HIV infection

Overview

HIV infection is a chronic viral disease caused by human immunodeficiency virus, a retrovirus that targets the immune system, especially CD4+ T cells. Without effective treatment, progressive immune depletion leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and susceptibility to opportunistic infections, malignancies, and multi-organ complications. In modern care, antiretroviral therapy is central to suppressing viral replication, restoring immune function, and reducing transmission.

Biologically, HIV infection is characterized by persistent viral replication, immune activation, and long-term inflammatory and immunologic consequences even in treated individuals. Recent research continues to examine how viral suppression, immune exhaustion, inflammation, mitochondrial function, telomere attrition, and comorbid disease contribute to outcomes such as frailty, cardiac dysfunction, neurocognitive injury, and age-related health decline. Studies also increasingly focus on adherence, engagement in care, and prevention strategies, including future vaccine development and long-acting antibody approaches.

Focus of Latest Publications

Recent publications on HIV infection have focused on both clinical management and prevention across diverse populations, with several studies examining how HIV interacts with treatment, comorbid conditions, and public health interventions. One retrospective study in South Korea investigated factors associated with low-level viremia in people living with HIV and its relationship to clinical outcomes, reflecting ongoing interest in optimizing antiretroviral therapy and viral suppression. Another study assessed posterior segment ocular findings in treatment-naïve people living with HIV, with attention to virologic and immunologic predictors such as cytomegalovirus retinitis and HIV-related retinopathy. A case report also described erythrovirus B19-induced pure red cell aplasia as an initial presentation that led to the diagnosis of untreated HIV infection, highlighting the importance of recognizing unusual hematologic presentations in immunocompromised patients.

Several publications addressed HIV prevention and care in vulnerable populations. A mixed-methods protocol from Tanzania, ENGAGE, was designed to generate evidence to optimize prevention of vertical HIV transmission among pregnant and postpartum adolescent girls and young women living with HIV, a group noted to have poorer adherence and retention on HIV treatment and elevated risk of mother-to-child transmission. Another study examined the perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents living with HIV aged 10–15 years and their families in Vietnam, underscoring the vulnerability of this age group to disruptions in care and daily life during public health emergencies. In addition, a randomized controlled trial evaluated expressive writing as an intervention to improve optimism and coping among newly diagnosed people with HIV.

Other recent work explored HIV-related behavior and prevention attitudes in broader social and network contexts. A cross-sectional survey among LGBTQ adults in New Jersey and New York found that intent to vaccinate for HIV was associated with mpox vaccination intent or uptake, while higher mpox concern, greater HIV vaccination intent, and employment were linked to higher odds of mpox vaccination intent/uptake. This suggests shared, outbreak-specific prevention orientations. Separately, a network modeling study from the NCIPHER Lab emphasized that accounting for spillover effects in social and healthcare networks can improve estimates of intervention effectiveness for HIV-related outcomes, including community alert exposure and treatment effects in networked populations.

Key Publications

NEWJul Study Design, Methods, and Modeling in Networks to Inform HIV Interventions and Policy in Marginalized Populations. (Rhode Island medical journal (2013), 2026, PMID 42348626): "Our work demonstrates that accounting for spillover improves understanding of the effectiveness of HIV and opioid use disorder (OUD) interventions."
NEWJun ENding HIV transmission to infants by Generating Evidence to optimise prevention and care for pregnant and postpartum Adolescent Girls and young women with HIV in Tanzania (ENGAGE): study protocol for a mixed-methods research project. (BMJ open, 2026, PMID 42315270): "Moreover, pregnant AGYW living with HIV in SSA have poorer adherence and retention on HIV treatment and elevated risks of vertical HIV transmission to their infants, as compared with older women."
NEWJun Factors associated with low-level viremia in people living with HIV: A 10-year retrospective study in South Korea. (PloS one, 2026, PMID 42302078): "The goal of antiretroviral therapy is to achieve and sustain the suppression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral load."
Jun Emerging Prevention During the Mpox Outbreak: Associations Between Mpox Vaccination Intent/Uptake, HIV Vaccination Intent, and Mpox Concern Among LGBTQ Adults. (AIDS education and prevention : official publication of the International Society for AIDS Education, 2026, PMID 42223400): "This study examined whether mpox vaccination intent/uptake was associated with uptake or intent to vaccinate for other sexually transmitted vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs), including a future HIV vaccine, and whether mpox concern, HIV vaccination intent, and sociodemographic factors predicted mpox vaccination intent/uptake."
May Expressive writing intervention on optimism and coping modes of newly diagnosed people with human immunodeficiency virus: A randomized controlled trial. (Medicine, 2026, PMID 42216406): "To investigate the effect of expressive writing intervention on optimism and coping modes of newly diagnosed people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)."
May Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of adolescents living with HIV aged 10-15 years and their families in Vietnam. (BMC public health, 2026, PMID 42192372): "This study assessed the perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated factors on adolescents living with HIV aged 10-15 years and their families in Vietnam."
May Beyond CD4: Posterior segment findings and virologic-immunologic predictors in highly active antiretroviral therapy-naïve HIV patients. (Indian journal of ophthalmology, 2026, PMID 42200741): "To assess ocular findings in treatment-naïve people living with HIV (PLWH), focusing on posterior segment involvement, and to identify key virologic and immunologic predictors, including cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis and HIV-related retinopathy."
May Erythrovirus-B19-Induced Pure Red Cell Aplasia Revealing Untreated HIV Infection. (The American journal of case reports, 2026, PMID 42154736): "During hospitalization, he was newly diagnosed with HIV infection, with a baseline viral load of 811 000 copies/mL and CD4 count of 33 cells/μL."