Scientists at the BC-CfE put the disease under the microscope, chart pathways and blockages to sustained HIV treatment, and address the range of needs of those living with HIV across the province. These top five findings from 2014-15, listed here in no particular order, demonstrate the breadth of research conducted at the BC-CfE.
HIV viral loads among peer groups can be a strong predictor of infection. Using anonymized HIV sequence data, collected from DNA, researchers at the BC-CfE were able to reconstruct patterns in the historical spread of the HIV epidemic in British Columbia – and characterizesubpopulations in the province with elevated rates of HIV transmission. The link between viral loads and rates of infection supports early treatment as a critical step in preventing the spread of HIV, which is the concept behind the made-in-BC Treatment as Preventionstrategy.
Women, young people, Aboriginal people and those with a history of injection drug use are among several groups in Canada at higher risk of HIV treatment interruption, according to findings from the Canadian Observational Cohort (CANOC) collaboration. A team of Canadian scientists, led by Dr. Robert Hogg at the BC-CfE, is exploring Canada’s largest database of HIV-positive individuals on modern antiretroviral therapy, uncoveringremaining gaps in access to treatment.
Young people who are HIV positive are more likely to delay treatment at detriment to their health, according to another study based on survey data from CANOC – a database of approximately 10,000 HIV-positive individuals over the age of 18 in BC, Ontario and Quebec. The study found that 40% of young people start treatment with a CD4 count that has already reached very low levels (below 200 cells/mm3, whereas the CD4 count of a healthy adult/adolescent ranges from 500 cells/mm3to 1,200 cells/mm3), or an AIDS defining illness. This demonstrates the need to engage with young people to ensure they reach the full benefits of treatment.
HIV-positive women in British Columbia are 58% more likely to receive poorer quality of care than HIV-positive men during the first year on antiretroviral therapy, according tofindingsfrom the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.Study authors recommended gender-focused strategies forwomen living with HIV to address these inequities, pointingto the Oak Tree Clinic in Vancouver as a model for women-centredcare. The researchers found that women who hadever accessed care at the Oak Tree Clinic during their firstyear on HAARTreceive better quality of care. Furtherevaluation of women-centred care models is currentlybeing conducted as part of the Canadian HIV Women’sSexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS).
Successful drug resistance testing at low level viremia, according to researchers at the BC-CfE. BC-CfE scientists showed resistance testing can be successfully performed at low level viremia, and the results are predictive of therapeutic outcomes.