Christina Psomas

Persistent immune activation in virologically suppressed HIV-1 patients, which may be the consequence of various factors including microbial translocation, is a major cause of comorbidities. We have previously shown that different profiles of immune activation may be distinguished in virological responders. Here, we tested the hypothesis that a par...

Important data on the social, epidemiological and clinical aspects of HIV-1, comorbidities and hepatitis as well as data on novel antiretroviral agents and the cure agenda were presented at AIDS 2018. This report covers some of the highlights.

The 20th International Symposium on HIV and Emerging Infectious Diseases took place in Marseille, France. It had a refreshing European look with reinforced partnerships with the European AIDS Clinical Society and the British HIV Association and with international speakers and participants. Topics included HIV and global health, HIV and hepatitis cu...

The 9th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2017) took place at the Palais des Congrès, in Paris, France, from 23 to 26 July 2017, chaired by Linda-Gail Bekker and Jean-François Delfraissy. It was organised by the International AIDS Society (IAS) in partnership with ANRS (the French national agency for research on AIDS and vir...

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/nature21710.

Objectives Direct-Acting Antivirals (DAAs) opened a new era in HCV treatment. We report the impact of HCV treatment in French HIV-HCV coinfected patients. Methods All HIV-HCV patients from the Dat’AIDS cohort followed between 2012 and 2015 were included. HCV status was defined yearly as naive, spontaneous cure, sustained virological response (SVR1...

Introduction Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a cell damage-induced alarmin. The plasma concentration of suppression of tumorogenicity (sST2), a surrogate marker of IL-33 production, is a prognostic marker of cardiovascular disease. Observation Recently, we reported that sST2 plasma levels were elevated in early HIV-1 infection and linked to markers of m...

From the 13th to 16th February 2017, researchers from around the world convened for the 24th annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, Washington. The conference was organised by the International Antiviral Society-USA (IAS-USA) in partnership with the CROI Foundation...

From the 13th to 16th February 2017, researchers from around the world convened for the 24th annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, Washington. The conference was organised by the International Antiviral Society-USA (IAS-USA) in partnership with the CROI Foundation...

The persistence of the HIV reservoir in infected individuals is a major obstacle to the development of a cure for HIV. Here, using an in vitro model of HIV-infected quiescent CD4 T cells, we reveal a gene expression signature of 103 upregulated genes that are specific for latently infected cells, including genes for 16 transmembrane proteins. In vi...

For three days in May 2016, the International Symposium on HIV & Emerging Infectious Diseases gathered participants from all over the world around the theme 'Fighting deadly viruses'. HIV infection remained the main topic of the meeting but hepatitis, Ebola and Zika viruses as well as other emergent pathogens were also extensively covered. In this...

For three days in May 2016, the International Symposium on HIV & Emerging Infectious Diseases gathered participants from all over the world around the theme ‘Fighting deadly viruses’. HIV infection remained the main topic of the meeting but hepatitis, Ebola and Zika viruses as well as other emergent pathogens were also extensively covered. In this...

Immune activation in HIV-1-infected individuals is reduced under antiretroviral therapies, but persists, resulting in various morbidities. To better characterize this phenomenon, using a panel of 68 soluble and cell surface markers, we measured the level of activation in circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, B cells, monocytes, NK cells, neutrophils,...

Over 4 days, more than 270 scientists involved in HIV persistence research convened to share their data and discuss future avenues to control HIV without continuous antiretroviral therapy. This 7th International Workshop on HIV Persistence followed the format of the preceding conferences but more time was given for discussing abstracts submitted by...

Systemic immune activation is a striking consequence of HIV-1 infection. Even in virologically suppressed patients, some hyperactivity of the immune system and even of the endothelium and of the coagulation pathway may persist. Apart from immune deficiency, this chronic activation may contribute to various morbidities including atherothrombosis, ne...

CXCR4 is a chemokine receptor that plays key roles with its specific ligand, CXCL12, in stem cell homing and immune trafficking. It is also used as a coreceptor by some HIV-1 strains (X4 strains), whereas other strains (R5 strains) use an alternative coreceptor, CCR5. X4 strains mainly emerge at late stages of the infection and are linked to diseas...

To assess the frequency of glomerular and tubular proteinuria in a cohort of HIV-infected patients, and to determine the factors associated with each type of injury. Cross-sectional study of 1210 consecutive HIV-infected adults followed in HIV outpatient unit (Montpellier/France). Spot urine protein to creatinine (uPCR), albumin to creatinine (uACR...

Background HIV-infected individuals have an increased risk of chronic kidney disease. Purpose To evaluate the prevalence of different types of proteinuria and associated factors in a HIV-infected population with a high percentage (92%) of Caucasian origin. Materials and Methods Cross-sectional study of all HIV-infected adults seen at the Montpellie...

Objective: To address the ability of a 24-week Maraviroc (MVC) intensification of a stable antiretroviral therapy (cART) to significantly increase the CD4 cell count slope. Methods: Patients were eligible if they had CD4 <350 cells/mm, a CD4 slope <50 cells/mm per year, and sustained plasma HIV-RNA <50 copies/mL over the last 2 years, while rece...

Immune activation is a main driver of AIDS- and non-AIDS-linked morbidities in the course of HIV-1 infection. As CCR5, the main HIV-1 co-receptor, is not only a chemokine receptor but also a co-activation molecule expressed at the surface of T cells, it could be directly involved in this immune activation. To test this hypothesis, we measured by fl...

An increase of syphilis cases has been recorded in the past few decades, especially among HIV-infected patients. These patients often present with concomitant primary and secondary lesions or extensive presentations of syphilis. Our goal was to compare alternative regimens to the recommended penicillin treatment. We retrospectively studied 116 pati...

CCR5 molecule is a chemokine receptor with an important role in infectious diseases; not only is it the main coreceptor for HIV-1, but it has also been involved in the immune defense against various transmissible agents. CCR5 antagonists constitute a new class of antiretrovirals. Three molecules of this class have reached phases 2B and 3 of clinica...

We monitored in fifty individuals with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) the expression of CCR5 and CXCR3, two chemokine receptors involved in the intra-hepatic recruitment of T cells, at the surface of circulating CD4+ T cells. The percentage of CD4+ T cells expressing CCR5 and/or CXCR3 was increased in patients. The increased percentage of CD4+ CXCR3+ T...

Objectif Cette etude devait evaluer les caracteristiques cliniques et le pronostic des legionelloses en reanimation. Methode Etude retrospective menee pendant 6 ans dans 3 services de reanimation du CHU de Montpellier incluant les patients atteints de legionellose. Le diagnostic etait retenu en cas d’antigenurie legionelle positive. Resultats 30 pa...

Antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV infection are closely associated with faciocervical and peripheral lipodystrophies. There are several options for surgical treatment of facial lipodystrophy, one of these was described by S. R. Coleman in 1994, the technique of fat transplantation. A retrospective study of 23 seropositive patients is presented...

The transconjunctival CO(2) laser approach to lower eyelid blepharoplasty was used to treat a 66-year-old man presenting with bilateral lower eyelid herniated fat without excess skin. Early postoperative examination revealed left eye blindness. This report presents clinical circumstances of this rare complication and further discusses the most like...