Disaggregating Office of Management and Budget Race/Ethnicity Data to Examine Racial Disparities in Late-Stage HIV Diagnosis, Hawaii, 2010-2022.

To evaluate racial disparities when examining race at a more granular level than the broader 1997 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) categories. We examined HIV diagnoses in Hawaii during 2010 to 2022 by OMB race/ethnicity categories and an 18-category granular race/ethnicity variable that included the 10 most frequent Asian and Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander groups. We used multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders.

Formulation development of dual-compartment topical inserts combining tenofovir alafenamide and elvitegravir for flexible on-demand HIV prevention.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has emerged as a prominent approach for the prevention of HIV infections. While the latest advances have resulted in effective oral and injectable product options, there are still gaps in on-demand, event-driven, topical products for HIV prevention that are safe and effective. Here we describe the formulation development of a dual-compartment topical insert containing tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) and elvitegravir (EVG) that may be administered when needed, vaginally or rectally, pre- or post-coitus, for flexible HIV prophylaxis.

Trends, patterns, and factors associated with HIV infection among males diagnosed with syphilis, 2014-2019, Hawaii.

Objective: This study describes HIV infection and associated risk factors among males diagnosed with syphilis in Hawaii.

Methods: Hawaii sexually transmitted infection (STI) registry records of males diagnosed with syphilis, 2014-2019, were crossmatched with Hawaii HIV surveillance registry records through 2020 using CDC's Registry Plus Link Plus software. HIV status from the STI registry was validated by matching results.

Single dose topical inserts containing tenofovir alafenamide fumarate and elvitegravir provide pre- and post-exposure protection against vaginal SHIV infection in macaques.

Background: Vaginal products for HIV prevention that can be used on-demand before or after sex may be a preferable option for women with low frequency or unplanned sexual activity or who prefer not to use daily or long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We performed dose ranging pharmacokinetics (PK) and efficacy studies of a vaginally applied insert containing tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) and elvitegravir (EVG) in macaques under PrEP or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) modalities.

Methods: PK studies were performed in 3 groups of pigtailed macaques receiving inserts with different fixed-dose combinations of TAF and EVG (10/8, 20/16 and 40/24 mg).

Development and Preclinical Investigation of Physically Cross-Linked and pH-Sensitive Polymeric Gels as Potential Vaginal Contraceptives.

This study explored the development of cross-linked gels to potentially provide a physical barrier to vaginal sperm transport for contraception. Two types of gels were formulated, a physically cross-linked iota-carrageenan (C) phenylboronic acid functionalized hydroxylpropylmethyacrylate copolymer (PBA)-based (C-PBA) gel, designed to block vaginal sperm transport. The second gel was pH-shifting cross-linked C-polyvinyl alcohol-boric acid (C-PVA-BA) gel, designed to modulate its properties in forming a viscoelastic, weakly cross-linked transient network (due to C gelling properties) on vaginal application (at acidic pH of ~3.

Incident Cases of Sexually Transmitted Infections among Users of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention in Honolulu, Hawai'i.

Emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate [FTC-TDF] is a daily oral medication taken by HIV-negative individuals for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. A higher incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among PrEP users has been reported compared to STI incidence before PrEP use. Asymptomatic incident STI rates were investigated among 78 patients presenting for PrEP in Honolulu, Hawai'i, from April 2018 to May 2019.

Patient and provider characteristics associated with retention in HIV medical care and viral suppression among in care patients in Hawaii.

The percentages of retention in care and viral suppression among persons living with HIV (PLWH) in the United States from 2015 to 2018 were far below the 2020 national goals. This study aims to examine disparities in retention in care and viral suppression. The study population included PLWH diagnosed through 2016, residing in Hawaii at year-end 2016 and 2017, and who were in care in 2017 defined as having ≥1 CD4/viral load tests in 2017.

Preclinical evaluation of UC781 microbicide vaginal drug delivery.

UC781 is a potent nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor being investigated as a potential microbicide to prevent transmission of HIV-1 both vaginally and rectally. This study was designed to investigate the in vitro drug release, in vitro permeability/safety, and in vivo pharmacokinetics in rabbits of a vaginal gel prepared with micronized or nonmicronized UC781 (UC781m and UC781nm, respectively). Gels prepared with UC781m had greater in vitro release rates (Franz cells) and permeability/tissue-associated UC781 concentrations than gels prepared with UC781nm (EpiVaginal tissues).

In vitro and in vivo characterization of a potential universal placebo designed for use in vaginal microbicide clinical trials.

The development of vaginal microbicides for the prevention of sexual transmission of HIV is becoming an increasingly important strategy in the battle against the AIDS epidemic. Several first generation microbicide candidates are entering Phase III efficacy trials, and several other candidates are in earlier stages of clinical development. The capacity to make accurate clinical assessments of the safety and efficacy of microbicide formulations is critical.

Determination of degradation products of squalamine lactate using LC/MS.

Heat, acid and base stress methods were applied to study the stability of squalamine lactate. Liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to analyze the degraded samples and tentative structural identifications were assigned based on their molecular weight measurements, reactivity and MS/MS fragmentation. Solid squalamine lactate generated a new amide, namely lactyl squalamide, when heated to 80 degrees C.

Chromatographic performance of large-pore versus small-pore columns in micellar liquid chromatography.

Micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) is useful in bioanalysis because proteinaceous biofluids can be directly injected onto the column. The technique has been limited in part because of the apparently weak eluting power of micellar mobile phases. It has recently been shown [Anal.