Evidence of an untamed HIV epidemic among MSM and TGW in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: a 2018 to 2020 cross-sectional study using recent infection testing.

INTRODUCTION: Monitoring the HIV epidemic and identifying populations among whom HIV is spreading is critical. We aimed to provide an estimate of the annualized HIV incidence rate using recency testing among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) at a reference centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS: We evaluated MSM and TGW who sought HIV testing at the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases-FIOCRUZ between March 2018 and January 2020. The Limiting Avidity assay (LAg) as part of a recent infection testing algorithm (RITA) was employed to identify recent infections (those with a normalized optical density ≤1.5 in the LAg that met all RITA criteria) among those who tested positive for HIV and the annualized HIV incidence was estimated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Out of 3053 individuals assessed, 2591 (84.9%) were HIV negative and 462 (15.1%) were living with HIV. Among these, 302 (65.4%) with stored samples available were evaluated and 73/302 (24.2%) were classified as recent infections. The annualized incidence rate estimate using a false recency rate of zero was 7.35% (95% CI 5.76% to 9.25%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the HIV epidemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, continues to disproportionately burden vulnerable populations, including MSM and TGW despite the existence and availability of effective preventive and therapeutic interventions.

HIV controllers with different viral load cutoff levels have distinct virologic and immunologic profiles.

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms behind natural control of HIV replication are still unclear, and several studies pointed that elite controllers (ECs) are a heterogeneous group. METHODS: We performed analyses of virologic, genetic, and immunologic parameters of HIV-1 controllers groups: (1) ECs (viral load, <80 copies/mL); (2) ebbing elite controllers (EECs; transient viremia/blips); and viremic controllers (VCs; detectable viremia, <5000 copies/mL). Untreated noncontrollers (NCs), patients under suppressive highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), and HIV-1-negative individuals were analyzed as controls. RESULTS: Total and integrated HIV-1 DNA for EC were significantly lower than for NC and HAART groups. 2-LTR circles were detected in EEC (3/5) and VC (6/7) but not in EC. Although EC and EEC maintain normal T-cell counts over time, some VC displayed negative CD4 T-cell slopes. VC and EEC showed a higher percentage of activated CD8 T cells and microbial translocation than HIV-1-negative controls. EC displayed a weaker Gag/Nef IFN-γ T-cell response and a significantly lower proportion of anti-HIV IgG antibodies than EEC, VC, and NC groups. CONCLUSION: Transient/persistent low-level viremia in HIV controllers may have an impact on immunologic and virologic profiles. Classified HIV controller patients taking into account their virologic profile may decrease the heterogeneity of HIV controllers cohorts, which may help to clarify the mechanisms associated to the elite control of HIV.