BACKGROUND:While the negative effects of mental health issues on HIV clinical outcomes have been well-documented, the impact of mental health treatment on the HIV care cascade is largely uncharacterized. The objective of this study was to describe the engagement of women with mental health conditions and symptoms, who reported using mental health services, across the HIV care cascade and to assess the relationship between mental health service use and HIV care steps. METHODS:Longitudinal data were analysed from participants enrolled in the Canadian HIV Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS) (2013-2018) who had clinically significant depressive symptoms or reported a mental health diagnosis at baseline. Among this subset, four states of HIV care were defined at baseline, 18 months and 36 months: (1) unengaged in care (did not visit an HIV provider in the past year), (2) not on antiretroviral therapy (ART) (visited an HIV provider in the past year but did not report current ART use), (3) detectable (reported current ART use but a detectable viral load) and (4) optimal (reported current ART use and an undetectable viral load). Sankey diagrams were used to illustrate the engagement of women across the HIV care cascade over 3 years based on their self-reported use of mental health services at baseline. The association between mental health service use and care state at baseline was analysed using multinomial logistic regression models. RESULTS:Of the 898 women in the cohort with significant depressive symptoms or mental health conditions at baseline, 3.8% (n = 34) were unengaged in care, 10.9% (n = 98) were not on ART, 12.4% (n = 111) were detectable and 72.9% (n = 655) were optimal. Over the 36 months, 51.0% of women transitioned between states at least once. When stratified by service use, women who reported use of mental health services at baseline had better engagement across the care cascade and had fewer transitions between states over the 3 years, 37.2% of which were to better states of care. The use of mental health services at baseline was also significantly associated with greater odds of engagement in the optimal state compared with not on ART (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-2.77). A similar but statistically insignificant association was found with the detectable care state (aOR: 1.67, 95% CI: 0.92-3.03). CONCLUSIONS:Our findings demonstrate that linkage to mental health care has a positive impact on HIV care outcomes among women. Accessible mental health services may serve to improve both mental well-being and progression of these patients along the HIV care cascade, thereby achieving individual and public health goals.
The prevalence of mental health conditions among women with HIV in Canada ranges between 29.5
Background. The pharmacotherapeutic management of people living with HIV (PLWHIV) undergoing solid organ transplantation (SOT) is clinically challenging, mainly due to the frequent occurrence of complex drug–drug interactions. Although various strategies have been proposed to improve treatment outcomes in these patients, several uncertainties remain, and consensus practice guidelines are just beginning to emerge. The main objective of this scoping review was to map the extent of the literature on the pharmacotherapeutic interventions performed by healthcare professionals for PLWHIV undergoing SOT. Methods. We searched Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane databases as well as gray literature for articles published between January 2010 and February 2020. Study selection was performed by at least 2 independent reviewers. Articles describing pharmacotherapeutic interventions in PLWHIV considered for or undergoing SOT were included in the study. Results. Of the 12 599 references identified through our search strategy, 209 articles met the inclusion criteria. Results showed that the vast majority of reported pharmacotherapeutic interventions concerned the management of immunosuppressive and antimicrobial therapy, including antiretrovirals. Analysis of the data demonstrated that for several aspects of the pharmacotherapeutic management of PLWHIV undergoing SOT, there were differing practices, such as the choice of immunosuppressive induction and maintenance therapy. Other important aspects of patient management, such as patient counseling, were rarely reported. Conclusions. Our results constitute an extensive overview of current practices in the pharmacotherapeutic management of SOT in PLWHIV and identify knowledge gaps that should be addressed to help improve patient care in this specific population.
Anyplex II HPV-28 (HPV-28) can detect individually 28 HPV genotypes. We assessed the agreement between linear array HPV genotyping (LA-HPV) and HPV-28 for detection of 27 HPV genotypes in 410 stored anogenital samples (75 anal samples, 335 physician-collected cervical samples) collected over 5 years from 410 individuals (13 men, 397 women), including 202 HIV-seropositive individuals. HPV DNA was detected in 393 (95.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 93.4-97.4) and 382 (93.2%, 95% CI: 90.3-95.3) samples with HPV-28 and LA-HPV (p = 0.13), respectively, for a good agreement of 96.3% (kappa = 0.65). Of the 10503 HPV typing results, 10195 (780 positive, 9577 negative) were concordant, for an agreement of 97.1% (95% CI: 96.7-97.4) and an excellent of kappa = 0.82 (95% CI: 0.80-0.84). The mean type-specific concordance for 27 genotypes was 97.0%, 95% CI: 95.8-98.5 (kappa = 0.86 +/- 0.07, 95% CI: 0.83-0.88). Excellent agreement was obtained individually for all high-risk genotypes (kappa = 0.81-0.97) and for most other genotypes except for types 42, 44, 54, 68, and 69. The mean number of types per sample in discordant samples detected with LA-HPV (3.0, 95% CI: 2.7-3.4) was greater than in concordant samples (1.4, 95% CI: 1.3-1.5; p< 0.001). In conclusion, HPV-28 compared favorably with LA-HPV, but was more frequently positive for HPV42 and HPV68.
Engagement along the HIV care cascade in Canada is lower among women compared to men. We used Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM), a participatory research method, to identify factors influencing satisfaction with HIV care, their causal pathways, and relative importance from the perspective of women living with HIV. Building from a map of factors derived from a mixed-studies review of the literature, 23 women living with HIV in Canada elaborated ten categories influencing their satisfaction with HIV care. The most central and influential category was "feeling safe and supported by clinics and healthcare providers", followed by "accessible and coordinated services" and "healthcare provider expertise". Participants identified factors that captured gendered social and health considerations not previously specified in the literature. These categories included "healthcare that considers women's unique care needs and social contexts", "gynecologic and pregnancy care", and "family and partners included in care." The findings contribute to our understanding of how gender shapes care needs and priorities among women living with HIV.
Life expectancy for people living with HIV has increased, but management of HIV is now more complex due to comorbidities. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of comorbidities among women living with HIV in Canada. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the 18-months survey (2014–2016) of the Canadian HIV Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS). Self-report of diagnosed conditions was used to measure lifetime prevalence of chronic physical conditions, current mental health conditions, and disabilities. We examined frequency of overlapping conditions and prevalence stratified by gender identity, ethnicity, and age. Among 1039 participants, 70.1% reported a physical health diagnosis, 57.4% reported a current mental health diagnosis, 19.9% reported a disability, and 47.1% reported both physical and mental health comorbidities. The most prevalent comorbidities were depression (32.3%), anxiety (29.5%), obesity (26.7%, defined as body mass index >30 kg/m2), asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (23.3%), sleep disorder (22.0%), drug addiction (21.9%), and arthritis/osteoarthritis (20.9%). These results highlight the complexity of HIV care and the important prevalence of comorbidities. Personalized health care that integrates care and prevention of all comorbidities with HIV, with attention to social determinants of health, is necessary to optimize health and well-being of women living with HIV.
NKG2C is an activating NK cell receptor encoded by a gene having an unexpressed deletion variant. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection expands a population of NKG2C+ NK cells with adaptive-like properties. Previous reports found that carriage of the deleted NKG2C- variant was more frequent in people living with HIV (PLWH) than in HIV- controls unexposed to HIV. The frequency of NKG2C+ NK cells positively correlated with HIV viral load (VL) in some studies and negatively correlated with VL in others. Here, we investigated the link between NKG2C genotype and HIV susceptibility and VL set point in PLWH. NKG2C genotyping was performed on 434 PLWH and 157 HIV-exposed seronegative (HESN) subjects. Comparison of the distributions of the three possible NKG2C genotypes in these populations revealed that the frequencies of NKG2C+/+ and NKG2C+/- carriers did not differ significantly between PLWH and HESN subjects, while that of NKG2C-/- carriers was higher in PLWH than in HESN subjects, in which none were found (P = 0.03, χ2 test). We were unable to replicate that carriage of at least 1 NKG2C- allele was more frequent in PLWH. Information on the pretreatment VL set point was available for 160 NKG2C+/+, 83 NKG2C+/-, and 6 NKG2C-/- PLWH. HIV VL set points were similar between NKG2C genotypes. The frequency of NKG2C+ CD3- CD14- CD19- CD56dim NK cells and the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of NKG2C expression on NK cells were higher on cells from CMV+ PLWH who carried 2, versus 1, NKG2C+ alleles. We observed no correlations between VL set point and either the frequency or the MFI of NKG2C expression. IMPORTANCE We compared NKG2C allele and genotype distributions in subjects who remained HIV uninfected despite multiple HIV exposures (HESN subjects) with those in the group PLWH. This allowed us to determine whether NKG2C genotype influenced susceptibility to HIV infection. The absence of the NKG2C-/- genotype among HESN subjects but not PLWH suggested that carriage of this genotype was associated with HIV susceptibility. We calculated the VL set point in a subset of 252 NKG2C-genotyped PLWH. We observed no between-group differences in the VL set point in carriers of the three possible NKG2C genotypes. No significant correlations were seen between the frequency or MFI of NKG2C expression on NK cells and VL set point in cytomegalovirus-coinfected PLWH. These findings suggested that adaptive NK cells played no role in establishing the in VL set point, a parameter that is a predictor of the rate of treatment-naive HIV disease progression.
Antiretroviral therapy effectively prevents sexual and vertical transmission of HIV. Yet, some women living with HIV report having unmet needs for reproductive health care. This study measured the prevalence of women discussing reproductive goals with any current healthcare provider and assessed the effect of the current HIV care provider's gender on such discussions and whether comfort was a mediator. We analysed baseline and 18-month survey data from 533 women living with HIV enrolled in the Canadian HIV Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS) (2013-2017), a community-based participatory study, restricting the analysis to participants aged 16-45 years. We used causal mediation analysis to estimate direct and indirect effects of the gender of one's HIV care provider on reproductive discussions, incorporating mediating and interaction effects of women having any provider with whom they felt comfortable discussing reproductive goals. Between the baseline and 18-month follow-up surveys, 34.3% (183/533) of women discussed their reproductive goals with a healthcare provider. Having a woman HIV care provider was associated with a 1.18 excess relative risk (ERR) of discussion (95%CI: 0.15, 2.20). The mediating effect of comfort was primarily explained by the fact that those participants with women providers felt more comfortable discussing their reproductive goals compared to participants with men providers, accounting for 66% (95%CI: 32%, 99%) of the total effect. Findings support that HIV provider gender affects women's comfort and whether they discuss reproductive goals, which must be acknowledged and addressed in care delivery.
People living with HIV (PLWH) develop both anti-envelope-specific antibodies, which bind the closed trimeric HIV envelope present on infected cells, and anti-gp120-specific antibodies, which bind gp120 monomers shed by infected cells and taken up by CD4 on uninfected bystander cells. Both antibodies have an Fc portion that binds to Fc receptors on several types of innate immune cells and stimulates them to develop antiviral functions. Among these Fc-dependent functions (FcDFs) are antibody-dependent (AD) cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), AD cellular trogocytosis (ADCT), and AD phagocytosis (ADCP). In this study, we assessed the evolution of total immunoglobulin G (IgG), anti-gp120, and anti-envelope IgG antibodies and their FcDFs in plasma samples from antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive subjects during early HIV infection (28 to 194 days postinfection [DPI]). We found that both the concentrations and FcDFs of anti-gp120 and anti-envelope antibodies increased with time in ART-naive PLWH. Although generated concurrently, anti-gp120-specific antibodies were 20.7-fold more abundant than anti-envelope-specific antibodies, both specificities being strongly correlated with each other and FcDFs. Among the FcDFs, only ADCP activity was inversely correlated with concurrent viral load. PLWH who started ART at >90 DPI showed higher anti-envelope-specific antibody levels and ADCT and ADCP activities than those starting ART at<90 DPI. However, in longitudinally collected samples, ART initiation at >90 DPI was accompanied by a faster decline in anti-envelope-specific antibody levels, which did not translate to a faster decline in FcDFs than for those starting ART at <90 DPI. IMPORTANCE Closed-conformation envelope is expressed on the surface of HIV-infected cells. Antibodies targeting this conformation and that support FcDFs have the potential to control HIV. This study tracked the timing of the appearance and evolution of antibodies to closed-conformation envelope, whose concentration increased over the first 6 months of infection. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation blunts further increases in the concentration of these antibodies and their and FcDFs. However, antibodies to open-conformation envelope also increased with DPI until ART initiation. These antibodies target uninfected bystander cells, which may contribute to loss of uninfected CD4 cells and pathogenicity. This report presents, for the first time, the evolution of antibodies to closed-conformation envelope and their fate on ART. This information may be useful in making decisions on the timing of ART initiation in early HIV infection.
Antibody dependent (AD) functions such as AD cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) were associated with lower viral load (VL) in untreated HIV progressors and protection from HIV infection in the modestly protective RV144 HIV vaccine trial. Target cells used to measure ADCC, AD complement deposition (ADCD), and AD cellular trogocytosis (ADCT) have been either HIV envelope (Env) gp120-coated CEM.NKr.CCR5 cells or HIV infected cell cultures. In HIV infected cell cultures, uninfected bystander cells take up gp120 shed from infected cells. Both gp120-coated and gp120+ bystander cells expose CD4 induced (CD4i) epitopes, which are normally hidden in native trimeric Env expressed by genuinely HIV infected cells since Nef and Vpu downmodulate cell surface CD4. Antibody dependent assays using either of these target cells probe for CD4i Abs that are abundant in HIV(+)plasma but that do not recognize HIV-infected cells. Here, we examined ADCC, ADCD, and ADCT functions using a target cell line, sorted HIV-infected cell line cells, whose HIV infection frequency nears 100% and that expresses HIV Env in a native trimeric closed conformation. Using sorted HIV-infected cells (siCEM) as targets, we probed the binding and AD functions of anti-gp120/Env Abs in plasma from HIV-infected untreated progressor (UTP,n= 18) and treated (TP,n= 24) subjects, compared to that in Elite controllers (EC,n= 37) and Viral Controllers (VC,n= 16), which are rare subsets of HIV-infected individuals who maintain undetectable or low VL, respectively, without treatment. Gp120-coated beads were used to measure AD cellular phagocytosis. Equivalent concentrations of input IgG in plasma from UTPs, ECs, and VCs supported higher levels of all AD functions tested than plasma from TPs. When AD activities were normalized to the concentration of anti-gp120/Env-specific Abs, between-group differences largely disappeared. This finding suggests that the anti-gp120/Env Abs concentrations and not their potency determined AD functional levels in these assays. Elite controllers did differ from the other groups by having AD functions that were highly polyfunctional and highly correlated with each other. PCR measurement of HIV reservoir size showed that ADCC activity was higher in ECs and VCs with a reservoir size below the limit of detection compared to those having a measurable HIV reservoir size.
Quantifying HIV Envelope (Env)-specific antibodies in HIV+ plasma is useful for interpreting antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity assay results. HIV Env, the only viral protein expressed on the surface of infected cells, has a native trimeric closed conformation on cells infected with wild-type HIV. However, CD4+ uninfected bystander cells in HIV+ cell cultures bind gp120 shed from HIV+ cells exposing CD4-induced epitopes normally hidden in native Env. We used flow-cytometry based assays to quantify antibodies in HIV+ plasma specific for native trimeric Env or gp120/CD4 conjugates using CEM.NKr.CCR5 (CEM) cells infected with HIV (iCEM) or coated with recombinant gp120 (cCEM), as a surrogate for gp120+ HIV- bystander cells. Results from both assays were compared to those of a plate-based ELISA to monomeric gp120. The levels of Env-specific antibodies to cCEM and iCEM, measured by flow cytometry, and to gp120 by ELISA were positively correlated. More antibodies in HIV+ plasma recognized the gp120 conformation exposed on cCEM than on iCEM. Comparisons of plasma from untreated progressors, treated progressors, and elite controllers revealed that antibodies to Env epitopes were the lowest in treated progressors. Plasma from elite controllers and untreated progressors had similarly high levels of Env-specific antibodies, despite elite controllers having undetectable HIV viral loads, while untreated progressors maintained high viral loads.
A Canadian traveler returns from Irak and Afghanistan reporting larvae expulsion during micturition. We report the first case of urinary myiasis in Canada and discuss the differential diagnosis and clinical approach to this rare disease.
Women living with HIV (WLHIV) experience stigma and elevated exposure to violence in comparison with HIV‐negative women. We examined the mediating role of experiencing recent violence in the relationship between stigma and depression among WLHIV in Canada.
Background: The new Canadian Residency Accreditation Consortium (CanRAC) standards recommend surveying recently graduated trainees to target improvements in training programs. The goal of this study was to estimate the impact of a rotation in an HIV clinic on trainees’ related knowledge, confidence, and practice profile at the Université de Montréal. Methods: An electronic survey was sent to practising physicians who completed the rotation between 2006 and 2016. Participants were asked to rate their agreement and level of confidence toward HIV- and HCV-related topics using 5-point Likert scales (0 to 4). Descriptive statistics and mean comparisons were calculated. Results: Among invited participants, 27 of 45 (60%) completed the questionnaire. The majority of respondents were infectious diseases physicians (48%) or family physicians (37%) and had an outpatient caseload of <10 HIV patients/year (80%). For 37% of the respondents, the rotation had a large or very large impact on their career path. They considered that the rotation had increased their knowledge on the overall management of HIV (mean 3.2/4 [95% CI 2.9 to 3.4]), but less on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) (mean 1.5/4 [95% CI 1.1 to 2.0]) or HCV care (mean 1.9/4 [95% CI 1.4 to 2.3]). Participants felt less confident with genotyping interpretation (mean 2.6/4 [95% CI 2.2 to 2.9]) and PrEP (mean 2.4/4 [95% CI 2.0 to 2.8]). Conclusions: These results suggest that a rotation in an HIV clinic improves knowledge related to HIV care. Feedback from past graduates helped us identify gaps in knowledge or level of confidence in PrEP and HCV care, which will feed curriculum improvement.
Resilience, positive growth in contexts of stress and adversity, is shaped by social ecological factors. Among people living with HIV, resilience is associated with myriad positive health benefits and improved health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). Identifying contextual factors associated with resilience among women living with HIV (WLWH) is particularly important as this population experiences many stressors and inequalities. We examined social-ecological factors associated with resilience and its relationship with HR-QoL among WLWH. We utilized baseline survey data from a national cohort of WLWH (n=1424) in Canada. We conducted structural equation modelling using maximum likelihood estimation methods to test the direct effects of social support and women-centred HIV care (WCHC) on resilience, and the direct effects of resilience on mental and physical HR-QoL. We also tested the indirect effects of resilience on HR-QoL via HIV disclosure concerns and economic insecurity. Participant median age was 43 years (IQR=35-50); most participants were women of colour (29% Black; 22% Indigenous; 7% other ethnicities; 41% Caucasian). Social support and WCHC were associated with increased resilience. The direct path from resilience to mental HR-QoL was significant, accounting for the mediation effects of economic insecurity and social support. The direct path from resilience to physical HR-QoL was significant, accounting for the mediation effects of economic insecurity. Economic insecurity partially mediated the relationship between resilience and mental HR-QoL and physical HR-QoL. HIV disclosure concerns partially mediated the relationship between resilience and mental-HR-QoL. Model fit indices suggested that the model fit the data well (2[14]=160.378, P<0.001; CFI=0.987; RMSE=0.048 [90% CI:0.042-0.080]; SRMR=0.036). Findings suggest social (social support) and structural (WCHC) factors increase resilience. While resilience is associated with improved HR-QoL, social (HIV disclosure concerns) and structural (economic insecurity) factors partially mediate these associations and threaten HR-QoL. Multi-level interventions can address social ecological contexts to advance resilience and HR-QoL among WLWH.
Good outcomes with kidney and liver transplantation in HIV-positive patients have led clinicians to recommend lung transplantation in HIV-positive patients based on extrapolated data. Pre-transplant mycobacterial infection is associated with an increased risk of developing new infection or aggravating existing infection, though it does not contraindicate transplantation in non-HIV-infected patients. However, no data exists regarding the outcome of HIV-positive patients with pre-transplant mycobacterial infection. We report a case of double lung transplantation in a 50-year-old HIV-positive patient with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Prior to transplantation, Mycobacterium kansasii was isolated in one sputum culture and the patient was considered merely colonized as no clinical evidence of pulmonary or disseminated disease was present. The patient successfully underwent a double lung transplantation. Nontuberculous mycobacterial infection was diagnosed histologically on examination of native lungs. Surveillance and watchful waiting were chosen over treatment of the infection. HIV remained under control post-transplantation with no AIDS-defining illnesses throughout the follow-up. A minimal acute rejection that responded to increased corticosteroids was reported. At 12 months post-transplant, a bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome was diagnosed after a drop in FEV1. No evidence of isolation nor recurrence of nontuberculous mycobacteria was reported post-transplantation. At 15 months post-transplant, the patient remained stable with an FEV1 of 30%. The presence of pre-transplant nontuberculous mycobacterial infection did not translate into recurrence of nontuberculous mycobacterial infection post-transplant. Whether it contributed to bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome remains unknown.
Background: Associations between HIV-related stigma and reduced antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence are widely established, yet the mechanisms accounting for this relationship are underexplored. There has been less attention to HIV-related stigma and its associations with ART initiation and current ART use. We examined pathways from HIV-related stigma to ART initiation, current ART use, and ART adherence among women living with HIV in Canada. Methods: We used baseline survey data from a national cohort of women living with HIV in Canada (n = 1425). Structural equation modeling using weighted least squares estimation methods was conducted to test the direct effects of HIV-related stigma dimensions (personalized, negative self-image, and public attitudes) on ART initiation, current ART use, and 90% ART adherence, and indirect effects through depression and HIV disclosure concerns, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Results: In the final model, the direct paths from personalized stigma to ART initiation (&bgr; = −0.104, P < 0.05) and current ART use (&bgr; = −0.142, P < 0.01), and negative self-image to ART initiation (&bgr; = −0.113, P < 0.01) were significant, accounting for the mediation effects of depression and HIV disclosure concerns. Depression mediated the pathways from personalized stigma to ART adherence, and negative self-image to current ART use and ART adherence. Final model fit indices suggest that the model fit the data well [&khgr;2(25) = 90.251, P < 0.001; comparative fit index = 0.945; root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.044]. Conclusions: HIV-related stigma is associated with reduced likelihood of ART initiation and current ART use, and suboptimal ART adherence. To optimize the benefit of ART among women living with HIV, interventions should reduce HIV-related stigma and address depression.
ObjectivesMen who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV are at high risk for anal high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) and cancer. The best management of anal HSIL remains unclear. Our objective was to assess whether argon plasma coagulation (APC) could be safe, well tolerated and efficient to treat anal HSILs in MSM living with HIV.MethodsA prospective phase II, open‐label, pilot study was conducted to evaluate APC to treat anal HSILs in 20 HIV‐positive MSM. Participants were followed for 2 years after their first treatment.ResultsTwenty men with persistent HSILs completed the 2‐year study. Their baseline median CD4 count was 490 cells/μL and 85% had undetectable HIV viral loads. Overall, 65% (13/20) of participants were clear of HSILs at their 24‐month visit. The initial response rates after the first, second and third APC treatments were 45%, 44% and 67%, respectively, but recurrences were common. The main side effect was pain during and within 1 week after the treatments. There were no long‐term side effects, nor serious adverse events related to the procedure. Cost is a drawback.ConclusionsAPC can be used to treat anal HSILs in HIV‐seropositive MSM, and requires repeated treatment because of a high recurrence rate. As successful treatment of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection or eradication of the anal transitional zone remains impossible, HSIL treatment is challenging and requires long‐term follow‐up.
In kidney transplant recipients, episodes of bacteriuria are often treated regardless of the presence of symptoms because of the lack of clear treatment guidelines suggesting otherwise. This practice may lead to the development of antimicrobial resistance. Our aim was to determine the incidence, determinants, and impact of antimicrobial resistance in kidney transplant recipients with gram‐negative bacteriuria.
Cocaine and crack use has been associated with HIV and HCV infections, but its consequences on HCV progression have not been well established. We analyzed the impact of cocaine/crack use on liver fibrosis progression in a cohort of HIV-HCV co-infected patients.