Welcome to the August issue of the ARI email newsletter. This newsletter features information pertinent to researchers and staff engaged in HIV/AIDS research at the University of California, San Francisco, and its community partners. (Note: Owing to the Bangkok International AIDS Conference, there was no July 2004 newsletter.)
Teaching Award purpose: The diverse programs of the AIDS Research Institute throughout UCSF have a rich tradition of aiding and encouraging young scientists in their education and career development through teaching.
Teaching Awards are intended for: Those members of the campus community who have performed extraordinary service in teaching at all levels within the University to students, fellows, interns, and junior faculty involved in HIV/AIDS research and clinical care. Candidates for the Sarlo Award should be individuals who, in their roles as instructors, have proven exceptional in their commitment and ability to stimulate, nurture, and inspire young minds.
Award: Award amount is $5,000 for one year and can be used for unrestricted purposes to benefit the teaching and related needs of applicants.
Nomination guidelines: Nominations can be submitted by anyone in the campus community, including the junior faculty, fellows, interns, and students taught by the nominee. Nominations should consist of a nomination letter and a curriculum vita of the nominee.
Reviewers will evaluate Teaching Awards nominations for:
* Strength of nominee's experience in the AIDS field
* Suitability for teaching
* Relevance to AIDS
Submission and Deadline: Nominations must be submitted to the Sarlo Award Committee, c/o David Robb, UCSF Box 0886, by 5:00 pm Friday, October 1, 2004. Nominees will be notified of the outcome of their nominations by November 1, 2004.
b. Upcoming ARI fundraising events
A number of important events which support the UCSF AIDS Research Institute are scheduled this fall, as outlined below. We want to call them to your attention, ask you to save the dates on your calendar, and urge you to participate in as many as possible.
While all of these are important fundraisers for ARI programs, we especially invite your participation in the World AIDS Day concert on December 1 at the Most Holy Redeemer Church, 500 Diamond Street. A portion of the program will be dedicated to thanking the UCSF scientists and caregivers who have had such a positive impact of the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS. We hope to have a large number of UCSF people there to participate in the program, which is organized by the Interfaith Committee of the ARI Leadership Council. Music for the event will be provided by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus.
Save these important dates on your calendar now. Thanks, and hope to see you there!
Randy Shields
ARI Acting Development Director
Sunday, Sept. 19
Peter St. Geme Inc's Champions Run for Children
9:00 a.m. Jamba Juice 5K BananaMan Chase
10:30 a.m. Whole Foods Market Young Champions Races
Kezar Stadium, Golden Gate Park
Registration details at info@rhodyco.com
Benefiting UCSF Children's Hospital Pediatric AIDS Research
Thursday, Sept. 23
Macy's Passport 2004
5:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m., Herbst & Festival Pavilions, Fort Mason Center: Black Tie Gala reception and dinner.
8:00 p.m. Fantasy Auction and Passport Fashion Show followed by VIP Dessert Party.
Call Blue Room Events: (877) 252-7814
Benefiting UCSF HIV vaccine research programs
Thursday, Nov. 18
ELLE DECOR'S Dining By Design,
Presented by Champagne Taittinger
6:30 p.m. to midnight at Exhibition Concourse,
San Francisco Design Center, 7th Street at Brannan
Produced by DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS
"Over the top tabletop" featuring champagne reception, silent auction, dinner and dancing.
9:00 p.m. Champagne Taittinger Bubble Blast Dessert Party
For information or tickets, call (415) 597-8164
Benefiting UCSF Positive Health Program
Wednesday, Dec. 1
World AIDS Day Musical Concert
7:00 p.m., Most Holy Redeemer Church, 500 Diamond Street
An Evening of Remembrance, Hope, and Thanks to UCSF scientists and caregivers for ongoing work in HIV/AIDS
Featuring music by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus
Produced by the ARI Leadership Council Interfaith Committee
For information or tickets, call (415) 597-8164
Benefiting the UCSF ARI Breakthrough Fund
c. Havlir/Grant op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle
A model for treatment
Diane V. Havlir, Robert M. Grant
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
San Francisco Chronicle
Last month, at the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, we faced how much there is to despair as a result of the global AIDS epidemic. The death toll is 20 million and climbing. Of the more than 35 million persons living with HIV, only a tiny proportion are receiving therapy. Asia is home to a fifth of those living with HIV, and potentially at the brink of an explosion in cases. Stigma and human rights issues surrounding HIV abound in Asia. Children continue to be infected at birth, despite simple interventions. For the near future, a vaccine is out of reach.
Is there an inkling of hope in this abysmal situation? There were some surprising answers at the conference. Only five years ago, lifesaving therapy for HIV was not even mentioned on the global agenda. Antiretroviral therapy was too expensive and complicated to administer in poor countries. AIDS was a fatal disease, period. Then at the XIV World AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, passionate calls for treatment access were finally heard. The conference theme of "Break the Silence" became a reality when the World Health Organization officially endorsed HIV treatment for all persons in need. And in short time, a number of large, ambitious treatment programs sponsored by WHO, the U.S. government and others were launched.
"Access for All" was a gutsy meeting theme for the organizers of the Bangkok conference. Millions of persons need HIV treatment. Delivering treatment is no easy task. It requires the commitment of world leaders, the necessary financial resources and a solid scientific and public health anchor. It requires a global social and political movement.
The juncture the global community faces with AIDS is reminiscent of what San Francisco faced more than 20 years ago. The obstacles to slowing the epidemic, reducing stigma and treating the disease seemed insurmountable back then. We began to gain the upper hand on the epidemic only through commitment, contributions and cooperation among politicians, activists, health-care providers, industry and scientists. In one sense, San Francisco's story is a tale of heroes; in another, it was a painful journey with too many lives lost along the way.
The beauty of Bangkok lay in this visible evolution of a social and political movement to treat HIV, with a leadership and following that may have a chance to succeed. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Dr. Peter Piot of UNAIDS and Jim Kim of WHO all gave inspirational speeches on global commitment. Leaders from the major treatment initiatives discussed plans and problems. Activists catalyzed productive dialogue; program managers networked and the pharmaceutical industry actively participated despite the attacks on drug pricing.
Several important scientific contributions also premiered at this meeting. Just a few examples:
-- A new strategy was unveiled for preventing drug resistance while using antivirals to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
-- Some "microbicides," lubricants that inactivate HIV, were shown safe.
-- Sustained effectiveness for our most important drugs against HIV was demonstrated.
Although most news about the spread of HIV was grim, clear success stories, including Thailand and Uganda, were notable. Analysis of HIV control in these areas revealed a blend of political leadership, public discussion and individual changes in behavior. Most important, the meeting was an incubator for young scientists from all over the world. Science was not center stage, but this was science in action -- the application of important breakthroughs on a global scale.
The road ahead will no doubt be uphill in the global response to HIV, but the urgency is great. We believe that the 15th International AIDS conference in Bangkok provides insight into a better approach to human disease. While basic science drives the development of new drugs, scientists are often inspired by observations made by clinicians, who deal directly with patients, or public-health officers who observe population trends, or political leaders who create policy. As our experience in San Francisco showed, we learn to use new drugs through extensive collaborations between laboratory scientists, clinicians, the patients themselves and their community organizations. In Bangkok, we could see how discussion across these particular points of view can be difficult, yet how it frequently gives rise to new approaches to therapy and prevention. We glimpsed how the human community could work together to combat a difficult global problem.
Dr. Diane V. Havlir is a professor at UCSF School of Medicine and chief of the HIV/AIDS Division and Positive Health Program at San Francisco General Hospital. Dr. Robert M. Grant is an associate investigator at the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology and associate professor at UCSF School of Medicine.
d. Job posting: ARI AAIII
The AIDS Research Institute is hiring an AA III. Interested candidates should apply online, at the UCSF HR web site, as listed below.
ASSISTANT III, Req: 10904BR
AIDS Research Institute/UCSF
Work hours: M-F, 9:00am - 6:00pm
Salary range: $35,412 - $44,460
(position located in downtown San Francisco)
The incumbent provides medium to high-level complex executive administrative, analytical, and technical support to the Director and ARI Manager. Assists with the preparation of research applications/proposals to private and government funders, including progress report assembly/submission. Assists with ARI/CARC pilot application review study sections, including preparation of documents, meeting logistics, and on-site support. Assembles information and documents for submission of ad-hoc administrative and departmental reports.
Makes journal entries, cost transfers, and check deposits, and handles petty cash, puschase orders, vendor payments, and check requests. Assists with meeting and events planning, scheduling, and logistics for Executive Committee, subcommittees, ad-hoc meetings. Schedules conference calls. Serves as entry point of contact, fielding questions and routing visitors and calls. Responds to public requests for ARI information and services. Makes staff travel arrangements, prepares expense, entertainment and travel expense reimbursements. Purchases supplies and equipment, maintains office equipment and service contracts; sends and distributes faxes; handles Fed Ex and other deliveries.
Participates in the design of project steps, conducts research as requested by senior managers, gathers data, and prepares analyses as required to meet the goals and objectives of the ARI. Exercises sound judgment and discretion in handling requests. Functions as a member of ARI team, working effectively both independently and as a team member.
Organizes the Development Director's daily work, including calendar, making and confirming appointments. Implements development-related projects, including research, stewardship, direct mail solicitations, arranging special events, and event on-site logistics. Performs data downloads from various internal/external databases for mail merges and reports. Generates acknowledgment letters, assists with funding proposals, presentations, and reports. Designs overheads, slides, invitations and name tags. Processes, tracks, and monitors donor and gift payments. Works directly with printers, direct mail services, facilities, caterers, and vendors to produce mailings and events. Manages electronic and hard copy donor and development file archives.
Requires excellent written and verbal communication skills. Proofreads and incorporates edits in documents from a variety of sources. Serves as a resource to and liaison with the campus community, the public, patients, prospective and established donors, volunteers, and internal/external support services personnel.
Supports the ARI Member Services Manager as a back-up informational source for referrals. Provides assistance to the Member Services and Communications managers in arranging meetings, community events, and symposia. Maintains membership database, listservs; emails ARI members informational and public affairs announcements, and responds to members' and public inquiries. Interfaces with ARI affiliated program administrators to maintain member database.
Apply Online:
Please visit the UCSF Human Resources web site at http://www.ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/careers and reference requisition 10904BR . For more information, visit our website at www.ucsfhr.ucsf.edu.
UCSF is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to a diverse workforce.
e. Save the date: The 12th CROI will be held February 22-25, 2005 in Boston
We hope to see you in Boston.
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3. UCSF/GIVI Center for AIDS Research
a. CFAR/Fogarty Awardee Finds African ARV Therapy Adherence Rates Exceed Expectations, in JAIDS
A recent study authored by Jessica Oyugi, MD, determined HIV-infected Africans adhere to antiretroviral therapy regimens at rates similar to or higher than HIV-infected cohorts in similar studies in developed countries. Dr. Oyugi, UCSF assistant professor of medicine, received a 2003 CFAR/Fogarty International AIDS Scientist Training grant to examine adherence issues in Kampala, Uganda. The study was published in the August 15, 2004, issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficency Syndromes. For more information on the CFAR/Fogarty Training Awards, please visit http://cfar.ucsf.edu/cfar?page=pt-02-00.
b. Study Finds No Evidence of HIV-1 Superinfection in Seropositive Couples, in AIDS
A study (in AIDS) led by CFAR Associate Director/Virology Core Director Robert Grant, MD, MPH, is finding no evidence of superinfection in HIV positive couples. Grant, along with collaborators Kimber L. Gross and Travis C. Porco (SF Department of Public Health), followed 33 seropositive couples enrolled in the UCSF Positive Partners study. The preliminary data from the study was presented in July at the XV International AIDS Conference. Grant's superinfection study will eventually involve 200 HIV-1-infected couples. For more information on the UCSF-GIVI CFAR Virology Core and available services, please visit http://cfar.ucsf.edu/cfar?page=pr-00-06.
c. CFAR Directors' Research Seminar Series Planned for 2004/2005 Academic Year
The UCSF-GIVI Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), in collaboration with the AIDS Research Institute and the California AIDS Research Center (C-ARC), will present a 2004-2005 Directors' Research Seminar Series (DRSS) focused on enhancing and expanding collaborative, multidisciplinary HIV research at the University and affiliated institutes. The inaugural seminar is scheduled for Thursday, September 23, 2004, from noon to 1:00 p.m. It will take place on the SFGH campus, Bldg. 3 (GIVI, 5th Floor Conference Room/Library). The topic, "A Combined Session on Vaccine Progress and Evaluation," will be addressed by Drs. Susan Buchbinder (HVTN) and Mike McCune (CFAR Immunology Core, GIVI).
d. CFAR co-hosting seminars
CFAR will also be co-hosting several seminars in conjunction with existing HIV-relevant research programs at SFGH and on Parnassus. Upcoming seminar topics, months, and affiliated programs are listed below:
2004
· Human Herpes Virus-8 (HHV8) in the Oncology of Kaposi's Sarcoma (October) PHP AIDS Seminar Series
· Chemoprophylaxis for HIV Prevention (November)
2005
· HIV Reservoirs: Sanctuary Site in the Genital Tract (February)
· HIV/AIDS Policy and Current NIH Research Climate Issues (March)
· Viral Fitness, Replication Capacity and Salvage Therapy (April) ID Grand Rounds
· Substance Use, Addiction, & HIV Prevention (May) SF Department of Public Health
· International Clinical Trials - Development (June) ID Grand Rounds
All presenters and topics are subject to change. Please check our website (http://cfar.ucsf.edu) for the most current schedule.
e. Recent publications from CFAR investigators
The UCSF-GIVI CFAR is a center grant. Below are recent (July/Aug) publications produced by researchers receiving direct CFAR support or utilizing CFAR core services:
Aandahl, E. M., M. F. Quigley, et al. (2004). "Expansion of CD7low and CD7negative CD8 T cell effector subsets in HIV-1 infection: correlation with antigenic load and reversion by antiretroviral treatment." Blood.
Bangsberg, D. (2004). "U.S. researcher starts treatment fund in Uganda: interview with David Bangsberg, M.D., M.P.H." AIDS Treat News(402): 3-5.
Bangsberg, D. R., T. C. Porco, et al. (2004). "Modeling the HIV protease inhibitor adherence-resistance curve by use of empirically derived estimates." J Infect Dis 190(1): 162-5.
Barbour, J. D., F. M. Hecht, et al. (2004). "Persistence of primary drug resistance among recently HIV-1 infected adults." Aids 18(12): 1683-1689.
Barbour, J. D., F. M. Hecht, et al. (2004). "Higher CD4+ T cell counts associated with low viral pol replication capacity among treatment-naive adults in early HIV-1 infection." J Infect Dis 190(2): 251-6.
Barron, Y., S. R. Cole, et al. (2004). "Effect of discontinuing antiretroviral therapy on survival of women initiated on highly active antiretroviral therapy." Aids 18(11): 1579-84.
Chung, R. T., J. Andersen, et al. (2004). "Peginterferon Alfa-2a plus ribavirin versus interferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C in HIV-coinfected persons." N Engl J Med 351(5): 451-9.
Deeks, S. G., C. M. Kitchen, et al. (2004). "Immune activation set point during early HIV infection predicts subsequent CD4+ T-cell changes independent of viral load." Blood 104(4): 942-7.
Elrefaei, M., M. D. McElroy, et al. (2004). "Central memory CD4+ T cell responses in chronic HIV infection are not restored by antiretroviral therapy." J Immunol 173(3): 2184-9.
Gandhi, M., D. M. Koelle, et al. (2004). "Prevalence of human herpesvirus-8 salivary shedding in HIV increases with CD4 count." J Dent Res 83(8): 639-43.
Greene, W. C. (2004). "Redistricting the retroviral restriction factors." Nat Med 10(8): 778-80.
Gross, K. L., T. C. Porco, et al. (2004). "HIV-1 superinfection and viral diversity." Aids 18(11): 1513-20.
Holodniy, M., E. D. Charlebois, et al. (2004). "Prevalence of antiretroviral drug resistance in the HIV-1-infected urban indigent population in San Francisco: a representative study." Int J STD AIDS 15(8): 543-51.
Lee, M. S., K. Hanspers, et al. (2004). "Gene expression profiles during human CD4+ T cell differentiation." Int Immunol 16(8): 1109-24.
Oyugi, J. H., J. Byakika-Tusiime, et al. (2004). "Multiple Validated Measures of Adherence Indicate High Levels of Adherence to Generic HIV Antiretroviral Therapy in a Resource-Limited Setting." J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 36(5): 1100-1102.
Robertson, M. J., R. A. Clark, et al. (2004). "HIV seroprevalence among homeless and marginally housed adults in San Francisco." Am J Public Health 94(7): 1207-17.
Wilson, T. E., M. E. Gore, et al. (2004). "Changes in sexual behavior among HIV-infected women after initiation of HAART." Am J Public Health 94(7): 1141-6.
Yeni, P. G., S. M. Hammer, et al. (2004). "Treatment for adult HIV infection: 2004 recommendations of the International AIDS Society-USA Panel." JAMA 292(2): 251-65.
UCSF researchers have found that some physicians express a sense of fatalism about HIV prevention and this belief-that changes in sexual risk behavior by their HIV-positive patients are unlikely-is hindering the provision of prevention counseling services in publicly-funded clinics.
"This research suggests that attitudinal barriers among providers will need to be addressed in order for the new 'prevention with positives' initiative from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to achieve fully its goal of reducing sexual risk behaviors by HIV-positive patients," said the study's lead author, Wayne T. Steward, PhD, MPH, postdoctoral fellow at UCSF's Center for AIDS Prevention Studies. Steward is presenting the findings at the XV International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand.
The study assessed receipt of prevention counseling by surveying 618 HIV positive patients as they left primary care appointments in one of sixteen publicly funded clinics in nine states. In addition, qualitative interviews were conducted with service providers and administrators from the clinics to assess their attitudes, as well as the barriers to providing HIV prevention counseling.
In interview transcripts, each statement reflecting a belief that behavior change among HIV-positive patients was unlikely was coded as "fatalism." An example is this quote from one provider, "I think it's like almost hopeless to try and change people's sexual behavior. I shouldn't say that, but you know, that's basically what my feeling is."
The number of fatalistic statements was added up and each clinic was assigned a score. Patients in clinics with high provider fatalism were less likely to report receiving prevention counseling in the last six months than patients in clinics with low provider fatalism.
"We also found that patients in clinics with high provider fatalism were more likely to be gay men than patients in clinics with low provider fatalism," said study co-author, Stephen F. Morin, PhD, director of UCSF's AIDS Policy Research Center.
The study's other co-authors are Kimberly A. Koester, MA, Director of Qualitative Research, and Janet J. Myers, PhD, MPH, co-director, at UCSF's AIDS Policy Research Center.
Funding for this research was provided by a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration.
The AIDS Policy Research Center and the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies are components of UCSF's AIDS Research Institute (ARI). UCSF ARI houses hundreds of scientists and dozens of programs throughout UCSF and affiliated labs and institutions, making ARI one of the largest AIDS research entities in the world.
b. Mobile HIV Testing Program Removes Barriers to Testing in Sub-Saharan Africa
A voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) program using a mobile van to travel to marketplaces in townships and villages overcomes the structural barriers to HIV testing in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to UCSF researchers.
"Mobile VCT eliminates the cost and inconvenience of having to travel to urban centers for HIV testing, while the presence of the mobile van with outreach workers in busy marketplaces creates familiarity with the testing process and reduces the stigma associated with this process, a significant psychological barrier to testing," said study lead author, Gertrude Khumalo-Sakutukwa, MSW, M Med Sc, an academic specialist at the UCSF AIDS Policy Research Center.
Khumalo-Sakutukwa presented the findings at the XV International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand on July 14.
A mobile testing van traveled to six marketplaces in villages and townships in Epworth and Seke, Zimbabwe on a rotating basis offering free VCT using rapid HIV tests and same-day results. Researchers had identified the cost of paying for an HIV test and the cost and inconvenience of traveling to the city as the significant structural barriers to testing.
The major psychological barriers identified by the researchers included social stigma associated with being seen going into an HIV testing site, assumption that testers have HIV or AIDS, and fear of learning that one did indeed have HIV. Researchers addressed these concerns by creating a community advisory board (CAB) before testing started and having CAB members engage the community, creating awareness and generating discussions about HIV and testing. The rotating presence of the mobile VCT van in crowded marketplaces became the talk of the community, leading to increased familiarity and diminished stigma.
"Two elements of mobile VCT should be noted. One is the acceptance of rapid tests, and participants liked getting their results the same day and had no doubts that the results were theirs because the blood samples were not sent away for a week. Second, it is important to provide post-test support services including post-test clubs that include both negative and positive test-takers and linkages to medical, psychosocial, and spiritual services for those who test positive," said study co-author, Stephen F. Morin, PhD, director, UCSF AIDS Policy Research Center.
Co-authors on the study are Janell Routh, MD, resident in the UCSF Department of Pediatrics; Agnès Fiamma, MPH, project director, Tim Lane, PhD, MPH, fellow, both at the UCSF AIDS Policy Research Center; and Katherine Fritz, MPH, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at the UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies.
This study was funded by the UCSF AIDS Research Institute and the Office of AIDS Research and the National Institute of Mental Health at the National Institutes of Health. The project was developed in collaboration with the HIV Prevention Trials Network.
The AIDS Policy Research Center and the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies are components of UCSF's AIDS Research Institute (ARI). UCSF ARI houses hundreds of scientists and dozens of programs throughout UCSF and affiliated labs and institutions, making ARI one of the largest AIDS research entities in the world.
A UCSF study of gay and bisexual young men in Phoenix, Austin, and Albuquerque found that during a six-month period, over a third reported experiencing anti-gay harassment, 5 percent reported anti-gay violence and 11 percent reported anti-gay discrimination.
"Our study is one of the first to use a large multi-ethnic sample to document experiences of anti-gay mistreatment over a specific time frame. One of the most alarming aspects of our findings is that those who experience violence and harassment reported lower self esteem and were twice as likely to report having thought seriously about suicide," said the study's lead author, David M. Huebner, PhD, MPH, psychologist at UCSF's Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS).
The study, published in the July 1, 2004 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, examined the six-month cumulative incidence of anti-gay violence, harassment and discrimination among 1,248 gay and bisexual men aged 18 to 27 from the three southwestern cities. Sixty percent were white, 30 percent Latino, and 18 percent were aged 21 or younger.
Study results according to age show incidence rates were higher for younger gay and bisexual men in the study group. Ten percent of those aged 21 or younger had experienced anti-gay violence, while half had experienced anti-gay harassment. Among all study participants who were HIV-positive, incidence rates in these two categories were similar. In addition, one out of four HIV-positive participants experienced anti-gay discrimination, while 14 percent of younger participants reported discrimination.
" We were distressed to find that those who were already most vulnerable because they were younger or HIV-positive were also most likely to experience discrimination, harassment, or violence. Overall our findings illustrate the need for empowerment and community-building programs to help young men create safe social settings and find support in the face of frequent mistreatment. The data also suggest that anti-gay policy initiatives could have serious negative mental health effects on gay men," said Huebner.
Co-authors are Gregory M. Rebchook, PhD, assistant research psychologist and Susan M. Kegeles, PhD, professor of medicine and associate director, both at UCSF CAPS. This study was funded by grants from the National Institute for Mental Health.
CAPS is a component of UCSF's AIDS Research Institute (ARI). UCSF ARI houses hundreds of scientists and dozens of programs throughout UCSF and affiliated labs and institutions, making ARI one of the largest HIV/AIDS research entities in the world.
UCSF researchers have found that some HIV patients treated with antiretroviral therapy early after infection do test negative, at some point, for the virus. Study findings showed this result in six of 87 patients
"First, these patients are not cured. When these patients went off therapy, HIV virus levels rebounded. These results do show that with effective early treatment that reduces the virus to very low levels, the immune system may have less antibody response to HIV," said the study's lead author, C. Bradley Hare, MD, UCSF assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCSF's Positive Health Program (PHP) at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center.
The 87 patients who qualified for the study must have started antiretroviral therapy within 28 days of entry into the study. They also must have achieved and maintained for at least 24 weeks a level of virus in their blood below the level of detectability using very sensitive viral load testing. At some point during their follow-up, six patients tested negative for the HIV virus using standard HIV antibody tests.
Hare presented the study at the XV International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand on July 12.
Study participants were selected from the Options Project Cohort. Patients in this cohort enter the study in either primary or early infection-meaning no patient had been infected with the HIV virus for more than six months.
The six patients who tested negative for the HIV virus were tested using standard second- and third-generation Enzyme Immunoassays, which are the most commonly used tests to screen for HIV infection, and Western Blot tests, which are the most commonly used tests for confirming HIV infection.
Co-authors for the study are Brandee Pappalardo, PhD, MPH, staff scientist at the Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco; Bruce Phelps, Chiron Corporation, Emeryville, CA; Steven S. Alexander, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan, NJ; Clarissa Ramstead, nurse practitioner at the UCSF PHP; Jay A. Levy, UCSF professor of medicine and director of the Laboratory for Tumor and AIDS Virus Research; Frederick M. Hecht, MD, associate clinical professor of medicine at the UCSF PHP; Michael P. Busch, MD, PhD, vice president, Research & Scientific Services, Blood Centers of the Pacific, and UCSF adjunct professor of laboratory medicine.
Funding for this research was provided by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.
The Positive Health Program is a component of the UCSF AIDS Research Institute (ARI). UCSF ARI houses hundreds of scientists and dozens of programs throughout UCSF and affiliated labs and institutions, making ARI one of the largest AIDS research entities in the world.
The Ross award recognizes a significant contribution in clinical investigation that has advanced the diagnosis, treatment and/or prevention of craniofacial-oral-dental diseases. The award is sponsored by the American Dental Association through the ADA Foundation, with support of Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.
The award is given in memory of Dr. Norton M. Ross, a dentist and pharmacologist who contributed significantly to oral medicine and dental clinical research.
Note: out most Mondays