Summary Background Influenza continues to have a significant socioeconomic and health impact despite a long established vaccine program and approved antivirals. Preclinical data suggest combination antivirals might be more effective than oseltamivir alone in the treatment of influenza. Methods We conducted a randomized, double-blinded, multicenter phase 2 trial of combination antivirals versus monotherapy for the treatment of influenza. Participants ≥18 years with influenza at increased risk of complications from influenza were randomized by an online computer-generated randomization system to receive either oseltamivir, amantadine, and ribavirin or oseltamivir alone for 5 days, and followed for 28 days. The primary endpoint was the percentage of participants with virus detectable by polymerase chain reaction in nasopharyngeal swab at Day 3. Among the secondary outcomes, there were safety and time to alleviation of influenza clinical symptoms. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01227967. Findings Between March 2011 and April 2016 we randomized 633 participants. Seven participants were excluded from analysis: 3 were given treatment without randomization, 3 withdrew before taking any medication, and 1 was lost to follow-up. The primary analysis included 394 participants, excluding 47 in the pilot phase, 172 without confirmed influenza, and 13 without an endpoint sample. 80 of 200 (40.0%) participants in the combination arm had virus detectable at Day 3 compared to 97 of 194 (50.0%) (95%C.I. 0.2–19.8%, p=0.046) in the control arm. There was no benefit, however, in multiple clinical secondary endpoints, such as median duration of symptoms (4.5 days in the combination arm vs 4.0 days in the oseltamivir arm; p = 0.21). Interpretation Although oseltamivir, amantadine, and ribavirin showed a statistically significant decrease in viral shedding at Day 3 relative to oseltamivir, this difference was not associated with improved clinical benefit. More work is needed to understand the lack of clinical benefit when a difference in virologic outcome was identified. Funding National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, United States.

NCT 01404312.

NCT00089505.

Background Limited comparative, prospective data exist regarding cardiovascular risk factors in HIV-infected women starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Africa. Methods In 7 African countries, 741 women with CD4<200 cells/mm3 were randomized to tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) plus either nevirapine (NVP, n=370) or lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r, n=371). Lipids and blood pressure (BP) were evaluated at entry, 48, 96, and 144 weeks. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used to evaluate mean risk factor changes and clinically relevant risk factor changes. Results At entry, both NVP and LPV/r groups were similar regarding age (mean=33.5 [SD=7.1] yrs), CD4 (129 [67] cells/mm3), and HIV-1 RNA (5.1 [0.6] log10 copies/ml). Nearly all women had normal lipids and BP except for HDL. Over 144 weeks, the LPV/r compared to NVP group had significantly greater mean lipid increases (e.g. non-HDL: +29 vs. +13 mg/dL) and smaller HDL increases (+12 vs. +21 mg/dL). In contrast, the NVP compared to LPV/r group had greater mean increases in BP (e.g. diastolic BP: +5 vs. −0.5 mmHg). Significantly more women assigned LPV/r had week 144 “abnormal” lipid levels (e.g. HDL 29.7% vs. 14.8% and triglycerides 28.6% vs. 8.2%), and significantly more women assigned NVP had “abnormal” BP (e.g. diastolic BP 22.7% vs. 6.5%). Most differences remained significant when adjusted for baseline risk factor, age, CD4, and HIV-1 RNA. Conclusions In HIV-infected women initiating ART in Africa, LPV/r+TDF/FTC was associated with less favorable changes in lipids, and use of NVP+TDF/FTC was associated with less favorable changes in BP.

The female genital tract may serve as a reservoir of persistent HIV-1 replication during cART and affect the use of cART to prevent sexual and perinatal transmission of HIV-1.

Background Duration of viral shedding is a determinant of infectivity and transmissibility, but few data exist about oseltamivir's ability to alter viral shedding. Methods From January 2012 through October 2017, a randomized, double-blinded multicenter clinical trial was conducted in adults aged 18–64 years at 42 sites in Thailand, the United States, and Argentina. Participants with influenza A or B and without risk factors for complications of influenza were screened for the study. Eligible participants were randomized to receive oseltamivir 75 mg or placebo twice daily for 5 days. The primary endpoint was the percentage of participants with virus detectable by polymerase chain reaction in nasopharyngeal swab at day 3. Results Of 716 adults screened for the study, 558 were randomized, and 501 were confirmed to have influenza. Forty-six participants in the pilot study were excluded, and 449 of the 455 participants in the population for the primary analysis had day 3 viral shedding results. Ninety-nine (45.0%) of 220 participants in the oseltamivir arm had virus detected at day 3 compared with 131 (57.2%) of 229 participants in the placebo arm (absolute difference of −12.2% [−21.4%, −3.0%], P =; .010). The median time to alleviation of symptoms was 79.0 hours for the oseltamivir arm and 84.0 hours for the placebo arm (P =; .34) in those with confirmed influenza infection. Conclusions Oseltamivir decreased viral shedding in this low-risk population. However, in the population enrolled in this study, it did not significantly decrease the time to resolution of clinical symptoms. Clinical Trials Registration NCT01314911.

Alfalfa is an important salt-tolerant leguminous forage-plant in salinity areas worldwide, but its performance in high level of salt stress cannot meet the satisfactory requirement. Especially, the short-term response of alfalfa to high-level salt stress is still not clear. In the present study, thirty-day-old alfalfa Gongnong No. 1 (Medicago sativa L. cv. Gongnong No.1) seedlings were exposed to NaCl treatments at concentrations of 0 (control), 50 (moderate level), 150 (high level), and 250 mM (extremely high level). Twenty-four hours after salt stress treatment, with the increase of NaCl level plant height was slightly decreased but both shoot biomass and root length were substantially declined to a dramatic extent. Also decreased was root K + concentration. In contrast, both Na + concentration and ratio of K + /Na + showed increased trends. Root K + flux was determined using non-invasive micro-test technique (NMT) around apical root tips, wherein a clear K + influx was observed at the rate of about 0.5 nmol cm -2 s -1 under the condition without salt stress, while under salt stress at the rate of 2-3 nmol cm -2 s -1 did occur K + efflux. Accordingly, stomatal length and breadth and stomatal aperture breadth decreased with the increase of NaCl concentration, while stomatal aperture density increased with time in the first 24 h after NaCl treatment. In conclusion, as a species-specific test, alfalfa is sensitive to high-level salinity with NaCl concentrations above 150 mM in the first 24 h post salt-exposure. The key mechanism was found to be presented as the pressed stamatal conductance induced by K + -Na + unbalance which was caused by root K + efflux.

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