The occurrence of cardiovascular illness in the human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)community is increasing,with a particular focus on coronary heart disease.Patients infected with HIV have a higher risk of myocardial infarction compared to the general population in modern countries due to the development of effective antiretro-viral medications and increased life expectancy.Those not receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy(ART)may experience common cardiac consequences,including myocarditis,dilated cardiomyopathy,endocarditis,pulmonary hypertension,pericardial effusion,and cardiotoxicity associated with non-antiretroviral drugs.After the use of highly active ART,continuing immune activation and systemic inflammation seem to play a cen-tral role in this process.Recent studies suggest that protease inhibitors might negatively impact the progression of HIV-related heart failure(HF),which complicates the determination of the best therapy strategy for HIV-associated cardiomyopathy.The objective of this review is to examine the pathophysiology and correlation of various antiretroviral drugs leading to HIV-associated HF.Additionally,we explore the causes of HIV-associated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,including the high frequency of classic cardiovascular risk factors in HIV-infected patients,as well as HIV-related factors like the use of ART and chronic inflammation despite successful treatment of HIV infection.Numerous studies have revealed that individuals living with HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome frequently experience HF.In conclusion,despite advancements in HIV care,HIV-infected individuals continue to face an increased risk of HIV-associated cardiomyopathy and atherosclerosis.Further research is necessary to comprehend the underlying causes and develop effective treatments for cardiovascular disease in this population.We also discuss the currently available therapeutic options and ongoing research to mitigate the risk of cardiovascular disease and inflammation in HIV-infected individuals.

Background/Aims: Accurate assessment of disease activity is crucial for effective management and treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). This study evaluated the correlation between clinical, endoscopic, and histologic measures of disease activity in UC. Methods: Clinical, biochemical, endoscopic, and histologic disease activity was studied in 347 patients with UC. Agreements among various histologic classification systems, namely the Geboes Score (GS), Continuous GS, Nancy Index (NI), and Robarts Histopathology Index (RHI), were analyzed. The predictive accuracy of fecal calprotectin (FC) for endoscopic and histologic remission was assessed. Results: We demonstrate a fair to moderate correlation between clinical, endoscopic, and histologic measures of disease activity in UC. There was a robust concordance among GS, Continuous GS, NI, and RHI in distinguishing between patients in histologic remission or activity. The NI detected 75% of patients who met the remission criteria according to the RHI, whereas the RHI identified all patients in remission as defined by the NI. FC levels below 150 μg/g had >70% accuracy in predicting endoscopic remission. FC levels below 150 μg/g showed ≥80% accuracy, and FC levels below 100 μg/g demonstrated ≥ 85% accuracy in predicting histologic remission, regardless of the scoring index applied. Elevated FC levels were associated with both acute and chronic inflammatory infiltrates in biopsy samples. Conclusions FC is a reliable predictor of histologic remission, with higher accuracy at lower thresholds. The GS, Continuous GS, NI, and RHI demonstrate comparable performance. FC could help stratify patients’ need for colonoscopy for the assessment of endoscopic and histologic remission.

Background/Aims: Accurate assessment of disease activity is crucial for effective management and treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). This study evaluated the correlation between clinical, endoscopic, and histologic measures of disease activity in UC. Methods: Clinical, biochemical, endoscopic, and histologic disease activity was studied in 347 patients with UC. Agreements among various histologic classification systems, namely the Geboes Score (GS), Continuous GS, Nancy Index (NI), and Robarts Histopathology Index (RHI), were analyzed. The predictive accuracy of fecal calprotectin (FC) for endoscopic and histologic remission was assessed. Results: We demonstrate a fair to moderate correlation between clinical, endoscopic, and histologic measures of disease activity in UC. There was a robust concordance among GS, Continuous GS, NI, and RHI in distinguishing between patients in histologic remission or activity. The NI detected 75% of patients who met the remission criteria according to the RHI, whereas the RHI identified all patients in remission as defined by the NI. FC levels below 150 μg/g had >70% accuracy in predicting endoscopic remission. FC levels below 150 μg/g showed ≥80% accuracy, and FC levels below 100 μg/g demonstrated ≥ 85% accuracy in predicting histologic remission, regardless of the scoring index applied. Elevated FC levels were associated with both acute and chronic inflammatory infiltrates in biopsy samples. Conclusions FC is a reliable predictor of histologic remission, with higher accuracy at lower thresholds. The GS, Continuous GS, NI, and RHI demonstrate comparable performance. FC could help stratify patients’ need for colonoscopy for the assessment of endoscopic and histologic remission.

Background/Aims: Accurate assessment of disease activity is crucial for effective management and treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). This study evaluated the correlation between clinical, endoscopic, and histologic measures of disease activity in UC. Methods: Clinical, biochemical, endoscopic, and histologic disease activity was studied in 347 patients with UC. Agreements among various histologic classification systems, namely the Geboes Score (GS), Continuous GS, Nancy Index (NI), and Robarts Histopathology Index (RHI), were analyzed. The predictive accuracy of fecal calprotectin (FC) for endoscopic and histologic remission was assessed. Results: We demonstrate a fair to moderate correlation between clinical, endoscopic, and histologic measures of disease activity in UC. There was a robust concordance among GS, Continuous GS, NI, and RHI in distinguishing between patients in histologic remission or activity. The NI detected 75% of patients who met the remission criteria according to the RHI, whereas the RHI identified all patients in remission as defined by the NI. FC levels below 150 μg/g had >70% accuracy in predicting endoscopic remission. FC levels below 150 μg/g showed ≥80% accuracy, and FC levels below 100 μg/g demonstrated ≥ 85% accuracy in predicting histologic remission, regardless of the scoring index applied. Elevated FC levels were associated with both acute and chronic inflammatory infiltrates in biopsy samples. Conclusions FC is a reliable predictor of histologic remission, with higher accuracy at lower thresholds. The GS, Continuous GS, NI, and RHI demonstrate comparable performance. FC could help stratify patients’ need for colonoscopy for the assessment of endoscopic and histologic remission.

This study was undertaken to assess knowledge regarding furcation defects among dental fraternity. This is an open-ended, randomized, web-based cross-sectional multinational online survey. A total of 904 responses were gathered by sending 13 questions through a google form. Data were expressed in frequency and percentages. Chi-square test was performed to determine significant difference between gender, education level and variation between dentists of India and other countries. P value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Present study had 650 dentists from India and 254 dentists from other countries. For overall knowledge regarding furcation, 90.7% (average of first and second question) of dentists had knowledge regarding furcation. There was no significant difference between males (range 54%-93%) and females (range 46%- 95%) (p>0.05) in terms of knowledge. Majority (88.7%) of post-graduates knew about the use of Nabers probe for furcation measurements and values were significant (p<0.05). Present study also revealed 65%-67% of undergraduates and post-graduates knew that Degree II furcation defects showed predictable periodontal regeneration, however values were non-significant (p>0.05). There was no statistical significance (p>0.05) between dentists of India and other countries. Dental fraternity in general had adequate knowledge regarding the furcation defects, their treatment modalities and expected complications.