Longitudinal impact of compliance with routine CD4 monitoring on all cause deaths among treated people with HIV in China.

Keeping adherence to the continuous and standardized CD4 follow-up monitoring service is of great significance to the control of disease progression and the reduction of avoidable mortality for HIV-infected patients. As non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become main causes of deaths for people with HIV (PWH) in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), how and to what extent does adherence to routine CD4 monitoring differentially impact on AIDS-related versus NCDs-related deaths in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) remains elucidated. A CD4 test index was developed by dividing the actual number of received CD4 tests by the theoretical number of CD4 tests that should have been performed according to national treatment guidelines during the study period, with an index value of 0.8-1.2 reflecting compliance. From 1989 to 2020, 14,571 adults were diagnosed with HIV infection in Dehong Prefecture of Yunnan province in Southwestern China, 6,683 (45.9%) PWH had died with the all-cause mortality of 550.13 per 10,000 person-years, including 3,250 (48.6%) AIDS-related deaths (267.53 per 10,000 person-years). Among patients on cART, the median CD4 test index was 1.0 (IQR 0.6-1.3), and 35.2% had a CD4 test index less than 0.8. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that PWH with CD4 test index at 0.8-1.2 were at the lowest risk of both AIDS-related (aHR = 0.06; 95%CI: 0.05-0.07) and NCDs-related (aHR = 0.13; 95%CI: 0.11-0.16)deaths. Adherence to routine CD4 monitoring is critical for reducing both AIDS-related and NCDs-related mortality of PWH. An appropriate (once or twice a year) rather than an unnecessarily higher frequency of routine CD4 testing could be most cost-effective in reducing mortality in LMIC.

Health utility measurement for people living with HIV/AIDS under combined antiretroviral therapy: A comparison of EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D.

We compared the discriminative validity, agreement and sensitivity of EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D utility scores in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHIV). We conducted a cross-sectional survey among PLWHIV aged more than 18 years old in 9 municipalities in Yunnan Province, China. A convenience sample was enrolled. We administered the SF-12 and EQ-5D-5L to measure health-related quality of life. The utility index of the SF-6D was derived from the SF-12. We calculate correlation coefficients to evaluate the relationship and agreement of 2 instruments. To evaluate the homogeneity of the EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D, intraclass correlation coefficients, scatter plots, and Bland-Altman plots were computed and drawn. We also used receiver operating characteristic curves to compare the discriminative properties and sensitivity of the econometric index. A total of 1797 respondents, with a mean age of 45.6 ±â€…11.7 years, was interviewed. The distribution of EQ-5D-5L scores skewed towards full health with a skewness of -3.316. The overall correlation between EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D index scores was 0.46 (P < .001). The association of the 2 scales appeared stronger at the upper end. An intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.59 between the EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D meant a moderate correlation and indicated general agreement. The Bland-Altman plot displayed the same results as the scatter plot. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the AUC for the SF-6D was 0.776 (95% CI: 0.757, 0.796) and that for the EQ-5D-5L was 0.732 (95% CI: 0.712, 0.752) by the PCS-12, and it was 0.782 (95% CI: 0.763, 0.802) for the SF-6D and 0.690 (95% CI: 0.669, 0.711) for the EQ-5D-5L by the MCS-12. Our study demonstrated evidence of the performance of EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D index scores to measure health utility in people living with HIV/AIDS. There were significant differences in their performance. We preferred to apply the SF-6D to measure the health utility of PLWHIV during the combined antiretroviral therapy period. Our study has demonstrated evidence for instrument choice and preference measurements in PLWHIV under combined antiretroviral therapy.

Microbial translocation is associated with advanced liver fibrosis among people with HIV.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of liver complications is increasing among people living with HIV, and microbial translocation (MT) might play a vital role. We conducted a prospective cohort study to evaluate the association between plasma biomarkers of MT and liver fibrosis (LF) among people living with HIV in southwest China. METHOD: A total of 665 people living with HIV were enrolled at baseline and had at least one follow-up visit during the 3-year study period. We calculated the Liver Fibrosis Index (FIB-4) to evaluate LF and measured plasma soluble CD14 (sCD14) and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) as surrogate biomarkers for MT. We used ordinal logistic regression to investigate correlates of LF at baseline and used a linear mixed model to examine the association between dynamic changes in MT biomarkers and LF. RESULTS: Of the participants, 61 (9.17%) had advanced LF (FIB-4 >3.25), and 193 (29.02%) had moderate LF (1.45 ≤ FIB-4 ≤ 3.25). Patients with advanced LF had higher plasma levels of sCD14 and LBP than those with moderate or no LF, both at baseline and at follow-up. The following factors were significantly associated with advanced LF: the highest quartile of LBP (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02~2.81), current intravenous drug use (aOR = 1.82; 95% CI 1.06~3.12), baseline CD4 <200 cells/µl (aOR = 3.25; 95% CI 2.13~4.95), hepatitis C virus coinfection (aOR = 2.52; 95% CI 1.41~4.51) and age >50 years (aOR = 32.66; 95% CI 15.89~66.36). LF progression (increasing FIB-4) was significantly associated with increasing sCD14 level (ß = 1.11; 95% CI 0.97~1.26; p < 0.001) with covariate adjustment. CONCLUSION: The significant relationship between MT and LF may reveal pathogenic mechanisms and potential intervention targets of liver complications among people living with HIV in China.

The role of personality, social economic and prevention strategy effects on health-related quality of life among people living with HIV/AIDS.

BACKGROUND: HIV/AIDS has transformed into a chronic controllable but not yet curable infectious disease as other chronic diseases to some extent. The additional of so called fourth 90% that included the improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for people living with HIV (PLWHIV) required solutions beyond antiretroviral therapy and viral load suppression. This study will explore the role of personality, social economic and prevention strategy effection on HRQoL among people living with HIV/AIDS. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among PLWHIV aged more than 16 years old in the 10 municipalities in Yunnan Province, China from October 2019 to May 2020, enrolling total 1997 participants. Individual-level HRQoL data were measured by 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and EuroQol Five Dimensions Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L). We assembled municipal-level data about social economic from Yunnan Statistical Yearbook in 2020 and strategy practice information from the self-evaluation system. We used the principal component analysis to build the social economic and strategy effect on each area respectively and one-way ANOVA was used to perform univariate analysis to identify the predictors with significant differences. Finally we used multi-level model (MLM) to explore the personality, social economic and strategy effects in health-related quality of life among PLWHIV. RESULTS: The global score for quality of life measured using EQ-5D-5L had an estimated mean score (standard deviation, SD) of 0.901 ± 0.146. The HRQoL score measured using PCS-12 had an estimated mean score (SD) of 46.62 ± 8.55. The mean MCS-12 score (SD) was estimated to be 47.80 ± 9.71. The area-level predictors explained a proportion of 13.6-17.2% for the between-area variation of the HRQoL scores, regardless of the total HRQoL, physical component and mental component. The impacts of stigma (P < 0.01), social support (P < 0.001), anxiety (P < 0.001), depression (P < 0.05) and social economic status (P < 0.05) on HRQoL at the individual-level were significantly different. The plots visualized the impact of individual-level factors on a respondent's HRQoL was modified by the area-level characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The study identified the possible strategy determinant of individual HRQoL of PLWHIV and also the area effect on HRQoL. Stigma, social support, anxiety, depression and social economic status were the individual-level determinants on HRQoL. These could be a valuable resource for evaluating the overall health of the areas and help improve local decision making.

Plasma Inflammatory Biomarkers Associated with Advanced Liver Fibrosis in HIV-HCV-Coinfected Individuals.

BACKGROUND: HIV and HCV coinfection leads to accelerated liver fibrosis, in which microbial translocation and systemic inflammation might play important roles. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide an extensive profile of the plasma microbial translocation and inflammation biomarkers associated with advanced liver fibrosis among HIV-HCV-coinfected patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited 343 HIV-HCV-coinfected patients on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) from a rural prefecture of Yunnan province in Southwest China. The plasma concentrations of sCD14 and 27 cytokines and chemokines were assayed and compared against advanced or mild levels of liver fibrosis. RESULTS: Of the 343 HIV-HCV-coinfected patients, 188 (54.8%) had severe or advanced liver fibrosis (FIB-4 > 3.25). The patients with advanced liver fibrosis (FIB-4 > 3.25 vs. FIB-4 ≤ 3.25) had higher plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, IL-7, IL-9, IL-12, IL-15, IL-17, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-basic), and Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). Multivariable logistic regression models showed that advanced liver fibrosis was associated with an increased plasma level of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-7, IL-12, IL-17, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, MCP-1, Eotaxin, and FGF-basic, with FGF-basic continuing to be positively and significantly associated with advanced liver fibrosis, after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.92; 95%CI: 1.32-2.81; p = 0.001). Plasma sCD14 was also significantly associated with advanced liver fibrosis (aOR = 1.13; 95%CI: 1.01-1.30; p = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: HIV-HCV-coinfected patients are living with a high prevalence of advanced liver fibrosis which coexists with a mixture of elevated plasma inflammation and microbial translocation biomarkers. The significant associations of advanced liver fibrosis with FGF-basic and sCD14 may reveal pathogenic mechanisms and potential clinical intervention targets for liver fibrosis in HCV-HIV coinfection.

Fibrosis-4 index predicts mortality in HIV/HCV co-infected patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy in rural China.

End-stage liver disease (ESLD) is among leading causes of death for people living with HIV and HCV. Little is known how liver fibrosis score predicts mortality in HIV/HCV co-infected population under combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). A retrospective cohort study of 691 HIV/HCV co-infected patients receiving cART in Yunnan, China from 2005 to 2016 was carried out to explore the association between Fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) and all-cause mortality. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for FIB-4 and covariates. After a median follow-up of 4.8 years with a total follow-up time of 3,696 person-years (PY), 131 deaths occurred and the all-cause mortality was 3.5 per 100 PY. The mortality was 2.9 (95% CI: 2.3-3.5)/100 PY for the FIB-4 ≤ 3.25 group and 5.8 (4.2-7.4)/100 PY for the FIB-4 > 3.25 group at baseline. People with FIB-4 changed from mild to advanced group showed HR of 1.81 (95% CI: 1.01-3.25) for death, and with FIB-4 sustaining advanced showed HR of 3.11 (1.75-5.54), both compared to those with FIB-4 remained mild, while lower risk of death was observed among married people (HR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.41-0.99) compared to unmarried, among those with most recent CD4+ T cell counts between 200 and 350 cells/µL (0.50, 0.30-0.86) and > 350 cells/µL (0.25, 0.15-0.41) compared to CD4 under 200 cells/µL. Advanced and progressive liver fibrosis is a strong predictor of all-cause mortality in HIV/HCV co-infected patients under cART in China.

Tobacco and alcohol use among drug users receiving methadone maintenance treatment: a cross-sectional study in a rural prefecture of Yunnan Province, Southwest China.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of ever, current and heavy tobacco and alcohol use and their correlates among patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: The study was conducted in all of the 5 MMT clinics in Dehong Prefecture, China. PARTICIPANTS: 2121 (81.6%) eligible MMT participants were included in the study population. ANALYSIS: Ordinal logistic regression was used to estimate the ORs and their 95% CIs. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of ever, current and heavy smoking was 98.6%, 97.8% and 66.3%, respectively; while that of ever, current and hazardous alcohol drinking was 86.6%, 58.6% and 16.6%, respectively. Among HIV-infected participants, the proportions of those experiencing harmful effects of tobacco and alcohol on AIDS were 53.6% and 72.5%, respectively, and 16.9% and 49.3% had ever tried to quit after diagnosis with HIV. After adjusting for potential confounders, heavier smokers and more hazardous drinkers were more likely to be men, older and less educated. Ethnic minorities were less likely to heavily smoke, but more likely to engage in hazardous drinking. In addition, hazardous drinking was negatively associated with longer years of MMT and HIV infection. Moreover, heavier smoking (OR≥2=2.08, 95% CI 1.16 to 3.73) and more hazardous drinking (OR≥2=2.46, 95% CI 1.53 to 3.97) were positively associated with having multiple sexual partners, and both were positively associated with each other. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of tobacco and alcohol consumption was extraordinarily high among MMT participants in China, suggesting the urgent need of enhancing MMT patients' awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco and alcohol consumption and implementing comprehensive education and effective intervention programmes.

[Incidence and risk factors of HIV infection among sero-negative spouses of people living with HIV/AIDS in Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province].

OBJECTIVE: To study the incidence rate and risk factors of HIV infection among sero-negative spouses of people living with HIV/AIDS (HIV/AIDS) in Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted from February 2009 to December 2014 in Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province. Questionnaire survey and HIV related tests were carried out once a year. RESULTS: By the end of December 2014, 2 091 sero-negative spouses had been recruited, of whom 1 692 were followed-up for at least one time. RESULTS showed that 34 new HIV infections were identified within 5 494.52 person years of follow-up, for an overall incidence of 0.62 per 100 person years. HIV incidence rates appeared as 0.79 per 100 person years, 0.62 per 100 person years, 0.47 per 100 person years in 2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2013-2014, respectively. Data from the Cox proportional hazard regression model indicated that risk factors of HIV infection among sero-negative spouses of HIV/AIDS were: non-consistent condom use (HR=4.64, 95%CI: 1.89-11.40,P= 0.001), HIV/AIDS delayed antiviral retrovirus therapy (ART) for more than one year (HR=3.70, 95% CI: 1.44-9.49,P=0.007) after the HIV negative spouses were initially recruited, HIV/AIDS did not receive any ART (HR=3.62, 95% CI: 1.14-11.51,P=0.029). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of HIV infection among sero-negative spouses in Dehong prefecture was relatively low. Publicity on consistent condom use program should be emphasized among sero-negative spouses of HIV/AIDS, together with the timely provision of ART to those HIV/AIDS.

[Impacts of antiretroviral treatment on drug use and high risk sexual behaviors among HIV-positive MMT clients].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impacts of antiretroviral treatment on drug use and high risk sexual behaviors among HIV-positive MMT clients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in patients undergoing ART (ART-experienced) and patients not undergoing ART (ART-naive) attending MMT in 5 clinics in Yunnan Honghe and Dehong prefectures in 2014. A questionnaire was designed to collect socio-demographic characteristics, ART and MMT information and sexual and drug use behaviors within 3 months before the investigation was conducted. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the predictors for drug use and risky sexual behaviors. RESULTS: A total of 328 cases were included in the analysis, among which 202 were ART-experienced and 126 were ART-naÏve. Among 152 respondents who were sexually active, 61 (40.1%) reported having unprotected sex (UPS) with their regular partners in the prior 3 months. A total of 57.6% (189/328) of the respondents used drugs in the prior 3 months. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that younger than 35 years old (OR = 3.57, 95% CI: 1.23-10.37), fertility desire (OR = 4.47, 95% CI: 1.49-13.41), partner being HIV-positive (OR = 4.62, 95% CI: 1.80-11.86), length of MMT attendance less than 5 years (OR = 2.92, 95% CI: 1.14-7.53), agreed that it was necessary to use condom no matter the viral load is high or low (OR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.04-0.51) were protective factors of UPS in the prior 3 months. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that being Han (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.24-0.89), feeling having good health status (OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.18-0.85), being enrolled in ART (OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.17-0.60) were protective factors for drug use in the prior three months, having contact with drug using friends (OR = 4.41, 95% CI: 2.31-8.29), having experience of missing an MMT dose (OR = 3.47, 95% CI: 1.92-6.29), and not satisfied with current MMT dose (OR = 13.92, 95% CI: 3.24-59.93) were risk factors for drug use during the prior three months. CONCLUSION: ART was not associated with risky sexual behavior and drug use in the prior 3 months in this population. Future interventions should promote ART among this population, and provide education at the same time to prevent the emergence of cross infections and drug-resistant strains.

Illicit Heroin and Methamphetamine Use among Methadone Maintenance Treatment Patients in Dehong Prefecture of Yunnan Province, China.

OBJECTIVE: Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) was introduced to China in 2004 to reduce the harm of injecting drug users (IDUs). However, little is known about continued drug use, especially methamphetamine (MAMP), among MMT patients. METHODS: A survey was conducted among patients attending five major MMT clinics in Dehong Prefecture in 2014 to investigate the heroin and MAMP use and their associated risk factors. Participants were administered with face-to-face interviews, and urine tests for morphine and MAMP. RESULTS: A total of 2,121 were eligible and participated in the study. Among them, 220 (10.4%) were only positive for morphine, 12.9% were only positive for MAMP, and 196 (9.2%) were positive for both morphine and MAMP. Compared with neither use of heroin nor MAMP during MMT, heroin use (not using MAMP) was associated with ethnicity, shorter duration of MMT, lower dose of methadone, and having had no more than two sex partners in the past year; MAMP use (not using heroin) was associated with ethnicity, longer duration of MMT, higher dose of methadone and being aged <30 years (vs. ≥50 years); use of both heroin and MAMP was associated with being Dai minority (vs. Han), a marital status of divorced or widowed, having used drugs for ≥10 years and shorter duration of MMT. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate the complexity in the treatment of heroin users and underscore the importance in prescribing appropriate methadone dosages in order to reduce both heroin and MAMP use.

[Analysis of follow-up and administration of HIV-infected Burmese in Dehong prefecture of Yunnan province].

OBJECTIVE: To compare follow-up and administration of HIV-infected local Chinese and Burmese in Dehong prefecture of Yunnan province, for scientific development of prevention and control measures. METHODS: 14 270 HIV-infected local Chinese and 5 436 HIV-infected Burmese reported from 1989 to December 31, 2013 in Dehong prefecture were recruited as the subjects of study, comparing the differences of follow-up and management, CD4⁺ T lymphocyte count tests and antiretroviral therapy (ART) between the two groups. RESULTS: The proportion of HIV-infected Burmese identified in Dehong prefecture was 27.6% (5 436/19 706) during 1989-2013. The number had been growing rapidly from 17.1% in 1989-2003, 12.4% in 2004 and 14.7% in 2005 to over 51.4% in 2012, hitting 59.4% in 2013 (trends χ² = 1 732.84, P < 0.000 1). The proportion of HIV-infected Burmese among case reports of various characteristics kept rising over the years. By the end of 2013, 8 095 HIV-infected local Dehong residents and 5 326 HIV-infected Burmese were still alive. 95.8% of them were under follow-up, 88.5% having CD4⁺ T lymphocyte count tests, and 78.3% under ART. Among the HIV-infected B urmese, only 19.2% of them were under follow-up, 13.0% having CD4⁺ T lymphocyte count tests, and 6.1% under ART, significantly lower than the local Dehong residents (P < 0.000 1). CONCLUSION: The proportion of follow-up and administration, CD4⁺ T lymphocyte count tests, and ART of HIV-infected Burmese was low in Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province, which called for more effective follow-up and administration measures.

[Impact of antiretroviral therapy on drug-using and high risk sexual behaviors among HIV-positive methadone maintenance treatment clients: a qualitative study].

OBJECTIVE: To understand that whether initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) would impact on the change and its reasons regarding the HIV-related high risk behaviors among HIV-positive clients who attending the methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted among 34 MMT clients in Yunnan province who were under ART. The related contents would include information on general demographic charicteristics, HIV infection,MMT, number of sexual partners before and after ART, sexual behavior and frequency of condom use, drug use, needle sharing, changes in risk behaviors before and after the ART, reasons for high-risk behavior, of the clients. RESULTS: The average age of the interviewees was 38.5 years, and most of them were male (70.6%). The clients under this study all admitted that the frequencies of unsafe sex and needle sharing did not increase after the ART initiation, with the main reasons as increasing HIV related awareness, the use of methadone, high accessibility of free condoms and access to clean needles etc. However, 12 of 34 reported being relapsed and 3 reported inconsistent condom use. The interaction of ART and dosage of methadone were connected to the episodes of relapsing and the ART optimism would result in inconsistent condom use. CONCLUSION: No evidence supported that the ART initiation would increase the risk behaviors among the HIV-infected MMT clients. However, attention needs to be paid to the new challenges caused by high expectation of ART.

[Analysis of characteristics and therapy of clients in the extension methadone maintenance therapy clinic].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the characteristics and retention situation of clients in extension clinic of methadone maintenance therapy. METHODS: From December 20, 2010 to March 10, 2011, the system sampling method was used to get the cases. A total of 462 heroin addicts from 22 methadone maintenance therapy clinics and extension clinics located in Mangshi, Ruili, Longchuan, Yingjiang, Lianghe of Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province were interviewed, and the demographic characteristics, quality of life, urine testing results for morphine of the patients between the extension MMT clinic and standard MMT clinic were also collected and compared. A cohort study was conducted to analyze retention situation of the new clients with Kaplan Meier method during 9 months treatment. RESULTS: Of the 462 cases, 239 cases were from standard MMT clinic, and 223 cases were from the extension MMT clinic. Among them, 117 cases were new research objects into the group during the investigation. Among the clients of extension MMT clinic, 96.7% (147/152) of them were males, 37.5% (57/152) were Dai nationality, and 61.2% (93/152) were married, 38.8% (59/152) with primary school education, 95.4% (145/152) lived with their family or relatives, 96.7% (147/152) could arrive at the clinic from their habitation within 15 minutes. The positive detection rates 72% (13/18), 71% (24/34), 58% (30/52), 29% (15/52), 14% (6/44), 14% (4/29), 15% (5/34), 17% (6/35), 6% (2/33), 16% (5/31) of urine-morphine testing among new clients of extension MMT clinics decreased as the period of treatment lengthened (χ(2) = 61.04, P < 0.05). The period of retention of the clients in extension MMT clinics was 175-days averagely, with an average retention 122 days of when withdrawing. The retention rates of the clients were 52% (37/71)and 61% (28/46) at 9th month of the extension MMT clinics and standard MMT clinics respectively. There was no difference in the retention rate between those of two types of clinics (χ(2) = 0.82, P = 0.37) . CONCLUSION: Most of the clients in extension MMT clinics lived with their family or relatives, and spent less time on the way to the clinics. After 9 months methadone maintenance therapy, the quality of life of clients in extension clinics was improved while addiction among them decreased. The extension clinic was an effective strategy for retention in remote areas.

[Study on the incidence and risk factors of HCV infection among heroin addicts who were on methadone maintenance treatment in Dehong prefecture,Yunnan province].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and risk factors of HCV infection among heroin addicts who were receiving methadone maintenance treatment(MMT)in Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province. METHODS: All heroin addicts who were HCV negative at the initiation of MMT in June 2005 through March 2012, in Dehong prefecture, were included in this cohort analysis. HCV incidence was calculated and related risk factors determined by using Cox proportional hazard regression model. RESULTS: A total of 2390 MMT clinic attendants were qualified for this cohort study by March 2012. 731(30.6%) of them had never received any follow-up HCV testing so were recognized as loss to follow-up. The other 1659 (69.4%) participants had received at least one follow-up HCV testing and were observed for a total of 3509.12 person-years(py). During this period 99 new HCV infections or HCV sero-converters were identified. The overall HCV incidence was 2.82/100 py and was 3.62/100 py for 2006, 5.36/100 py for 2007, 6.71/100 py for 2008, 2.56/100 py for 2009, 1.90/100 py for 2010, and 0.44/100 py for 2011, respectively. Results from multiple regression analysis, using Cox proportional hazard model, indicated that after controlling for confounding variables, those who were unemployed, being injecting drug users(IDUs)or HIV positive at entry into the MMT program were more likely to be newly infected with HCV or HCV sero-converted during the follow-up period than those who were peasants, non-IDUs or HIV negative at entry into the MMT program(HR = 2.02, 95% CI:1.18-3.48; HR = 9.05, 95% CI:5.49-14.93; HR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.37-3.56), respectively. CONCLUSION: The incidence of HCV infection among MMT clinic attendants was decreasing since 2009 in Dehong prefecture. Those who were unemployed, injecting drug users and HIV positive were at higher risk of HCV infection.

[Study on incidence of HIV infection among heroin addicts receiving methadone maintenance treatment in Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and risk factors of HIV infection among heroin addicts receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) in Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province. METHODS: All heroin addicts who were HIV negative at the initiation of MMT in June 2005 and through June 2011, in Dehong prefecture were included in the cohort analysis. HIV incidence was calculated and related risk factors determined by using Cox proportional hazard regression model. RESULTS: A total of 3154 MMT clinic attendants were qualified for this cohort study. By June 2011, 1023 (32.4%) of them had never received any follow-up HIV testing so were thus referred as loss to follow-up. The other 2131 (67.6%) members had received at least one follow-up HIV testing and were observed for a total of 4615.86 person-years. During the period, 22 new HIV infections or seroconverters were identified, making the overall HIV incidence as 0.48/100 person-years. The HIV incidence was higher among those who were unemployed, never married, self-reported being injecting drug users (IDUs) and HCV positive at entry into the MMT program. None of those who were always negative on follow-up-urine-testing of morphine was discovered as HIV newly infected during the follow-up period. Data from multiple regression analysis under Cox proportional hazard model indicated that after controlling for confounding variables, non-IDUs at the entry point for the MMT program, were less likely to be HIV newly-infected or seroconverted than IDUs (HR = 0.29, 95%CI: 0.11 - 0.76). CONCLUSION: MMT program in Dehong prefecture was demonstrated to be fairly effective in reducing HIV transmission through drug use. Those HIV negative attendants at the MMT clinic who were IDUs or keep using drugs during the treatment, were at higher risk of HIV seroconvertion. More efforts were needed to improve the follow-up and HIV testing programs for the MMT clinic attendants.

[Causes of death among HIV-infected patients in Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province: 1989-2010].

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the fatality and causes of death related to comprehensive prevention and care programs among HIV-infected patients in Dehong prefecture of Yunnan province, from 1989 to 2010. METHODS: Data on HIV/AIDS death cases in Dehong prefecture were extracted from the "Chinese National Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care Information System" and were analyzed. RESULTS: From 1989 to the end of 2010, a total of 13 493 HIV/AIDS cases registered as local residents or currently living in Dehong, had been reported. Among them, 8569 were reported as HIV cases with 2036 deaths and the other 4924 were reported as AIDS cases with 2251 deaths. A few of the cases had survived for 15 - 20 years. By the end of 2010, the number of deaths was higher than the number of survivors among HIV/AIDS cases reported before 2004, whereas the number of survivors was higher than the number of deaths among HIV/AIDS cases reported in 2004 and there after. During the twenty years' period, the proportion of reported HIV/AIDS cases died in the same year showed a secular trend of being low-highest-low, rising up to > 10.0% in 2001, peaking at 18.9% in 2003 and then continuously going down to 5.8% in 2010. The proportion of HIV/AIDS cases who survived at the beginning but died later in the year was going down since 2007. The proportion of HIV/AIDS deaths died directly from AIDS was increasing whereas the proportion of HIV/AIDS deaths dying directly from overuse of drugs was decreasing in the recent years. Among HIV/AIDS deaths, the proportion of ever received CD4(+) T-cell testing and the proportion of ever having received antiretroviral treatment were also increasing in the past years, reaching to 89.9% and 25.5% in 2010, respectively. CONCLUSION: The case fatality of HIV/AIDS was decreasing in the past years in Dehong prefecture. More efforts were needed to scale up the CD4(+) T-cell count testing and antiretroviral treatment in order to further reduce both morbidity and mortality among HIV/AIDS patients in Dehong prefecture. It is critical to improve surveillance program on HIV/AIDS deaths in the rural areas.