Pregnancy Outcomes After HIV Diagnosis in Women Living With HIV in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region: A Brief Report.

The study analyzed pregnancy outcomes among 498 women living with HIV in East Asia. We found 15% had pregnancies postdiagnosis, with 57% resulting in live births. Older age at antiretroviral therapy initiation and higher pre-antiretroviral therapy viral loads were negatively associated with pregnancy.

Understanding the financial hardships faced by TB and HIV patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-method study in Bandung and Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

The COVID-19 pandemic had significant widespread financial impacts, resulting in decreased household income, increased unemployment, and disrupted health services. Despite the higher prevalence of infections of tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in poorer populations, research on the financial challenges faced by these populations during the pandemic is still limited. Indonesia recorded the highest COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia (6,815,156) while contending with the dual burden of HIV and TB.

Exploring experiences of the regulatory toxicology system: system-level promoters and inhibitors of new approach methodologies.

The transition from traditional animal-based approaches and assessments to New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) marks a scientific revolution in regulatory toxicology, with the potential of enhancing human and environmental protection. However, implementing the effective use of NAMs in regulatory toxicology has proven to be challenging, and so far, efforts to facilitate this change frequently focus on singular technical, psychological or economic inhibitors. This article takes a system-thinking approach to these challenges, a holistic framework for describing interactive relationships between the components of a system of interest.

The prevalence of trachoma, ocular Chlamydia trachomatis infection and anti-Pgp3 antibodies in Choiseul Province, Solomon Islands.

Trachoma, caused by repeated ocular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, remains a leading infectious cause of blindness globally, with significant implications for public health. The World Health Organization and partners aim to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem by 2030, targeting specific prevalence thresholds for trachomatous trichiasis (TT) and trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF). Diagnosis is primarily clinical.

Effect of cumin and coriander seeds consumption on dyslipidemia, abdominal fat, body weight, and lipid profile in rat models.

Dyslipidemia is considered a crucial risk factor for high risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Cumin and coriander seeds are well-known flavoring agents that contain nutraceutical properties and appear to have beneficial health effects. A study was therefore conducted to investigate the effects of cumin and coriander seeds on body weight, abdominal fat and lipid profile in rats.

Lymphoma driver mutations at the root of somatic evolution of nerve-damaging autoantibodies in myelin associated glycoprotein neuropathy.

Background: In autoimmune disease it is not understood how self-reactive B cells escape immune tolerance checkpoints to produce pathogenic autoantibodies.

Objective: In patients with demyelinating polyneuropathy caused by IgM autoantibodies against myelin associated glycoprotein (MAG) and the sulphated trisaccharide CD57, we aimed to test the hypothesis that B cells making the autoantibody escaped tolerance by acquiring lymphoma driver somatic mutations.

Methods: Deep single-cell RNA, DNA, flow cytometric and antibody specificity analysis of blood from three patients with MAG neuropathy.

HIV-related mortality time trends among children and young adolescents on antiretroviral therapy by age, treatment duration, and region: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis.

Background: Past cohort studies have examined mortality among children and young adolescents (aged 0-14 years) who have received antiretroviral therapy (ART), but no systematic reviews have been undertaken to synthesise these findings. Our study aims to provide the most comprehensive global estimates of paediatric mortality among children and adolescents receiving ART.

Methods: For this systematic review and meta-regression analysis, we searched PubMed and Embase from Jan 1, 1990 to July 31, 2024 for studies reporting mortality among children and young adolescents living with HIV who were on ART.

Genetically determined body mass index is associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in polygenic and Mendelian randomization analyses.

Obesity has been associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), but the evidence is inconclusive. We examined the association between genetically determined adiposity and four common NHL subtypes: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and marginal zone lymphoma, using eight genome-wide association studies of European ancestry (N = 10,629 cases, 9505 controls) and constructing polygenic scores for body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI (WHRadjBMI). Higher genetically determined BMI was associated with an increased risk of DLBCL [odds ratio (OR) per standard deviation (SD) = 1.

An RGD motif on SARS-CoV-2 Spike induces TGF-β signaling and downregulates interferon.

Unlabelled: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) protein mediates canonical cell entry via ACE2 and has also been implicated as an activator of a diverse range of signaling pathways. Here, we present evidence that the RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) motif within the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the S1 fragment of the S protein induces TGF-β cytokine expression. RGD peptides are well characterized as ligands for a subset of integrin complexes primarily containing α5 and αV subunits.

Influenza vaccination to improve outcomes for patients with acute heart failure (PANDA II): a multiregional, seasonal, hospital-based, cluster-randomised, controlled trial in China.

Background: Influenza vaccination is widely recommended to prevent death and serious illness in vulnerable people, including those with heart failure. However, the randomised evidence to support this practice is limited and few people are vaccinated in many parts of the world. We aimed to determine whether influenza vaccination can improve the outcome of patients after an episode of acute heart failure requiring admission to hospital in China.

Leveraging the influenza sentinel surveillance platform for SARS-CoV-2 monitoring in Bangladesh (2020-2024): a prospective sentinel surveillance study.

Background: There is limited global evidence on whether influenza sentinel surveillance platforms can be effectively adapted for long-term SARS-CoV-2 monitoring in low-resource contexts. We explored the utility of the hospital-based influenza sentinel surveillance (HBIS) platform for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in Bangladesh by comparing SARS-CoV-2 detection in HBIS platform with national COVID-19 platform and assessing how its integration into influenza surveillance aligns with national trends.

Methods: From March 2020 to December 2024, we analysed data from patients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI) enrolled in HBIS.

Development of the chemsex assessment for referral and evaluation (CARE) with preliminary psychometric properties: A screening tool for referral needs in community settings.

Background: Chemsex, the use of substances to enhance or prolong sexual experiences before or during sex, is an important public health issue among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). To address the lack of tailored screening tools, this study developed the Chemsex Assessment for Referral and Evaluation (CARE) to identify gbMSM who may benefit from specialised care.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey for gbMSM who engaged in chemsex in the past year was conducted in Taiwan.

High variation in purity of consumer-level illicit fentanyl samples in Los Angeles, September 2023-April 2025.

Background: The illicit manufacture of fentanyl results in product of unknown purity, contributing to overdose risk. However, data on the purity of illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) in the United States typically comes from law enforcement sources and almost no information relevant to retail-level product is made available. We aim to quantify IMF purity among samples from a community-based drug checking program operating at four geographic sites in Los Angeles, California.

Epidemiologic, Clinical, and economic Burden of AnoGenital Warts Among Adults: A Global Systematic Review.

Objectives: Anogenital warts (AGW) are a common manifestation of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. As HPV vaccination programs expand, updated data are needed to assess the ongoing global AGW burden. This systematic review examined AGW epidemiology, clinical impact, and economic burden, analyzing 187 studies from 49 countries by income level, sex, and age.

Temporal dynamics of viral fitness and the adaptive immune response in HCV infection.

Numerous studies have shown that viral variants that elude the host immune response may incur a fitness expense, diminishing the survival of the viral strain within the host, and the capacity of the variant to survive future transmission events. This definition can be divided into intrinsic fitness-fitness without immune pressure-and effective fitness, which includes immune influence. Co-occurring mutations outside immune-targeted epitope regions may also affect variant survival (epistasis).

Unlocking iron: nutritional origins, metabolic pathways, and systemic significance.

Iron is a vital micronutrient, involved in numerous cellular functions including DNA synthesis, oxygen transport, energy generation, and immunity enhancement. It has unique redox properties that make it necessary for multiple metabolic reactions. However, the same property warrants its tight regulation as well.

Evaluation of a novel comprehensive sexual health e-testing pathway to inform state-wide roll out in new South wales, Australia.

Aim: To evaluate the acceptability of MyCheck for asymptomatic sexually transmissible infections (STIs) testing.

Background: Regular testing for STIs in at-risk populations is recommended by Australian guidelines as many STIs are asymptomatic. Consequently, MyCheck was developed to enhance access by combining a telehealth consultation with direct referral to pathology, avoiding the need for in-person clinic visits.

The 'Informed Matter' of Gay and Bisexual Men's (Potential) Use of HIV Antiretrovirals to Prevent COVID-19.

In 2020, there were reports that HIV antiretrovirals, specifically the combination tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine (TDF/FTC), had therapeutic potential for COVID-19. In the context of scant empirical evidence at the time to confirm such an effect, we sought to understand the ways that gay and bisexual men (GBM) made sense of-and embodied-information about HIV antiretrovirals in relation to preventing and/or treating COVID-19. We conducted interviews with 26 participants between August and November 2020.

Preferences for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among men who have sex with men and trans women in 15 countries and territories in Asia and Australia: a discrete choice experiment.

Introduction: Scaling up pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) in the Asia-Pacific region has been slow. We identified the drivers of PrEP use and forecasted PrEP uptake given different PrEP programmes for MSM and TGW living in 15 countries and territories in Asia and Australia.

Methods: Separate online discrete choice experiment surveys for MSM and TGW were distributed in 15 Asian countries and territories and Australia between May and November 2022.

Missed opportunities in HCV care: Trends in late diagnosis and treatment.

Background & Aims: Timely HCV care is essential to prevent liver disease progression. The aim of this study was to evaluate trends in late HCV diagnosis and treatment in people diagnosed with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

Methods: HCV notifications in NSW, Australia (1995-2022) were linked to hospital admissions (2010-2021) and treatment records (2002-2022).

Evaluation of rayleigh jet atomizer for intranasal delivery of lipid nanoparticle-siRNA formulations: stability, deposition, and device performance.

The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the need for innovative and efficient drug delivery systems, particularly for nucleic acid-based therapeutics. Lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology provides a promising strategy for gene therapy, immune modulation, and targeted molecular medicine. Intranasal delivery of LNP-siRNA formulations offers advantages such as efficient gene silencing and non-invasive administration.

Strategies to achieve the UNAIDS 95% HIV diagnosis target in Australia: Insights from a multidisciplinary roundtable.

Introduction: In 2022, Australia met the global UNAIDS 95% targets for treatment and viral suppression. Achieving 95% of people knowing their HIV status requires implementation of a wider mix of HIV testing types and access points.

Methods: In October 2023, a community-led HIV testing roundtable meeting of 34 participants was convened to better understand current barriers and enablers to foster HIV testing equity.

Therapeutic CD8 T cell tissue retention and immunomodulation during ART interruption fail to prevent SIV rebound.

A primary obstacle for HIV elimination is the long-term viral reservoir in lymphoid tissues (LT) that can cause rebound viremia if therapy is stopped. Cytotoxic CD8 T cells are critical for control of HIV and Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) viremia; however, CD8 T cells that migrate to LT are primarily noncytotoxic, calling into question whether these cells could reduce the viral reservoir on antiretroviral therapy (ART) or control viral replication when therapy is halted. To determine whether CD8 T cells can inhibit viral replication when retained in LT, we inhibited lymphocyte egress from LTs in ART-treated SIV-infected rhesus macaques (RMs) during analytic treatment interruption (ATI) using the S1PR modulator FTY720 alone or in combination with anti-PD1 antibody (αPD1) and the IL-15 receptor superagonist N-803 to increase cytolytic function.

Inflammation in frailty, cognitive impairment, clinical events and mortality among older adults with HIV in the ACTG HAILO cohort.

Objectives: Associations between inflammatory markers and prevalent or incident frailty, cognitive impairment, clinical events and mortality in older people with HIV are poorly understood.

Design: An observational cohort study.

Methods: Participants ≥50 years from the ACTG HAILO cohort study were included.

Profiling the HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Cascade in Japan: A Latent Class Analysis of a Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.

To understand opportunities for improving pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake, this study constructed a PrEP cascade and examined subgroup profiles associated with transitions along the cascade among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) in Japan. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to March 2021. The four-step PrEP cascade included awareness, willingness, initiation, and regimen use.