Study on the threshold of HIV-1 drug resistance in Hunan province / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To survey the prevalence of HIV-1 drug resistance in patients newly diagnosed as HIV positive and who were younger than 25 years of age but had not received treatment with antiretroviral treatment (ART) in Hunan province.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serum specimens of HIV infected individuals were collected and HIV-1 pol genetic mutations associated with drug resistance were identified with PCR and interpreted with Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total number of 69 patients whose HIV sequences were amplified successfully with 2 (2.9%) specimens appeared mutations associated with HIV-1 drug resistance in the reverse transcriptase region, including one as V75M and the other one as K103N and V181C. Data showed that the prevalence of drug resistance in Hunan was 2.9%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The first line regiments of national ART seemed still effective. Most of the AIDS patients did not need to be tested on drug resistance status before starting ART. However, it is important to start HIV drug resistance surveillance in no time.</p>

Estimation on the number of drug users in Hongjiang, Hunan: a capture-recapture study / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To estimate the number of drug users in Hongjiang, Hunan and to develop strategy for drug reduction in the future.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two capture-recapture methods were used to estimate the numbers of drug addicts. Random stratified sampling survey was used to verify the optimum allocation. The first capture-recapture method (CR1) referred to the number from optimum allocation random stratified sampling survey conducted in the communities and the number from local Public Security Bureau list being the second capture. The second capture-recapture method (CR2) referred to the collection of records in the detoxification unit with an interval of 4 months. The estimated number was calculated under Seber's adjustment formula. Face to face interview was carried out during the optimum allocation random stratified sampling survey process.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of 1388 interviewed in the communities, 24 (1.73%) were identified as drug addicts under the optimum allocation random stratified sampling survey. When the figure 1.73% was applied to the total population (72,709) in Hongjiang, the result yielded an estimation of 1258 drug addicts. The estimated numbers of CR1 and CR2 were 904 and 1069 respectively. However, the number was 1.3 to 1.6 fold higher than the reported number (687) by local Public Security Bureau.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The capture-recapture method seemed a better method in estimating the number of drug addicts.</p>