Research Publications (Food Safety)

Timely antiviral therapy is critical in chronic hepatitis B cirrhosis to prevent further liver complications. Among a national cohort of US Veterans with chronic hepatitis B cirrhosis, only 52% were initiated on antiviral therapy; treatment was significantly lower among patients of non-Asian ethnicity, high-risk alcohol use, and in rural settings.

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is a public health threat, with >80% of active TB in the United States occurring due to reactivation of latent TB infection (LTBI). We may be underscreening those with high risk for LTBI and overtesting those at lower risk. A better understanding of gaps in current LTBI testing practices in relation to LTBI test positivity is needed.

Background Organ transplantation from donors with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to recipients with HIV (HIV D+/R+) presents risks of donor-derived infections. Understanding clinical, immunologic, and virologic characteristics of HIV-positive donors is critical for safety.

Background Pradefovir is a liver-targeted prodrug of adefovir, a nucleoside/nucleotide analogue with antiviral activity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA polymerase. This phase 2 study compared the efficacy and safety of oral pradefovir (30, 45, 60, or 75 mg) versus tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF; 300 mg) and aimed to identify the most appropriate dose of pradefovir for the forthcoming phase 3 study.

Background Fatty liver disease (FLD) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection occur commonly in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). FLD resolution is associated with improvement in lipoproteins in HIV-uninfected patients. We evaluated changes in FLD in an HBV/HIV-coinfected cohort. Methods One hundred eight HBV/HIV-coinfected adults with baseline liver biopsies were followed every 24 weeks (median, 166 weeks) and 60 had follow-up biopsies.

Background Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is an ultrasound-based point-of-care method to quantify liver fat; however, the optimal threshold for CAP to detect pathologic liver fat among persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; PLWH) is unknown.

Following increases in reported cases of hepatitis A, we assessed the impact of hepatitis A vaccine in Alaska Native persons. During 1996–2018, only 6 cases of hepatitis A were identified, all in unvaccinated adults. Populations can be protected against hepatitis A by achieving sufficient vaccination coverage over time.

Background Despite national immunization efforts, including universal childhood hepatitis A (HepA) vaccination recommendations in 2006, hepatitis A virus (HAV)–associated outbreaks have increased in the United States. Unvaccinated or previously uninfected persons are susceptible to HAV infection, yet the susceptibility in the US population is not well known.

To the Editor—Chaillon et al [1] reported interesting results on the effect of cannabis use on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reservoir during suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) among 48 men who have sex with men (MSM) with primary or recent HIV infection, followed up over 2 years after ART initiation.

Background Increasing numbers of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) are being observed in the Western world. The actual routes of HCV transmission during high-risk sex practices and associated drug use remain poorly understood. Methods Forty-seven patients with HCV were prospectively enrolled. Rectal and nasal swabs were collected to quantify HCV-RNA levels within rectal and nasal fluids.

Background Hepatitis A virus (HAV) can be sexually transmitted. However, the level of HAV immunity among patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Japan is unknown. Determining the epidemiology of HAV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) and who are living with HIV is essential for an HAV vaccination program.

To the Editor—We read with interest the recent article by Koibuchi et al [1] that provides further suggestions for a hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccination program with decision-tree and cost-effectiveness analyses. However, we have several concerns about the findings and conclusions in this study during the ongoing outbreak of acute hepatitis A in Tokyo.

To the Editor—We are honored that Lin at al read our article [1] with interest and thank them for their valuable comments [2].

Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can transmit through needle sharing. The national HBV infection prevalence in persons who inject drugs remains ill-defined. We estimated the prevalence of total HBV core antibody (anti-HBc) positivity, indicating a previous or ongoing HBV infection, among adults aged 20–59 years with an injection drug use (IDU) history. We compared select characteristics by anti-HBc status.

Background Beginning from 2015–2016, unprecedented large outbreaks of acute hepatitis A that predominantly affected men who have sex with men (MSM) reemerged across the continents. We assessed the impact of an early initiated hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccination campaign that targeted MSM living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during the 2015–2017 hepatitis A outbreak in Taiwan.

A 36-year-old man from Russia was admitted with disseminated extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis. He had clinical, radiological, and microbiological evidence of pulmonary tuberculosis and tuberculosis meningitis. Culture of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis from his cerebrospinal fluid revealed it to be XDR.