BACKGROUND: HIV-infected children have a higher risk of presenting infections, including the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The inactivated HAV vaccine is immunogenic in immunocompetent hosts; however, there are insufficient studies on the duration of seroprotection in HIV-infected children.
METHODS: An analytical cohort study was conducted. HIV-1-infected children who received the inactivated HAV vaccine (2 doses) were included. Blood samples were taken for antibody measurement, the first one 28 days after the second dose and another 7 years after the vaccination schedule. Information on viral load, immunological category, weight, height, and response to antiretroviral treatment from diagnosis to the last assessment was obtained.
RESULTS: 19 patients were included, with a mean age of 12.6 years (SD ± 2.29). 58% were male. 80% of the patients presented protective immunoglobulin G antibodies against HAV 7-year post-vaccination. The antibody concentration was found to be between 13 and 80 mIU/mL (median of 80 mIU/mL). 52% showed some degree of immunosuppression. There was no statistically significant relationship between the presence of seroprotection and viral load, treatment failure, immunological category, and malnutrition. Twelve patients presented with antiretroviral treatment failure, and in 33% of them, the antibodies did not offer satisfactory seroprotection.
CONCLUSIONS: 7-year post-vaccination, 80% of HIV-infected children maintain seroprotection titers against HAV.
UNASSIGNED: Los niños infectados por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) tienen mayor riesgo de presentar infecciones, incluyendo hepatitis por virus A (VHA). La vacuna inactivada contra el VHA es inmunógena en el huésped inmunocompetente. No hay estudios suficientes sobre el tiempo de seroprotección en niños infectados por el VIH.
UNASSIGNED: Estudio de cohorte, analítico. Se incluyeron niños con infección por VIH-1 que recibieron la vacuna inactivada contra el VHA (dos dosis). Se les tomaron muestras sanguíneas para medición de anticuerpos, una 28 días después de la segunda dosis y otra 7 años después del esquema de vacunación. Se obtuvo información de carga viral, categoría inmunológica, peso y talla, y respuesta al tratamiento antirretroviral desde el diagnóstico hasta la última valoración.
RESULTS: Se incluyeron 19 pacientes con una edad media de 12.6 años (± 2.29). El 58% fueron del sexo masculino. El 80% de los pacientes presentaron anticuerpos immunoglobulin G (IgG) contra el VHA protectores a los 7 años de la vacunación. La concentración de anticuerpos se encontró entre 13 y 80 mUI/ml (mediana: 80 mUI/ml). El 52% mostraron algún grado de inmunosupresión. No existe relación estadísticamente significativa entre la presencia de seroprotección y la carga viral, la falla al tratamiento, la categoría inmunológica ni la desnutrición. Doce pacientes presentaron falla al tratamiento antirretroviral; en el 33% de ellos los anticuerpos no ofrecían seroprotección satisfactoria.
CONCLUSIONS: A 7 años posvacunación, el 80% de los niños con VIH mantienen títulos de seroprotección frente al VHA.

BACKGROUND: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an effective and safe preventive measure. However, it has not reached all target users who could benefit from it. The study aimed to understand the sociodemographic, clinical and behavioral baseline characteristics of PrEP users. As a secondary objective, the use of concomitant medication and drug consumption were described.
METHODS: Observational, retrospective and descriptive study of the sociodemographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics of the users who were included in the PrEP program of the Community of Madrid during the first two years of experience.
RESULTS: Two thousand two hundred fifty-six PrEP users were included, 99.0% men, with a mean age of 36.9 years (SD 8.68). 33.1% presented a sexually transmitted infection (STI) on the first visit, highlighting chlamydiasis and rectal gonococci. 70.4% reported using drugs associated with sex, and 42.4% participated in chemsex sessions in the last 3 months. A high percentage of users with concomitant medication was observed (37.6%), highlighting drugs related to mental health and alopecia.
CONCLUSIONS: A multidisciplinary approach is required to cover all the needs of PrEP users, including mental health evaluation measures and addiction treatment with the clinical approach.

BACKGROUND: In Spain, half of new HIV diagnoses are late and a significant proportion of people living with HIV have not yet been diagnosed. Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of an automated opportunistic HIV screening strategy in the hospital setting.
METHODS: Between April 2022 and September 2023, HIV testing was performed on all patients in whom a hospital admission analytical profile, a pre-surgical profile and several pre-designed serological profiles (fever of unknown origin, pneumonia, mononucleosis, hepatitis, infection of sexual transmission, rash, endocarditis and myopericarditis) was requested. A circuit was started to refer patients the specialists.
RESULTS: 6407 HIV tests included in the profiles were performed and 18 (0.3%) new cases were diagnosed (26.4% of diagnoses in the health area). Five patients were diagnosed by hospital admission and pre-surgery profile and 13 by a serological profile requested for indicator entities (fever of unknown origin, sexually transmitted infection, mononucleosis) or possibly associated (pneumonia) with HIV occult infection. Recent infection was documented in 5 (27.8%) patients and late diagnosis in 9 (50.0%), of whom 5 (55.5%) had previously missed the opportunity to be diagnosed.
CONCLUSIONS: This opportunistic screening was profitable since the positive rate of 0.3% is cost-effective and allowed a quarter of new diagnoses to be made, so it seems a good strategy that contributes to reducing hidden infection and late diagnosis.

The number of people with immunosuppression is increasing considerably due to their greater survival and the use of new immunosuppressive treatments for various chronic diseases. This is a heterogeneous group of patients in whom vaccination as a preventive measure is one of the basic pillars of their wellbeing, given their increased risk of contracting infections. This consensus, developed jointly by the Sociedad Española de Infectología Pediátrica (Spanish Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases) and the Advisory Committee on Vaccines of the Asociación Española de Pediatría (Spanish Association of Paediatrics), provides guidelines for the development of a personalised vaccination schedule for patients in special situations, including general recommendations and specific recommendations for vaccination of bone marrow and solid organ transplant recipients, children with inborn errors of immunity, oncologic patients, patients with chronic or systemic diseases and immunosuppressed travellers.

Detection of subclinical atheromatosis disease (SAD) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is usually based on carotid ultrasound. However, studies in other pathologies have shown a probable underestimation of SAD when its detection is exclusively based on carotid exploration. This study evaluates the impact on detection of SAD in patients with HIV through combined carotid and femoral exploration.
Cross-sectional and prospective study of patients with HIV, diagnosed between 2008-2017. Carotid and femoral ultrasound examination was performed in all patients. EAS was defined according to Mannheim criteria.
One hundred two patients were included (mean age: 40 years, 73.5% being male). The prevalence of carotid SAD in the total sample was 15.7% (n=16), and the prevalence of femoral SAD was 18.6% (n=19). The proportion of patients with global SAD criteria (carotid or femoral) was 23.5% (n=24), which implies an absolute increase in SAD detection of 7.84% (95% CI; 2.63-13.06%) at the total sample.
Detection of SAD is significantly increased by the combined use of carotid and femoral arterial ultrasound in the population affected by HIV infection.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing and treating human immunodeficiency virus carriers has led to the identification of a higher prevalence of said infection and, therefore, of a higher risk of transmission of the virus.
OBJECTIVE: To find out the trend of new cases of human immunodeficiency virus infection carriers at the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) in Mexico within the 2003-2017 period.
METHODS: Patients affiliated to the IMSS were analyzed. Data from 42,181 newly-diagnosed cases were collected, with variations related to gender and age being observed. Age-standardized rates per 100,000 population were obtained.
RESULTS: The highest mean annual percentage change in males was documented in adolescents (13.0, 95% CI = 9.9, 16.1). Heterogeneous trends were recorded for women, with a significant overall decrease (-2.2, 95% CI = -3.4, -1.0), but growing trends were also observed in some groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the human immunodeficiency epidemic in patients cared for at the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social is concentrated in males, with a growing trend particularly in adolescents.
UNASSIGNED: Hacer el diagnóstico y tratar a portadores del virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana ha llevado a identificar mayor prevalencia de esa infección y, por lo tanto, de un mayor riesgo de transmisión de este virus.
OBJECTIVE: Conocer la tendencia en México de los nuevos casos de portadores de infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana en el Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) en el periodo 2003-2017.
UNASSIGNED: Se analizaron pacientes asegurados en el IMSS. Se obtuvieron datos de 42 181 casos recién diagnosticados y se analizaron las variaciones relacionadas con el sexo y la edad. Se obtuvieron las tasas estandarizadas por edad por 100 000 personas.
RESULTS: El cambio porcentual anual promedio más alto en hombres se documentó en adolescentes varones (13.0, IC 95 % = 9.9, 16.1). Se registraron tendencias heterogéneas en las mujeres, con una disminución total significativa (–2.2, IC 95 % = –3.4, –1.0), pero también se observaron tendencias crecientes en algunos grupos.
CONCLUSIONS: Los resultados sugieren que en el IMSS, la epidemia de la inmunodeficiencia humana adquirida se concentra en hombres, con tendencia creciente particularmente en adolescentes.

BACKGROUND: Isolated nocturnal hypertension is associated with a greater number of cardiovascular events and target organ damage due to arterial hypertension. It has been observed that patients in the general population with this entity do not have high blood pressure figures in the office; and it is necessary to perform an outpatient measurement to unmask it. The prevalence in special populations is not fully described. The objective of the following study is to describe the prevalence of isolated nocturnal hypertension in a population living with the human immunodeficiency virus and to observe its relationship with the categories of office blood pressure and the phenotypes of the 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurement.
METHODS: A retrospective cohort was carried out in a population with human immunodeficiency virus in a public hospital in Spain, clinical epidemiological characteristics, office blood pressure measurements and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM) were recorded. An analysis was performed based on the different ABPM blood pressure phenotypes, as well as based on the different office blood pressure categories, the risks for isolated nocturnal hypertension were calculated.
RESULTS: One hundred and sixteen individuals, without antihypertensive medication or history of established cardiovascular disease, were included in the analysis. A prevalence of nocturnal hypertension of 23.3% was described. It was not possible to demonstrate significant differences between phenotypes by ABPM of any variable specific to HIV. There were no adjusted risk differences between the different categories of office normotensives.
CONCLUSIONS: Isolated nocturnal hypertension is more frequent in patients with HIV and office blood pressure values in normotensive patients are not sufficient to predict isolated nocturnal hypertension.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a biomedical intervention to prevent HIV infection in seronegative people at high risk of becoming infected. This strategy was endorsed in October 2019 by the Spanish Ministry of Health.
To present the PrEP initial experience in the HIV Unit of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, paying special attention to the analysis of the vulnerability factors in the cohort.
Retrospective, descriptive study. The epidemiological, sociodemographic, and clinical characteristics of the users included in the program during the first year are analyzed, paying particular attention to Infections, risky practices, and substance use.
190 individuals were included, 177 men and 12 trans women with a mean age of 35 years (8 SD). 70% had higher education, and half had Spanish nationality. An average of 10 couples per trimester and 60% reported unprotected anal sex. 31% had at least one positive PCR for STIs, with N. gonorrhoeae being the most prevalent microorganism (51%) and the rectal sample the most affected (21%). 63% reported chemsex use, 19% polydrug use, and 8% \"slamming\". Half expressed concern about consumption and/or sexual practices and 25% the need for help.
The PrEP user profile attended in our Hospital Unit justifies the creation of multidisciplinary teams that allow us to provide holistic attention to the sexual life of these people.

BACKGROUND: Critical flicker frequency (CFF), defined as the frequency at which a subject perceives a flickering light as continuous, is directly associated with central nervous system alertness.
METHODS: We studied CFF using the Hepatonorm analyzer (Medi-Business Freiburg GmGH, Germany) at baseline and after hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication in 47 patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/HCV coinfection and cirrhosis. Patients had a mean age of 52 years, 81% were male, and 80% had a history of drug use.
RESULTS: We observed an increase in the CFF at the end of HCV therapy compared to baseline (42.3 ± 8.5 Hz vs. 45.9 ± 7.8 Hz; p = 0.001), and a reduction in the proportion of patients with subclinical hepatic encephalopathy (defined as a CFF <39 Hz) from 15 (32%) of 47 patients at baseline to 7 (17%) of 41 patients after HCV therapy (p = 0.180).
CONCLUSIONS: HCV eradication in HIV/HCV coinfected patients increases CFF, indicating improved liver function.

BACKGROUND: It is not clear whether patients with some degree of immunosuppression have worse outcomes in SARS-CoV-2 infection, compared to healthy people.
OBJECTIVE: To carry out a narrative review of the information available on infection by SARS-CoV-2 in immunosuppressed patients, especially patients with cancer, transplanted, neurological diseases, primary and secondary immunodeficiencies.
RESULTS: Patients with cancer and recent cancer treatment (chemotherapy or surgery) and SARS-CoV-2 infection have a higher risk of worse outcomes. In transplant patients (renal, cardiac and hepatic), with neurological pathologies (multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica (NMODS), myasthenia gravis (MG)), primary immunodeficiencies and infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in association with immunosuppressants, studies have shown no tendency for worse outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: Given the little evidence we have so far, the behaviour of SARS-CoV-2 infection in immunosuppressed patients is unclear, but current studies have not shown worse outcomes, except for patients with cancer.