The new 4th generation rapid HIV diagnostic test - Determine® HIV 1/2 Ag/Ab Combo - from Inverness Medical is capable of detecting HIV infection several days earlier than HIV antibody only tests and is ideal to help diagnose and screen for early HIV infection. The ability of this test to enhance the diagnosis of those with acute HIV infection will provide additional benefits in HIV prevention programs and ultimately contribute to a reduction in the spread of HIV. Inverness Medical will be showcasing the new Determine Combo test at the International AIDS Society Conference 2009 in Capetown, South Africa, 19-22 July on stand #203.

Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo enables simultaneous separate detection of HIV p24 antigen (Ag) and antibodies (Ab) for HIV-1 and HIV-2 in human serum, plasma, or whole blood. The p24 antigen is produced during the first few weeks of HIV infection and is detectable 7-9 days earlier than the appearance of HIV antibodies. As a result, the p24 antigen is an ideal marker in aiding early HIV diagnosis.

By simultaneously detecting for all known sub types of HIV and HIV-1 p24 antigen, as a CE marked test, Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo increases the ability to detect and diagnose primary HIV infection (2-20 days earlier than HIV antibody only tests, with an average mean of 5 days) and can help healthcare workers across the world diagnose primary infection, prevent mother to child transmission, monitor HIV prevalence and screen blood donations. By understanding their HIV status, individuals are able to gain early access to specific treatment, care and counselling, prevent transmission, and plan for the future.

The first test of its kind for acute HIV infection, Determine HIV 1/2 Ag/Ab Combo provides clear visual results during the patient visit in 20 minutes, with excellent sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 99.23% and 99.66% for HIV antibodies and HIV-1 p24 antigen respectively. The easy to use, robust format of Determine does not require electricity, water, or the use of bulky laboratory equipment and can be performed in point-of-care settings and remote locations in developing countries where laboratory facilities are limited. This gives significant advantages over lab-based EIA and ELISA 4th generation HIV testing.

For more information about Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo, visit Inverness Medical on stand #203 at the IAS Conference 2009.

Source
Inverness Medical

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes of Virology and Immunology (GIVI) have found another clue that may lead to eradication of HIV from infected patients who have been on antiretroviral therapy. A real cure for HIV has been elusive because the virus can “hide” in a latent form in resting CD4-T cells. By understanding this “latency” effect, researchers can identify ways to reactivate the virus and enable complete clearance by current or future therapies.

Researchers in the laboratory of GIVI Associate Director Eric Verdin, MD have found that methylation of cytosine in the DNA of infected cells is associated with HIV latency and that inhibition of DNA methylation causes the reactivation of latent HIV. These observations offer a potential new strategy for inhibiting HIV latency and reactivating the virus. The discovery was reported in the current edition of PLoS Pathogens.

“While HIV-1 latency is likely to be a multifactorial process, we have shown that inhibiting the methylation of the provirus contributes to an almost complete reactivation of latent HIV-1,” said lead author Steven E. Kauder.

The research team, which also included scientists from the University of Utah and Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute, developed in vitro models of HIV-1 latency in T cells that harbor a full-length HIV genome. The provirus in the cell lines also encoded a fluorescent marker to illuminate HIV-1 transcriptional activity.

In addition to finding that DNA methylation is a mechanism of latency, the scientists also discovered that a host protein, called methlyl-CpG binding domain protein 2 (MBD2) binds to the methylated HIV DNA and is an important mediator of latency.

“Interfering with methylation greatly potentiates the reactivation of HIV,” Kauder said. In this study, the researchers found that the drug 5-aza-2′deoxycytidine (aza-CdR) can inhibit HIV methylation and cause the virus to reactivate.

“Combined with other areas of our investigation into HIV latency, this research provides important new knowledge about the process and opens many new pathways for future study,” said Dr. Verdin, senior author of the study.

The research team included Alberto Bosque and Vicente Planelles of the University of Utah and Annica Lindqvist of Karolinska University. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health

Eric Verdin’s primary affiliation is with the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, where his laboratory is located and all his research is conducted. He is also professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Source:
Valerie Tucker
Gladstone Institutes

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Many people who test positive for HIV are diagnosed late in the course of their infection when treatment might be less effective, according to a report published Thursday in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Reuters Health reports. The report looked at data on people who were diagnosed with HIV from 1996 to 2005 and found that 45 percent had developed AIDS within three years of their initial HIV diagnosis, 38.3 percent within one year and an additional 6.7 percent within the next two years (Reuters Health 6/25). R. Luke Shouse of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention in the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, said, “This means that they may have unknowingly transmitted HIV. It also means that there is a time when they had HIV when they were not under appropriate medical care, so there are missed opportunities for prevention and care.” A separate CDC report also published yesterday found that 22.3 percent of high school students who are sexually active and 12.9 percent of all students have been tested for HIV (Reinberg, HealthDay/KATC.com, 6/25).

This information was reprinted from dailyreports.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily U.S. HIV/AIDS Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at dailyreports.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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The Miami-Dade County Department of Health on Thursday launched a campaign called “Test Miami,” which is designed to educate physicians, at-risk communities and pregnant women on the importance of routine HIV testing, the Miami Herald reports. ”A major emphasis of the campaign is to train and educate physicians, particularly in hospitals and other medical facilities,” Evelyn Ullah, director of the Office of HIV and AIDS in Miami, said. As part of the campaign, over the next year, four area physicians will appear in advertisements and speak at forums to encourage medical providers to offer routine HIV testing. Florida is one of the states hardest hit by HIV/AIDS (Montes-Delgado, Miami Herald, 6/26). Separately, nonprofit groups and public health departments in Southwest Florida are offering free HIV testing as part of National HIV Testing Day (Freeman, Naples Daily News, 6/25).

This information was reprinted from dailyreports.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily U.S. HIV/AIDS Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at dailyreports.kff.org.

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The Latino HIV Task Force in Houston will offer free HIV testing as part of National HIV Testing Day on June 27, the Houston Chronicle reports. According to the Houston Department of Health and Human Services (HDHHS), Hispanics comprise 21 percent of the more than 16,000 HIV cases reported to the agency over the last 10 years and 17 percent of the nearly 26,000 AIDS cases since 1981. Porfirio Villarreal, HDHHS’s public information officer and media chair for the Task Force, said that HIV prevention is challenging among Hispanic communities because of stigma and difficulties in talking openly about sex. He added, “People who are undocumented in this country do not go test because they fear they may be deported, which is wrong.” The task force was established in 2002 and has brought together several local health agencies and community-based organizations that offer medical treatment or programs focused on HIV/AIDS, according to the Chronicle (Lamkahouan, Houston Chronicle, 6/22).

This information was reprinted from dailyreports.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily U.S. HIV/AIDS Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at dailyreports.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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dailyreports.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily U.S. HIV/AIDS Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at dailyreports.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the University Clinic Heidelberg, Germany, have produced a three-dimensional reconstruction of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), which shows the structure of the immature form of the virus at unprecedented detail. Immature HIV is a precursor of the infectious virus, which can cause AIDS. The study, published in the 22-26 June online edition of PNAS, describes how the protein coat that packages the virus’ genetic material assembles in human cells. Drugs that block this assembly process and prevent the virus from maturing into its infectious form are considered a promising therapeutic approach.

HIV consists of an RNA molecule that carries the genetic information of the virus and is surrounded by protective protein and membrane layers. During infection the virus deposits its genetic material into a human cell where it reprogrammes the host cell machinery to generate many copies of the viral genome and initiates the production of a viral protein called Gag. In the immature virus, many copies of Gag interact to form a roughly spherical lattice that encloses the virus’ genetic material. The virus then leaves the cell with the help of proteins of the host and infects new cells.

Using a method called cryoelectron tomography researchers in the groups of John Briggs at EMBL and Hans-Georg Kräusslich at the University Clinic Heidelberg generated the as yet highest resolution 3D computer reconstruction images of the immature Gag lattice. The results suggest a simple model of HIV formation in human cells: multiple Gag proteins interact to form a hexameric lattice that grows with an inherent curvature and that incorporates new proteins stochastically. Several further steps in which Gag is cleaved by an enzyme are necessary to transform this immature lattice into its mature, infectious form.

Briggs and his team are now working on producing an even higher resolution structure of the protein lattice to gain a more detailed understanding of the virus’ assembly and maturation processes, which may eventually help to find weak points that could be targeted by drugs.

Cryoelectron tomography is a technique with which a sample is instantly frozen in its natural state and then examined with an electron microscope. Images are taken from different directions and assembled into an accurate 3D reconstruction by a computer.

Source: European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)

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IRIN Examines Hardships Facing Parents, Guardians Of Children Living With HIV/AIDS

IRIN examines the hardships parents and guardians of the estimated 170,000 Kenyan children currently infected with HIV often face. “Caregivers face the dilemma of how to disclose status to … [HIV-positive] children, and to whom,” as well as other issues, Mabel Ngoe Takona, HIV/AIDS Coordinator for Africa at ActionAid, said. The article explores ways the government could help to provide parents and guardians with disclosure guidelines as well as training and support (IRIN, 6/24).

University
Of Dundee
, DNDi Working Together To Develop Leishmaniasis Treatments

The University of Dundee’s drug discovery unit is working with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative on a potential five-year 1.8 million pound - about $3 million - deal to develop “affordable and effective” treatments for visceral leishmaniasis, PharmaTimes reports. The money provided under the partnership will be put towards establishing a dedicated leishmaniasis drug discovery group at the university (McKee, PharmaTimes, 6/23).

Campaign Under Way To Distribute 7.2M Mosquito Nets To Children Under 5 In Tanzania

The Citizen examines the Tanzanian government’s efforts to rid the country of malaria. In an address to the Parliament on Monday, Aisha Kigoda, the deputy minister for Health and Social Welfare, spoke of a campaign underway that aims to distribute 7.2 million mosquito nets countrywide to children under the age of five. So far, 962,312 mosquito nets have been distributed (Said/Jube, Citizen, 6/23).

BMJ Examines U.S. Role In Fighting Malaria

The British Medical Journal examines the U.S. role in fighting malaria worldwide. According to BMJ, “[b]ilateral US funding for malaria has grown almost fourfold, from $198 million in 2004 to a projected $762 million in 2010.” Timothy Ziemer, head of the President’s Malaria Initiative, said, “We’ve gotten past the slogans and rhetoric” on malaria, and the U.S. is focusing on what works, expanding successes and on strengthening local health systems sustain efforts (Roehr, BMJ, 6/22). The article quotes experts from the Kaiser Family Foundation’s recent briefing, which examined the U.S. government’s role in addressing malaria moving forward, including its strategic options for reducing the impact of the disease, and the current status of the development of the comprehensive malaria strategy. A webcast, transcript and other resources are available here.

PEPFAR Funds Supplies, Training To Promote Safe Injection Practices

Over the past five years, PEPFAR has helped to purchase and distribute over 7 million safe injection commodities and train over 10,000 health workers through the Making Medical Injections Safer (MMIS) project in Nigeria, Vanguard/allAfrica.com reports. Speaking in Lagos last week, MMIS Country Director Abimbola Sowande “[c]ommend[ed] Lagos state government for blazing the trail in injection safety” and “called on other states in Nigeria to copy the best practices currently apply in the state,” Vanguard/allAfrica.com writes (Obinna, Vanguard/allAfrica.com, 6/22).

This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org.

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A Christian-theater troupe and other area religious leaders are participating in HIV testing efforts targeting the black community in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky as part of National HIV Testing Day, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. According to the Enquirer, local public health officials have long struggled to encourage blacks and other groups to get tested for HIV. Increased awareness efforts by black religious leaders and national initiatives - such as the “Test One Million” campaign organized by the Black AIDS Institute in Los Angeles - have recently focused attention on HIV/AIDS in the black community, Mamie Harris, founder and executive director of IV-Charis, the lead agency in Cincinnati for the “Test One Million” campaign, said (O’Farrell, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6/23).

This information was reprinted from dailyreports.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily U.S. HIV/AIDS Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at dailyreports.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced on Capitol Hill on Wednesday that it will help fight the spread of HIV in Washington D.C., New York City and Oakland, Calif., cities among the 20 areas in the U.S. with the highest rates of HIV and AIDS, the Washington Post reports. The coalition - which includes Pfizer, the National Basketball Association, Facebook, Nike, Nokia and others - said it will offer financial donations to city health departments, marketing expertise to promote prevention and treatment campaigns and appearances by professional basketball players for events, as part of their effort. John Newsome, a spokesperson for the coalition, said, “I think the ability of our corporate partners to help develop really effective messages, help provide resources to get the message out, contribute talent, air time and media space” is crucial to HIV/AIDS awareness efforts. The coalition plans to expand the effort to other cities in the future (Fears, Washington Post, 6/25).

This information was reprinted from dailyreports.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily U.S. HIV/AIDS Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at dailyreports.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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