Although we excluded any patients who had evidence of earlier HIV diagnosis or prior unrecorded treatment (e.g. we excluded those with an undetectable HIV RNA viral load at the time of starting highly active antiretroviral therapy), we cannot rule out the possibility that a small minority may already have been aware of their diagnosis and some may have received treatment in the past. www.selleckchem.com/products/apo866-fk866.html It is unlikely, however, that this group would represent a large proportion of our late-presenting patient group. At a national level, late diagnosis is known to contribute disproportionately to serious morbidity and mortality; of the 516 deaths that occurred in the UK among HIV-positive individuals

in 2009, 73% were among individuals who had presented for care with a CD4 cell count <350 cells/μL [1]. Within a multicentre cohort study, such as the UK Collaborative HIV Cohort (CHIC) or the Collaboration of Observational

HIV Epidemiological Research Europe (COHERE) studies, there may also be important differences between participating centres/cohorts in terms of the demographic characteristics of patients seen for care as well as their timing of presentation. By pooling data from these clinics, these larger cohorts are able to provide a broader and more representative view of the situation. Scourfield and colleagues question the value of expanded HIV testing policies. Such interventions have been shown to be cost effective in both the USA and France [2,3] and we have no evidence to suggest that the situation would be Selleck PD0325901 any different in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, a reduction in the level of undiagnosed HIV infection will not only have a benefit for individual health but also have a public health benefit, as undiagnosed

HIV infection is likely to account disproportionately for onward transmission [4]. Thus, while we agree with the authors that a clear focus on retention and regular follow-up of patients with diagnosed HIV infection remains essential, we believe that this must be in conjunction with, rather than instead of, increased HIV testing. “
“Fungi possess an advanced secondary metabolism that is regulated and coordinated in a complex manner depending on environmental challenges. To understand this complexity, a holistic through approach is necessary. We initiated such an analysis in the important model fungus Aspergillus nidulans by systematically deleting all 32 individual genes encoding polyketide synthases. Wild-type and all mutant strains were challenged on different complex media to provoke induction of the secondary metabolism. Screening of the mutant library revealed direct genetic links to two austinol meroterpenoids and expanded the current understanding of the biosynthetic pathways leading to arugosins and violaceols. We expect that the library will be an important resource towards a systemic understanding of polyketide production in A. nidulans.