Woods J, Moorhouse M, Knight L. A descriptive analysis of the role of a WhatsApp clinical discussion group as a forum for continuing medical education in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a982.
This observational study of the role of a WhatsApp group gives that story of a 21st-century twist. The goal of the authors was to assess the
Mugusi SF, Mopei N, Minzi O. Adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy among orphaned children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a954.
Vujanovic M, Brkic-Jovanovic N, Ilic D, et al. Associations of visceral fat thickness and anthropometric measurements with non-alcoholic fatty liver development in male patients mono-infected with human immunodeficiency virus. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a968.
Diana NE, Feldman C. Measles in adults: A comparison of hospitalised HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected patients. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a877.
Loevinsohn G, et al. Measles seroprevalence and vaccine responses in human immunodeficiency virus-infected adolescents and adults: A systematic review. Clin Infect Dis. 2019 Aug 16;69(5):836–844.
Moss WJ. Measles. Seminar. Lancet. 2017;390:2490–2502.
Measles vaccination: A WHO position paper. April 2017. Recommendations. Vaccine. 2019 Jan 7;37(2):219–222.
Van Elsland SL, Peters RPH, Grobbelaar C, et al. Disclosure of human immunodeficiency virus status to children in South Africa: A comprehensive analysis. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a884.
Schutz C, Ward A, Burton R, et al. False rifampicin results using Xpert MTB/RIF on urine samples in hospitalised HIV-infected patients. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a978.
Ekermans P, De Gama R, Kock C, et al. An unusual case of abdominal mycobacterial infection: Case report and literature review. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a993.
Atuhaire C, Taseera K, Spoor C, Cumber RY, Cumber SN. Knowledge and perceptions of male immigrants in Leeds (UK) towards male circumcision as an HIV-prevention strategy. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a823.
Manickchund N, Du Plessis C, John M-A, et al. Case report. Emtricitabine-induced pure red cell aplasia. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a983.
Tsukamoto T. Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and the pathogenesis of HIV/AIDS. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020 Feb 21;10:60.
Durandt C, Potgieter JC, Mellet J, et al. HIV and haematopoiesis. S Afr Med J. 2019 Sep 10;109(8b):40–45.
Knuesel SJ, Sawalla Guseh J II, Karp Leaf R, Ciaranello AL, Eng GM. Case 6-2018: A 35-year-old woman with headache, subjective fever, and anemia. N Engl J Med. 2018;378:753–760.
Cloete CM, Hampton J, Chetty T, et al. Evaluation of a health system intervention to improve virological management in an antiretroviral programme at a municipal clinic in central Durban. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a985.
Kummerow M, Shaddock EJ, Klipstein-Grobusch K, et al. Unexpected low frequency of respiratory symptoms in an HIV-positive urban sub-Saharan population compared to an HIV-negative control group. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a1010.
Desai SR, Nair A, Rylance J, et al. Human immunodeficiency virus-associated chronic lung disease in children and adolescents in chest radiographic and high-resolution computed tomographic findings. Clin Infect Dis. 2018;66(2):274–281.
Shaddock EJ, Richards GA, Murray J. Lung fibrosis in deceased HIV-infected patients with pneumocystis pneumonia. S Afr J HIV Med. 2012;13(2):64–67.
Bharuthram N, Feldman C. The diagnostic utility of bone marrow examination in an infectious diseases ward. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a974.
Mehta UC, Van Schalkwyk C, Naidoo P, et al. Birth outcomes following antiretroviral exposure during pregnancy: Initial results from a pregnancy exposure registry in South Africa. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a971.
In 2013, the SA National Department of Health promoted the introduction of a birth-outcomes registry amongst pregnant women and their infants exposed to ARVs. The authors report on the first 12 months of this programme (2013–2014). Two outcomes were assessed:
Data were collected at the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Umlazi, Durban, South Africa. A total of 10 417 pregnancies and 10 517 birth outcomes were captured. The overall prevalence of HIV infection was 4013/10 417 (38.5%). A higher prevalence was noted in women > 35 years (640/1100; 58%) and in multigravida versus primigravid women (49.2% vs. 21.9%), respectively. The numbers of major CMs were small. About one-third of cases were in infants of mothers who were on ART (11/27; 29.7%). Compared to HIV-negative pregnant women unexposed to ARVs, first-trimester exposure to efavirenz in HIV-positive women did not increase the risk of CM (risk ratio [RR] 0.87, 95% CI 0.12–6.4,
Zash R, Holmes L, Diseko M, et al. Neural tube defects and antiretroviral treatment regimens in Botswana. N Eng J Med. 2019 Aug;381(9):827–840.
The National Department of Health, The Republic of South Africa. 2019 antiretroviral treatment guidelines for the management of HIV in adults, pregnancy, adolescents, children, infants and neonates. October 2019. Dolutegravir Overview, ART Initiation, p. 8. Available from:
Cele MA, Archary M. Acceptability of short text messages to support treatment adherence among adolescents living with HIV in a rural and urban clinic in KwaZulu-Natal. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a976.
Van Wyk B, Davids L-A. Challenges to HIV treatment adherence among adolescents in a low socio-economic setting in Cape Town. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a1002.
Moodley K, Bill PLA, Patel VB. Motor lumbosacral radiculopathy in HIV-infected patients. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;10(1):a992.
Laughton B, Naidoo S, Dobbels EFMT, et al. Neurodevelopment at 11 months after starting antiretroviral therapy within 3 weeks of life. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a1008.
Archary M, Fairlee L, Slogrove A. Opinion piece. Current perspectives on paediatric HIV management from the Mexico International AIDS Society Conference, 2019. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a1027.
Readers are encouraged to check out this ‘Opinion Piece’ for themselves. Its background is the success of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Its reality is the day-to-day management of young people living with HIV.
Dunlop JL, Slemming W, Schnippel K, et al. Breast abnormalities in adolescents receiving antiretroviral therapy. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a1017.
Govender NP, Meintjes G, Mangena P, et al. Southern African HIV Clinicians Society guideline for the prevention, diagnosis and management of cryptococcal disease among HIV-infected persons: 2019 update. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a1030.
Spencer DC, Krause R, Rossouw T, et al. Palliative care guidelines for the management of HIV-infected people in South Africa. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a1013.
Kaplan S, Nteso KS, Ford N, Boulle A, Meintjes G. Loss to follow-up from antiretroviral therapy clinics: A systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies in South Africa from 2011 to 2015. S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):a984.
The data are derived from 48X adult, 15X paediatric and 4X pregnancy studies completed between January 2011 and October 2015. The study limitations are acknowledged: non-homogeneous data sources, namely, clinics, hospitals, rural and urban sites; and non-standardised definitions of LTFU across sources. When is a client lost to follow-up? After 3, 6 or 12 months since their last visit? The initiation of ART itself was in flux at the time: baseline CD4 counts varied and treatment varied between private and state providers. Were ‘silent transfers’ excluded from the LTFU data, that is, clients who move between clinics without informing staff and who are not truly LTFU?
The median cohort study size was 3737 persons. Median adult age and baseline CD4 count at ART initiation were 35.8 years and 121 cells/mm3, respectively. The median age of ART initiation in children was 4.2 years. The ‘defined’ follow-up time varied from 9 weeks to 5 years and the meta-analysis indicated no difference in LTFU estimates at 3-, 6- or 12-month census. The overall median mortality at 1 year was 7.9% (IQR 4.1–11.4; range 0% – 26%) and the median LTFU at 1 year was 12.8% (IQR 7.9% – 22.0%, range 0.2% – 43.1%). Aggregate meta-analysis LTFU estimates at 1 year were 11.6% (95% CI 11.4% – 11.7%) in the adult studies, 30.0% (95% CI 28.7% – 37.4%) for the pregnant cohorts and accounted for 7.5% (95% CI 6.7% – 8.2%) of the paediatric data. The 5-year LTFU estimate was 25% (95% CI 24.8% – 25.4%) based on three adult studies. In their concluding remarks, the authors indicate their support for the standardisation of the LTFU definition to 180 days (6 months).
Thank you for reading through this summary of articles published in the
Editor-in-Chief