The standard screening “HIV test” used in clinics or Emergency Departments works to detect human antibodies to HIV. While the test can provide quick-and-easy results, a significant drawback has been the inability to detect early HIV infections. In the acute or early phase of HIV infection, the body does not yet produce antibodies to the virus; consequently, the HIV-infected individual may still appear “HIV-negative”. There are PCR-based methods to detect HIV nucleic acids, but these have a longer turnaround time and are not cost-effective for routine screening.

To circumvent the problem of false negative results early in an infection, the Architect HIV Ag/Ab Combo Assay (Abbott Laboratories) was designed to detect both HIV antigen (p24) and antibody. It is the first of its kind and is also intended for diagnosis of both HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections. The assay was just approved for clinical use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is not intended for routine screening of blood donors, except in urgent situations.

The “New & Interesting” series is a biweekly compilation of select research findings, news articles, and random tidbits in bullet-point format. The entries are highly abbreviated, but provide links to the original articles or abstracts if you desire to read further.

General Articles

• Telaprevir leads to 75% cure rate in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected individuals, as shown in late-stage Phase III drug trial. This is a significant improvement over the 40-50% cure rate of the current HCV therapies: interferon and ribavirin. The side effect profile of telaprevir is also much more tolerable than with interferon and ribavirin. If approved by the FDA, telaprevir may also lead to a multi-billion dollar boon for its developer, Vertex Pharmaceuticals. (Reuters)

• Researchers at Ulm University in Germany discovered that children who ate three or more hamburgers a week had a 40% greater risk of developing asthma than those who ate less hamburgers. The group hypothesizes that saturated fats promote asthma by causing inflammation in the airways. This does not apply to all fats, such as omega-3, which may instead have a protective effect. (WebMD)

Technical Articles

• Bilateral necrosis of earlobes and cheeks may be another complication of cocaine. There has been an increasing percentage of cocaine cut with the antihelmintic agent levimasole. Levimasole is an immunomodulating agent that has neutropenia and vasculitis as adverse effects. Physicians from the University of Rochester report two cases of cocaine abusers who developed these yet unknown consequences of cocaine use. (Ann Intern Med)

• Inactive hepatitis B still carries risk for hepatocellular carcinoma and liver-related death. The REVEAL-HBV (Risk Evaluation of Viral Load Elevation and Associated Liver Disease/Cancer in HBV) Study Group found that the annual incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver-related death was higher in inactive HBV carriers when compared to uninfected controls. (Gastroenterology)

In our currently fragile economy, lifestyle changes are often necessary to maintain a reasonable budget. We may carpool more often, eat out less frequently, or reduce the number of foreign excursions. While making changes to shave costs are generally helpful, there are some corners that should not be cut.

In a recent study published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, the cost-cutting practice of replacing water for windshield wiper fluid has been linked with an increased risk of developing Legionnaire’s disease.

It appears that stagnant water in wiper fluid reservoirs promote bacterial growth, including the Legionella bacteria that are typically spread through water systems (e.g., air conditioners, showers, and fountains). When sprayed on the windshield, the bacteria are aerosolized and disseminated through air vents or open windows.
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The “New & Interesting” series is a biweekly compilation of select research findings, news articles, and random tidbits in bullet-point format. The entries are highly abbreviated, but provide links to the original articles or abstracts if you desire to read further.

General Articles

• Telaprevir leads to 75% cure rate in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected individuals, as shown in late-stage Phase III drug trial. This is a significant improvement over the 40-50% cure rate of the current HCV therapies: interferon and ribavirin. The side effect profile of telaprevir is also much more tolerable than with interferon and ribavirin. If approved by the FDA, telaprevir may also lead to a multi-billion dollar boon for its developer, Vertex Pharmaceuticals. (Reuters)

• Researchers at Ulm University in Germany discovered that children who ate three or more hamburgers a week had a 40% greater risk of developing asthma than those who ate less hamburgers. The group hypothesizes that saturated fats promote asthma by causing inflammation in the airways. This does not apply to all fats, such as omega-3, which may instead have a protective effect. (WebMD)

Technical Articles

• Bilateral necrosis of earlobes and cheeks may be another complication of cocaine. There has been an increasing percentage of cocaine cut with the antihelmintic agent levimasole. Levimasole is an immunomodulating agent that has neutropenia and vasculitis as adverse effects. Physicians from the University of Rochester report two cases of cocaine abusers who developed these yet unknown consequences of cocaine use. (Ann Intern Med)

• Inactive hepatitis B still carries risk for hepatocellular carcinoma and liver-related death. The REVEAL-HBV (Risk Evaluation of Viral Load Elevation and Associated Liver Disease/Cancer in HBV) Study Group found that the annual incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver-related death was higher in inactive HBV carriers when compared to uninfected controls. (Gastroenterology)

The “New & Interesting” series is a biweekly compilation of select research findings, news articles, and random tidbits in bullet-point format. The entries are highly abbreviated, but provide links to the original articles or abstracts if you desire to read further.

General Articles

• The Sun Herald reports on how cardiologists in Mississippi have been using the iPhone to diagnose patients more quickly through more rapid access to EKGs and other medical information (Sun Herald)

• The presence of an infection at the time of gluten introduction in childhood is not a major risk factor for celiac disease (Pediatrics)

Technical Articles

• Updated 2009 guidelines on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of catheter-associated urinary tract infections. This was published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). (Clin Infect Dis)

• A meta-analysis of randomized statin trials revealed a 9% increased risk of diabetes with statin use. The study authors nevertheless add that “the risk is low both in absolute terms and when compared with the reduction in coronary events. Clinical practice in patients with moderate or high cardiovascular risk or existing cardiovascular disease should not change.” (Lancet)

• Successful development of human liver chimeric mouse model for the study of HBV and HCV infections (J Clin Invest)

• Eradication of H pylori may help treat gastric low-grade, B-cell, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma (Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol)