Siti Qamariyah Khairunisa

Immunological non-response (INR) to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a critical concern for PLHIV, characterized by inadequate CD4⁺ T-cell recovery despite virological suppression. This retrospective study analyzed medical records of virologically suppressed adult PLHIV on ART (2004–2024) at two hospitals in Surabaya, Indonesia, using four operational categories to identify clinical and demographic determinants of INR. Patients were classified as immunological responders (IRs) or non-responders (INRs) based on four definitions: INR1 (CD4⁺ gain < 100 cells/mm³), INR2 (CD4⁺ < 350 cells/mm³), INR3 (meeting of either criterion), and INR4 (meeting of both criteria). Of 464 patients, 382 were analyzed. Baseline CD4⁺ < 200 cells/mm³ strongly predicted INR2 (aOR = 5.60, 95% CI: 2.95–10.62) and INR3 (aOR = 4.46, 95% CI: 2.39–8.29), while anal sexual transmission was protective against INR2 (aOR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.19–0.92) and INR3 (aOR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.19–0.89). By month 12, IR groups had over 350 CD4⁺ cells/mm³, with faster recovery slopes in months 0–6 (IR: >20 vs. INR: 3/month). INR1 and INR4 had flat or negative slopes at 12–24 months, while IR groups had positive slopes. Baseline CD4⁺ was the strongest INR predictor, suggesting the value of early ART and individualized care for Indonesian PLHIV.

Individuals with HIV/AIDS often experience significant physical and mental burdens. Palliative care has emerged as a means to improve the quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). This study aims to determine the effect of palliative care on the quality of life and psychoneuroimmunoendocrine aspects in PLWHA, particularly those suffering from anxiety, as indicated by cortisol hormone levels. A total of 30 PLWHA with anxiety were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. This study employed a quantitative design with a quasi-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test approach. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a paired t-test to assess the impact of the intervention on quality of life and cortisol hormone levels. The findings indicated a significant improvement in quality of life following palliative care (p = 0.000, p < 0.05). The cortisol levels in PLWHA with anxiety decreased following palliative care; however, the reduction was not statistically significant, suggesting that palliative care had no measurable impact on cortisol levels post-intervention (p = 0.845, p > 0.05). Palliative care significantly enhances the quality of life in PLWHA. However, it does not lead to a statistically significant reduction in cortisol hormone levels before and after the intervention. Factors such as patient compliance with the palliative care plan and the influence of efavirenz on cortisol levels in PLWHA are likely contributing to these results.

The HIV/AIDS prevention program among pregnant mothers aims to reduce the risk of HIV transmission from mother to baby. It also aims to reduce stigma and discrimination, as well as deaths due to HIV/AIDS. This paper aimed to find out obstacles that occur in the implementation of HIV/AIDS transmission program in Indonesia. Online literature search was done on Google Scholar, Science Direct and PubMed databases with the keywords related to “HIV/AIDS” and transmission prevention program among mothers to children. The search resulted in a total of 343 articles. After the abstracts were reviewed, there were only 16 articles selected. The implementation of the program in Indonesia has been run but is not yet optimal because of several obstacles i.e., the insufficient number of health workers and poor knowledge of health workers. Figuring out solutions to the obstacles could ease the program implementation to reduce the cases of HIV/AIDS. Obstacles were found in the implementation of the HIV/AIDS prevention program among mothers and children in Indonesia.

Objectives: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is considered as a major immunosuppressive disease linked to malignancies and other opportunistic infections. Recently, the high prevalence of HIV drug-resistant strains required a high demand for novel antiviral drug development, especially in herbal medicine approaches. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility of Ficus fistulosa leaves can inhibit HIV replication in ethanol extract form as well as its fractions using chloroform, ethyl acetate, and butanol solvents. Methods: F. fistulosa leaves were extracted using ethanol as a solvent and further gradually fractionated in chloroform, ethyl acetate, and butanol solvents. The targeted persistently infected virus (MT4/HIV) cell lines were cocultured with ethanol extract and fractions at different time points. The syncytium formation and cytotoxicity assays were performed to evaluate the potential antiviral activity of F. fistulosa leaves. Results: One of the four tested extract/fractions showed antiviral activity against HIV. The ethanol extract showed weak inhibition with a high level of toxicity (IC ₅₀ = 8.96 μg/mL, CC ₅₀ ≥50 μg/mL, and SI = 5.58). Meanwhile, chloroform fraction effectively inhibited the MT4/HIV cell proliferation while keeping the toxicity to a minimal level (IC ₅₀ = 3.27 μg/mL, CC ₅₀ = 29.30 μg/mL, and SI = 8.96). In contrast of ethyl acetate fraction and butanol fraction showed no anti HIV activity with a high level of toxicity (CC ₅₀ ≥50 μg/mL) and low SI value (>2.17 μg/mL and >0.97 μg/mL). Conclusions: Chloroform fraction of F. fistulosa leaves showed effectively as anti-viral activity against MT4/HIV cells.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has a significant rapid transmission is an international public health concern. Several dengue-endemic countries reported similar clinical and laboratory features between COVID-19 and dengue in the early incubation period, and thus discerning the infection is difficult. As a dengue-endemic country, Indonesia also poses the same challenge during the COVID-19 outbreak. This current study analyzed the IgG and IgM profiles from COVID-19 patients by using a serological SARS-CoV-2 and dengue rapid test. In addition, 38 sera from healthy individuals (pre-COVID-19 date) were analyzed using a dengue rapid test. Among 120 samples, 4 samples indicated dengue IgG positive. However, IgM, NS1, and RT-PCR analyses showed negative results. Interestingly, regarding seropositivity of NS1 and DENV IgG from healthy individuals (pre COVID-19 infection), two samples were positive DENV IgG, while one of them was positive NS1. This suggested that in the dengue-endemic area, many people have already experienced dengue and have immunity against dengue virus. There is also the possibility of antibody cross-reactivity between COVID-19 and dengue infection. This also emphasizes the high demand for a rapid method with high sensitivity and specificity that can distinguish between SARS-CoV-2 and dengue.