to undetectability. CONCLUSION: Despite the provision of free B/F/TAF, several SDH were linked to delays in ART initiation. However, once initiated and engaged, migrants living with HIV reached HIV undetectability efficiently. Findings provide preliminary support for adopting this care model with migrants living with HIV and suggest that SDH should be considered when designing clinical interventions for more equitable outcomes.

Use of a carrageenan-based gel had no impact on anal HPVs 16 and 18 viral loads in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.

The Lubricant Investigation in Men to Inhibit Transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV) Infection randomized control trial in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) found that carrageenan use neither reduced acquisition of anal HPV infections nor influenced infection clearance. To investigate carrageenan's lack of protective effect, we compared the change in anal HPV16 and HPV18 viral loads following carrageenan use against placebo. We restricted our analysis to participants who completed the first four study visits and had a valid baseline sample (n = 161, 54 HIV-positive). Samples were tested for HPV detection using the linear array PCR assay. HPV16- and/or HPV18-positive samples were tested for viral load using real-time PCR. For participants who tested HPV16- (n = 29) or HPV18-positive (n = 10) at least once across visits 1-4, we compared the change in type-specific viral load between study arms using the Mann-Whitney U test. Although the median net change in HPV16 and HPV18 viral loads across visits 1-4 was higher in the treatment than placebo arm (HPV16: 0.68 vs. 0.18 copies/cell, p = 0.60; HPV18: 18.32 vs. 10.12 copies/cell, p = 0.52), these differences were not statistically significant. Results were similar by HIV status. Carrageenan use did not impact anal HPV16 or HPV18 viral loads, which may further explain its lack of protective effect in gbMSM.

Patient-reported outcomes and experiences of migrants enrolled in a multidisciplinary HIV clinic with rapid, free, and onsite treatment dispensation: the 'ASAP' study.

BACKGROUND: Scholars recommend providing migrants living with HIV (MLWH) with free treatment, rapidly, once linked to care to optimize their HIV-related experiences and health outcomes. Quantitative evaluations of patient-reported measures for MLWH in such models are necessary to explore the viability of these recommendations. METHODS: Within a 96-week prospective cohort study at a multidisciplinary HIV clinic, participants received bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) for free and rapidly following care linkage. Eight patient-reported measures were administered at weeks 4, 24, and 48: (1) mMOS-SS to measure perceived social support; (2) IA-RSS to measure internalized stigma; (3) K6 to measure psychological distress; (4) PROMIS to measure self-efficacy with treatment taking; (5) G-MISS to measure perceived compliance with clinicians' treatment plans; (6) HIVTSQ to measure treatment satisfaction; (7) CARE to measure perceived provider empathy; and (8) PRPCC to measure perceived clinician cultural competence. Linear mixed modelling with bootstrapping was conducted to identify significant differences by sociodemographics and time. RESULTS: Across weeks 4, 24, and 48, results suggest that MLWH enrolled in this study experienced moderate levels of social support; elevated levels of HIV-related stigma; moderate levels of distress; high self-efficacy with daily medication self-management; great compliance with clinicians' treatment plans; high treatment satisfaction; high perceived empathy; and high perceived cultural competence. Experience of social support (i.e., mMOS-SS scores) differed significantly by birth region. Experience of HIV-related stigma (i.e., IA-RSS scores) differed significantly by birth region, age, and language. Experience of distress (i.e., K6 scores) differed significantly by sexual orientation. Experience of treatment satisfaction (i.e., HIVTSQ scores) differed significantly by birth region and age. No significant differences were identified by time for any measure. CONCLUSION: Overall, participants expressed positive experiences around treatment and care, alongside comparably lower perceptions of social support, internalized stigma, and distress, potentially underscoring a need to embed targeted, well-funded, and accessible mental health support within HIV care models.

Efficacy of a Carrageenan Gel in Increasing Clearance of Anal Human Papillomavirus Infections in Men: Interim Analysis of a Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Preclinical studies have demonstrated carrageenan's anti-human papillomavirus (HPV) activity. We assessed efficacy of a carrageenan-based gel compared to a placebo gel in increasing the clearance of anal HPV infections among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). Of 255 enrolled gbMSM, 134 were HPV positive at baseline and had valid HPV results for ≥2 visits. Carrageenan did not differ from placebo in clearing all baseline infections (hazard ratio, 0.84 [95% confidence interval, .31-2.27]), based on having 2 consecutive HPV-negative visits following at least 1 HPV-positive visit. There were no remarkable differences for analyses at the HPV type level or by human immunodeficiency virus status. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT02354144.

Vaccine Effectiveness Against 12-Month Incident and Persistent Anal Human Papillomavirus Infection Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men.

BACKGROUND: Real-world evidence of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine effectiveness (VE) against longitudinal outcomes is lacking among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM). We compared 12-month incidence and persistence of anal HPV infection between vaccinated and unvaccinated GBM. METHODS: We recruited GBM aged 16-30 years in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, Canada, from 2017 to 2019. Participants were followed over a median of 12 months (interquartile range, 12-13 months). Participants self-reported HPV vaccination and self-collected anal specimens for HPV DNA testing. We calculated prevalence ratios (PR) for 12-month cumulative incidence and persistence with ≥1 quadrivalent vaccine type (HPV 6/11/16/18) between vaccinated (≥1 dose at baseline) and unvaccinated participants using a propensity score-weighted, modified Poisson regression. RESULTS: Among 248 participants, 109 (44.0%) were vaccinated at baseline, of whom 62.6% received 3 doses. PRs for HPV 6/11/16/18 were 0.56 (95% confidence interval [CI], .24-1.31) for cumulative incidence and 0.53 (95% CI, .25-1.14) for persistence. PRs were 0.23 (95% CI, .05-1.03) and 0.08 (95% CI, .01-.59) for incidence and persistence, respectively, among participants who received their first dose at age ≤23 years and 0.15 (95% CI, .03-.68) and 0.12 (95% CI, .03-.54) among participants who were sexually active for ≤5 years before vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support national recommendations for HPV vaccination at younger ages or soon after sexual debut.

Age-Specific Prevalence of Anal and Cervical Human Papillomavirus Infection and High-Grade Lesions in 11 177 Women by Human Immunodeficiency Virus Status: A Collaborative Pooled Analysis of 26 Studies.

BACKGROUND: Age-specific data on anal, and corresponding cervical, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are needed to inform female anal cancer prevention. METHODS: We centrally reanalyzed individual-level data from 26 studies reporting HPV prevalence in paired anal and cervical samples by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status and age. For women with HIV (WWH) with anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or worse (HSIL+), we also investigated concurrent cervical cytopathology. RESULTS: In HIV-negative women, HPV16 prevalence decreased significantly with age, both at anus (4.3% at 15-24 years to 1.0% at ≥55 years; ptrend = 0.0026) and cervix (7.4% to 1.7%; ptrend < 0.0001). In WWH, HPV16 prevalence decreased with age at cervix (18.3% to 7.2%; ptrend = 0.0035) but not anus (11.5% to 13.9%; ptrend = 0.5412). Given anal HPV16 positivity, concurrent cervical HPV16 positivity also decreased with age, both in HIV-negative women (ptrend = 0.0005) and WWH (ptrend = 0.0166). Among 48 WWH with HPV16-positive anal HSIL+, 27 (56%) were cervical high-risk HPV-positive, including 8 with cervical HPV16, and 5 were cervical HSIL+. CONCLUSIONS: Age-specific shifts in HPV16 prevalence from cervix to anus suggest that HPV infections in the anus persist longer, or occur later in life, than in the cervix, particularly in WWH. This is an important consideration when assessing the utility of cervical screening results to stratify anal cancer risk.

CD4/CD8 Ratio Outcome According to the Class of the Third Active Drug in Antiretroviral Therapy Regimens: Results From the Quebec Human Immunodeficiency Virus Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of different therapeutic classes of drugs in antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens on the CD4/CD8 ratio is not well documented in people treated for HIV. The objective of this study was to analyze the long-term effect of exposure to integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) on CD4/CD8 ratio compared with nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) or protease inhibitor (PI) among ART-treated persons with HIV (PWH). METHODS: Data from the Quebec HIV Cohort collected from 31 August 2017 were used. Our analysis included all patients in the cohort who received a first or subsequent ART regimen composed of 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and a third active drug of a different class (NNRTI, PI, or INSTI) for at least 16 weeks. Marginal structural Cox models were constructed to estimate the effect of different therapeutic classes on the CD4/CD8 ratio outcome. RESULTS: Among the 3907 eligible patients, 972 (24.9%), 1996 (51.1%), and 939 (24.0%) were exposed to an ART regimen whose third active agent was an NNRTI, PI, or INSTI, respectively. The total follow-up time was 13 640.24 person-years. The weighted hazard ratio for the association between the third active class and CD4/CD8 ratio ≥1 was .56 (95% confidence interval [CI]: .48-.65) for patients exposed to NNRTI + 2 NRTIs and .41 (95% CI: .35-.47) for those exposed to PI + 2 NRTIs, compared with those exposed INSTI + 2 NRTIs. CONCLUSIONS: For people treated for HIV, INSTI-based ART appears to be associated with a higher CD4/CD8 ratio than NNRTI and PI-based ART.

Incidence and Clearance of Anal Human Papillomavirus Infection in 16 164 Individuals, According to Human Immunodeficiency Virus Status, Sex, and Male Sexuality: An International Pooled Analysis of 34 Longitudinal Studies.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the natural history of anal high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection is key for designing anal cancer prevention programs but has not been systematically characterized. METHODS: We reanalyzed data from 34 studies including 16 164 individuals in 6 risk groups defined by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, sex, and male sexuality: men who have sex with men (MSM) and people with HIV (MSMWH), HIV-negative MSM, women with HIV (WWH), HIV-negative women, men who have sex with women (MSW) with HIV (MSWWH), and HIV-negative MSW. We used Markov models to estimate incidence and clearance of 13 hrHPV types and their determinants. RESULTS: Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 had the highest incidence-clearance ratio of the hrHPV types. MSMWH had the highest hrHPV incidence (eg, 15.5% newly HPV-16 infected within 2 years), followed by HIV-negative MSM (7.5%), WWH (6.6%), HIV-negative women (2.9%), MSWWH (1.7%), and HIV-negative MSW (0.7%). Determinants of HPV-16 incidence included HIV status and number of sexual partners for MSM, women, and MSW, and anal sex behavior for MSM only. HPV-16 clearance was lower for people with HIV (PWH) and lower for prevalent than incident infection. Among MSM, increasing age was associated with lower clearance of prevalent, but not incident, HPV-16 infection. CONCLUSIONS: This robust and unifying analysis of anal hrHPV natural history is essential to designing and predicting the impact of HPV vaccination and HPV-based screening programs on anal cancer prevention, particularly in MSM and PWH. Importantly, it demonstrates the higher carcinogenic potential of longstanding anal prevalent hrHPV infection than more recent incident infection.

Self-reported Human Papillomavirus Vaccination and Vaccine Effectiveness Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Quantitative Bias Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Self-report of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has ~80-90% sensitivity and ~75-85% specificity. We measured the effect of nondifferential exposure misclassification associated with self-reported vaccination on vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates. METHODS: Between 2017-2019, we recruited sexually active gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men aged 16-30 years in Canada. VE was derived as 1-prevalence ratio × 100% for prevalent anal HPV infection comparing vaccinated (≥1 dose) to unvaccinated men using a multivariable modified Poisson regression. We conducted a multidimensional and probabilistic quantitative bias analysis to correct VE estimates. RESULTS: Bias-corrected VE estimates were relatively stable across sensitivity values but differed from the uncorrected estimate at lower values of specificity. The median adjusted VE was 27% (2.5-97.5th simulation interval = -5-49%) in the uncorrected analysis, increasing to 39% (2.5-97.5th simulation interval = 2-65%) in the bias-corrected analysis. CONCLUSION: A large proportion of participants erroneously reporting HPV vaccination would be required to meaningfully change VE estimates.

Practices, support and stigma related to infant feeding and postpartum engagement in care among women living with HIV in Canada.

Background: Breastfeeding is not recommended for women living with HIV (WLWH) in Canada. We described the prevalence of breastfeeding and explored experiences of care, support, and stigma related to infant feeding. Setting: Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia (Canada). Methods: Data were obtained from the HIV Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS) surveys, conducted between 2013 and 2018. Results: Breastfeeding was reported by 73.5% of the 786 women who delivered before HIV diagnosis and 7.3% of the 289 women who delivered after HIV diagnosis. Among them, earlier year of delivery, delivery outside of Canada, and African, Caribbean, Black ethnicity were independently associated with increased odds of breastfeeding. Among WLWH who had a live birth during the last year, 77% (40/52) felt that they had received support regarding infant feeding practices, and 77% (23/30) were concerned that not breastfeeding could lead to them being identified as WLWH. Among 71 women within one year postpartum at any one of the study waves, 89% reported having an undetectable viral load. Conclusion: Breastfeeding experiences were common among WLWH, most often prior to HIV diagnosis. Fear of unintentional HIV status disclosure when not breastfeeding and challenges to maintain an undetectable HIV viral load are important issues to address during postpartum care.

Human papillomavirus genotype concordance between Anyplex II HPV28 and linear array HPV genotyping test in anogenital samples.

Anyplex II HPV-28 (HPV-28) can detect individually 28 HPV genotypes. We assessed the agreement between linear array HPV genotyping (LA-HPV) and HPV-28 for detection of 27 HPV genotypes in 410 stored anogenital samples (75 anal samples, 335 physician-collected cervical samples) collected over 5 years from 410 individuals (13 men, 397 women), including 202 HIV-seropositive individuals. HPV DNA was detected in 393 (95.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 93.4-97.4) and 382 (93.2%, 95% CI: 90.3-95.3) samples with HPV-28 and LA-HPV (p = 0.13), respectively, for a good agreement of 96.3% (κ = 0.65). Of the 10503 HPV typing results, 10195 (780 positive, 9577 negative) were concordant, for an agreement of 97.1% (95% CI: 96.7-97.4) and an excellent of κ = 0.82 (95% CI: 0.80-0.84). The mean type-specific concordance for 27 genotypes was 97.0%, 95% CI: 95.8-98.5 (κ = 0.86 ± 0.07, 95% CI: 0.83-0.88). Excellent agreement was obtained individually for all high-risk genotypes (κ = 0.81-0.97) and for most other genotypes except for types 42, 44, 54, 68, and 69. The mean number of types per sample in discordant samples detected with LA-HPV (3.0, 95% CI: 2.7-3.4) was greater than in concordant samples (1.4, 95% CI: 1.3-1.5; p< 0.001). In conclusion, HPV-28 compared favorably with LA-HPV, but was more frequently positive for HPV42 and HPV68.

Efficacy of a carrageenan gel in preventing anal human papillomavirus (HPV) infection: interim analysis of the Lubricant Investigation in Men to Inhibit Transmission of HPV Infection (LIMIT-HPV) randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Carrageenan, a non-toxic gelling agent derived from red algae, has potent anti-human papillomavirus (HPV) activity in in vitro and animal studies. We assessed, in an interim analysis, the efficacy of a carrageenan-based gel in reducing the risk of new detections of anal HPV among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). METHODS: The LIMIT-HPV study (Lubricant Investigation in Men to Inhibit Transmission of HPV Infection) is a phase IIb, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised controlled trial conducted in Montreal, Canada. gbMSM were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive a carrageenan-based or placebo gel. Participants were instructed to apply the gel to the anus, condom and/or partners' penis before and-as required-during receptive anal intercourse. Questionnaire data and anal samples were collected at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. We estimated new detections of anal HPV infection(s) detected via Linear Array using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Participants recruited from February 2016 to December 2019 were randomly assigned to the carrageenan (n=127) or placebo (n=128) arm. The efficacy and safety analyses included 201 and 210 participants. The median follow-up time was 7.6 months (range: 0-28.5) in the carrageenan group and 9.3 months (range: 0-40.7) in the placebo group. The HR for new detections was 1.21 (95% CI 0.86 to 1.70): 69.4% and 65.1% new detections of HPV in the carrageenan and placebo arms, respectively. More adverse events were reported in the carrageenan (59.8%) compared with the placebo (39.8%) arm. CONCLUSIONS: The interim analysis did not demonstrate a protective effect of carrageenan on the risk of new detections of anal HPV infection among gbMSM. Carrageenan gel use was associated with a higher proportion of adverse events. Given these findings and the (assumed) low probability that a beneficial effect would be found by the study's end, the trial was terminated as recommended by the Data Safety and Monitoring Board. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02354144.

Anal Human Papillomavirus Prevalence Among Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Starting in 2015, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been publicly funded for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) 26 years or younger in Canada. METHODS: Self-identified GBM who reported having sex with another man within the past 6 months were enrolled using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) between February 2017 and August 2019 in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, Canada. Men aged 16 to 30 years self-collected anal specimens for HPV-DNA testing. Prevalence was estimated using RDS-II weights. We compared the prevalence of quadrivalent (HPV-6/11/16/18) and 9-valent (HPV-6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58) vaccine types between GBM who self-reported HPV vaccination (≥1 dose) and those reporting no vaccination using a modified Poisson regression for binary outcomes. RESULTS: Among 645 GBM who provided a valid anal specimen (median age, 26 years; 5.9% HIV positive), 40.3% reported receiving ≥1 dose of HPV vaccine, of whom 61.8% received 3 doses. One-quarter were infected with ≥1 quadrivalent type (crude, 25.7%; RDS weighted, 24.4%). After adjustment for potential confounders, vaccinated GBM had a 27% lower anal prevalence of quadrivalent types compared with unvaccinated GBM (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR], 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-1.00). Lower prevalence ratios were found among vaccinated participants who were vaccinated >2 years before enrollment (aPR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.25-0.86) or received their first vaccine dose at age ≤23 years (aPR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.42-0.99). Point estimates were similar for ≥2 or 3 doses and 9-valent types. CONCLUSIONS: Human papillomavirus vaccination was associated with a lower anal prevalence of vaccine-preventable HPV types among young, sexually active GBM. Findings will help inform shared decision making around HPV vaccination for GBM and their healthcare providers.

Characterization of people living with HIV in a Montreal-based tertiary care center with COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic.

People living with HIV (PLWH) often have worse health outcomes compared to HIV-uninfected individuals. We characterized PLWH followed at a tertiary care clinic in Montreal who acquired COVID-19 and described their outcomes during the first wave of the pandemic. A retrospective chart review was performed for PLWH followed at the Chronic Viral Illness Service with a positive COVID-19 nasopharyngeal PCR or symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 between 1 March and 15 June 2020. Data on demographics, socioeconomic status, co-morbidities and severity of COVID-19 and outcomes were extracted. Of 1702 individuals, 32 (1.9%) had a positive COVID-19 test (n = 24) or symptoms suspicious for COVID-19 (n = 3). Median age was 52 years [IQR 40, 62]. Nearly all (97%) earned $34,999 Canadian dollars or less. Eleven (34%) individuals worked in long-term care (LTC) homes while 5 (6%) lived in LTC homes. Median CD4 count was 566 cells/mm3 [347, 726] and six had detectable plasma HIV viral loads. Median duration of HIV was 17 years [7, 22] and 30 individuals had been prescribed antiretroviral therapy. Five persons were asymptomatic. Of symptomatic persons, 21 (12%), 1 (4%) and 3 (12%) individuals had mild, moderate and severe disease, respectively. Three individuals died with COVID-19. In one case, the cause of death was due to COVID-19, whereas in the other two cases, the individuals died with positive COVID-19 test results but the immediate cause of death is unclear. PLWH who tested positive for COVID-19 had low socioeconomic status and had employment or living conditions that put them at high risk. PLWH may be disproportionately impacted by the social determinants of health which predispose them to COVID-19.

A meta-analysis of anal cancer incidence by risk group: Toward a unified anal cancer risk scale.

Certain population groups are known to have higher than average anal cancer risk, namely persons living with HIV (PLHIV), men who have sex with men (MSM), women diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related gynecological precancerous lesions or cancer, solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) and patients with autoimmune diseases. Our aim was to provide robust and comparable estimates of anal cancer burden across these groups. Summary incidence rates (IRs), as cases per 100 000 person-years (py), were calculated by fixed-effects meta-analysis. IRs were 85 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 82-89) for HIV-positive MSM (n = 7 studies; 2 229 234 py), 32 (95% CI = 30-35) for non-MSM male PLHIV (n = 5; 1626 448 py) and 22 (95% CI = 19-24) for female PLHIV (n = 6; 1 472 123 py), with strong variation by age (eg, from 16.8 < 30 years to 107.5 ≥ 60 years for HIV-positive MSM). IR was 19 (95% CI = 10-36) in HIV-negative MSM (n = 2; 48 135 py). Anal cancer IRs were much higher after diagnosis of vulvar (IR = 48 [95% CI = 38-61]; n = 4; 145 147 py) than cervical (9 [95% CI = 8-12]; n = 4; 779 098 py) or vaginal (IR = 10 [95% CI = 3-30]; n = 4; 32 671) cancer, with equivalent disparity after respective precancerous lesions. IR was 13 (95% CI = 12-15) in SOTRs (n = 5; 1 946 206 py), reaching 24.5 and 49.6 for males and females >10 years after transplant. Anal cancer IRs were 10 (95% CI = 5-19), 6 (95% CI = 3-11) and 3 (95% CI = 2-4) for systemic lupus erythematosus, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, respectively. In conclusion, a unifying anal cancer risk scale, based upon comprehensive meta-analysis, can improve prioritization and standardization in anal cancer prevention/research initiatives, which are in their public health infancy.

Carrageenan as a Preventive Agent Against Human Papillomavirus Infection: A Narrative Review.

ABSTRACT: Carrageenan, an extract from red algae, was identified over a decade ago as a potent inhibitor of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in vitro. After this discovery, several studies evaluated carrageenan's anti-HPV activity in cells, experimental animals, and humans. We reviewed the evidence for carrageenan's anti-HPV activity. Studies had to be in vitro, in vivo, or in humans and report on carrageenan's anti-HPV activity. Of the 39 records identified in PubMed and 29 records in Clinicaltrials.gov, 22 records were included after screening: 8 in vitro (including 2 ex vivo), 3 in vivo, 5 in vitro and in vivo, 3 clinical studies, and 3 trial protocols. A total of 12 studies evaluated carrageenan exclusively, whereas 7 considered carrageenan combined with additional antiviral or other agents. One study protocol will evaluate carrageenan exclusively, and 2 others will evaluate carrageenan-combination products. Most clinical studies evaluated carrageenan's ability to prevent HPV acquisition (n = 4), whereas one study explored its ability to promote clearance of existing infection (defined as the absence of HPV DNA detection). Carrageenan's anti-HPV activity was observed consistently across study designs, except in 2 studies: 1 in vitro study where 2 of the HPV types tested were not significantly inhibited by carrageenan and 1 phase IIB trial in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. This review supports the premise that carrageenan, alone or in combination with other antiviral agents, might be a potential prevention strategy complementary to HPV vaccination for women.

Mental health among transgender women living with HIV in Canada: findings from a national community-based research study.

Antiretroviral therapy adherence among transgender (trans) women living with HIV (WLWH) is negatively impacted by depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet, little is known about factors associated with depression or PTSD among trans WLWH. Using cross-sectional data from a national community-based study of 1422 WLWH (n = 53 trans women), we characterized the prevalence of depressive and PTSD symptoms among trans WLWH and examined associations between factors (e.g., Trans stigma) and depressive and PTSD symptoms. Nearly half of participants reported clinically significant PTSD (45.3%) and depressive symptoms (45.3%) [mean Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Civilian Checklist Version-C score 13.8 (SD = 5.8); mean Center for Epidemiological Studies - Depression score 9.4 (SD = 8.0)]. Univariate linear regression analyses showed that <95% adherence, higher internalized HIV-related stigma, frequency of past-month hazardous alcohol use, and current injection drug use were significantly associated with both higher PTSD and depressive symptom scores, and higher resilience and social support with lower scores. A history of violence in adulthood was associated with higher depressive symptoms scores, whereas sexual relationship power and less difficulty meeting housing costs were associated with lower scores. Findings suggest a need for multi-level interventions to reduce barriers to mental wellbeing while fostering resilience and social support.

Patterns of changing pregnancy intentions among women living with HIV in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Women with an undetectable viral load can become pregnant and have children with no risk of HIV transmission to their sexual partners and low risk of transmission to their infants. Contemporary pregnancy intentions of women living with HIV in Canada are poorly understood, evidenced by high rates of unintended pregnancy and low uptake of contraceptives. METHODS: We used longitudinal survey data from the Canadian HIV Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS) to measure and compare pregnancy intentions (Yes vs No vs Unsure) at baseline, 18-months and 36-months follow-up (from 2013 to 2018) among women living with HIV of reproductive age (16-49 years) and potential. We used Sankey diagrams to depict changes in pregnancy intentions over time and multivariable logistic regression to examine the relationship between pregnancy intention within 2 years and subsequent pregnancy. RESULTS: At baseline, 41.9% (119/284) of women intended to become pregnant, 43.3% did not, and 14.8% were unsure. Across 36-months of follow-up, 41.9% (119/284) of women changed their pregnancy intentions, with 25% changing from intending to not intending to become pregnant and 13.1% vice versa. Pregnancy intentions were not strongly associated with subsequent pregnancy between baseline and 18-months (aOR 1.44; 95% CI 0.53, 3.72) or between 18 and 36-months (aOR 2.17; 95% CI 0.92, 5.13). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore the need for healthcare providers to engage in ongoing discussions with women living with HIV to support their dynamic pregnancy intentions.