HIV and SARS-CoV-2 co-infection: cross-sectional findings from a German 'hotspot'.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the proportion of people living with HIV with anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in a sample from a large single HIV center in Munich, Germany, after the first phase of the coronavirus pandemic and to infer the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 co-infection in people living with HIV. METHODS: Prospective sub-study of the ongoing ArcHIV cohort between May and July 2020. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were measured using the recomWell SARS-CoV-2 IgG ELISA (Mikrogen, Neuried, Germany); positive and borderline results were re-tested using the recomLine SARS-CoV-2 IgG immunoassay (Mikrogen, Neuried, Germany). Demographic and medical data were extracted from the electronic patient files. RESULTS: Overall, 500 people living with HIV were included in the study (83% male, median age 51 years). Three participants had been diagnosed with COVID-19 prior to study inclusion. Of those, nine were confirmed positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, resulting in an estimated seroprevalence (accounting for sensitivity and specificity of the test) of 1.5% (CI 95%: 0.69; 3.13) for the entire study sample, and 2.2% (CI 95%: 1.1; 3.9) for the subset of the Munich citizens. There were no marked differences for people living with HIV with and without SARS-CoV-2 co-infection. CONCLUSION: The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 co-infection in people living with HIV as found in our study does not seem to exceed previous reports from general populations of 'hot-sport' areas; comparative data from the Munich population can be expected to be published soon. Our data also highlight, once more, the need to do confirmatory testing on positive samples to minimize the impact of false-positive results.

Inhibitors of sterol synthesis. Chemical syntheses and spectral properties of 26-oxygenated derivatives of 3 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-en-15-one and their effects on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity in CHO-K1 cells.

26-Oxygenated derivatives of delta 8(14)-15-ketosterols have been synthesized from (25R)-3 beta,26-diacetoxy-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-en-15-one (IX) as part of a program to prepare potential metabolites and analogs of 3 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-en-15-one (I), a potent regulator of cholesterol metabolism. Partial hydrolysis of IX gave a mixture, from which the 3 beta,26-diol II and the 26-acetate (XI) and 3 beta-acetate (X) monoesters were isolated. Mitsunobu reaction of XI followed by hydrolysis gave (25R)-3 alpha,26-dihydroxy-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-en-15-one (VI). Oxidation of XI with pyridinium chlorochromate followed by hydrolysis of the acetate gave (25R)-26-hydroxy-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-ene-3,15-dione (VII). Oxidation of X with Jones reagent followed by hydrolysis of the acetate gave (25R)-3 beta-hydroxy-15-keto-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-en-26-oic acid (IVa). Jones oxidation of II gave (25R)-3,15-diketo-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-en-26-oic acid (VII). 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance assignments and analyses of mass spectral fragmentation data are presented for each of the new compounds and their derivatives. The 3,15-diketone VII was found to be highly active in lowering the levels of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity in CHO-K1 cells, with a potency comparable to that of I. In contrast, 3 alpha,26-diol VI was less potent than I or VII. The two carboxylic acid analogs IVa and VIII were considerably less potent than VI in lowering the levels of HMG-CoA reductase activity.