Mark Pakianathan - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Mark Pakianathan

International Journal of STD & AIDS, 2016

The objective of this study was to analyse associations between sexualised substance use (chemsex... more The objective of this study was to analyse associations between sexualised substance use (chemsex), STI diagnoses and sexual behaviour among gay bisexual and other men who have sex with men accessing sexual health clinics to better inform clinical pathways. A retrospective case notes review was undertaken following the introduction of more detailed and holistic profomas for all gay bisexual and other men who have sex with men attending two London sexual health clinics between 1 June 2014 and 31 January 2015. Chemsex status was documented for 655/818. Overall, 30% disclosed recreational drug use of whom 113 (57%) disclosed chemsex and 27 (13.5%) injecting drugs. HIV-positive gay bisexual and other men who have sex with men were more likely to disclose chemsex (AOR 6.68; 95% CI 3.91–11.42; p < 0.001). Those disclosing chemsex had a higher incidence of acute bacterial STIs (AOR 2.83 CI 1.79–4.47; p < 0.001), rectal STIs (AOR 3.10 CI 1.81–5.32; p < 0.001) or hepatitis C (AOR 15...

International Journal of Std & Aids, Jul 30, 2014

Previous studies have highlighted disparities in care and outcomes in HIV-positive prisoners comp... more Previous studies have highlighted disparities in care and outcomes in HIV-positive prisoners compared to HIV-positive individuals in the population. We audited clinical outcomes of HIV-positive prisoners accessing care in 2011. Public Health England were notified of 161 prisoners with HIV in the time period studied. Audit proformas were sent to clinics reporting prisoners to the genitourinary medicine clinic activity dataset in 2011. Thirty-two clinics responded. Data for 151 HIV-positive prisoners were reported by 12 clinics, with the other clinics not reporting any prisoners. Outcomes were compared to a previous audit, British HIV Association (BHIVA) and the National AIDS Trust guidelines. Initial CD4 counts were available for 101 patients, of which 42/101 had CD4 &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;350 mm(3). At reception, viral load data were available for 95 patients, of which 74 were on antiretroviral therapy. Of these, 50/74 (68%) had VL &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;40 copies/ml. Fifty-one per cent of those on highly active antiretroviral therapy were seen in a specialist clinic less than four weeks after reception. Urgency of referral to a specialist HIV clinic was not related to CD4 or viral load. Twenty-two per cent had hepatitis C co-infection. Clinical outcomes have improved since the last audit but further opportunities exist to optimise care in prisons.

BJPsych Open

AimsChemsex refers to the use of specific drugs before or during sex to sustain, enhance, disinhi... more AimsChemsex refers to the use of specific drugs before or during sex to sustain, enhance, disinhibit, or facilitate the sexual experience, primarily amongst gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. The main drugs associated with Chemsex are crystal methamphetamine, gamma-hydroxybutyrate/gamma-butyrolactone, mephedrone and ketamine. There are complex biological, psychological, and social factors that influence why someone may choose to engage in Chemsex that are yet to be fully elucidated. However, there are global concerns that such harm is increasing both in prevalence and complexity, including interfaces between the health, social care and criminal justice systems. Chemsex has been identified as a priority for the UK Home Office Drug Strategy since 2017; however, the response to date has lacked a coordinated approach between the multiple services and agencies where Chemsex can present.MethodsWest London NHS Trust hosted a day-long meeting of the Chemsex Expert Reference ...

Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2003

JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 2010

Background: To determine patient and treatment characteristics associated with vitamin D deficien... more Background: To determine patient and treatment characteristics associated with vitamin D deficiency (VDD) in an UK inner city HIV-1-positive adult cohort. Methods: Two hundred twenty-seven HIV-positive patients attending prospectively for routine blood tests in winter had serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations and other routine chemistry measured. Those with and without VDD were defined as having serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations ,50 nmol/L and .75 nmol/L, respectively. Characteristics were compared between patients with and without VDD. The effects of VDD, tenofovir use, and their interaction on chemical measures were investigated. Results: VDD was found in 57% (131 of 227) of patients. Independent associations included nonwhite ethnicity [adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 7.40 (2.52 to 21.7)], higher random blood glucose [2.38 (1.24 to 4.57) per mmol/L], higher estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR: 1.04 (1.01 to 1.06)], and higher PTH [1.19 (1.00 to 1.42)]. PTH was higher in those receiving tenofovir (median 7.2 pmol/L) than other patients (4.3; P , 0.001) overall, but high PTH with tenofovir occurred only in the context of VDD. Tenofovir use was not associated with serum creatinine or eGFR overall but interacted with vitamin D status (P = 0.05 and P = 0.08, respectively), being linked to somewhat higher creatinine and lower eGFR among patients without VDD but higher eGFR in VDD patients. Conclusions: 25(OH) VDD is associated with tenofovir-linked hyperparathyroidism and also with higher eGFR.

International Journal of STD & AIDS, 2003

There are few data on the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy in HIV-positive patients wi... more There are few data on the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy in HIV-positive patients with end-stage renal disease. We describe the tolerability, safety and efficacy of an efavirenz-containing regimen in one such patient on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

AIDS, 2005

The concomitant treatment of HIV-tuberculosis co-infection is complicated by pharmacological inte... more The concomitant treatment of HIV-tuberculosis co-infection is complicated by pharmacological interactions between drugs, resulting in unpredictable drug levels. We monitored efavirenz levels in all tuberculosis-HIV-treated patients over 2 years. Using 800 mg/day of efavirenz, high levels and toxicity were detected in seven out of nine patients, necessitating reduction or discontinuation. Polymorphisms in cytochrome P450 2B6 may account for this. Therapeutic drug monitoring, dose reduction or a lower starting dose may be appropriate in some patients to abrogate toxicity.

AIDS, 2006

The use of previously successful antiretroviral regimens in mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) p... more The use of previously successful antiretroviral regimens in mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) prevention will be increasingly challenged by the rising prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) HIV. We used enfurvitide together with an optimized antiretroviral backbone to prevent the MTCT prevention of MDR HIV in two pregnant women. The measurement of maternal and foetal peripheral blood levels of enfurvitide showed no evidence of transplacental transfer.

Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2015

Discussion/conclusion As the trend of chemsex and sex parties continues, it is likely there will ... more Discussion/conclusion As the trend of chemsex and sex parties continues, it is likely there will be an increase in STIs linked to households. Better geospatial analysis of STI trends and collaborative working with public health is essential for rapid identification and control of outbreaks.

The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2004

SEXUAL health in the United Kingdom (UK) has shown little improvement over the past decade. Diagn... more SEXUAL health in the United Kingdom (UK) has shown little improvement over the past decade. Diagnoses of chlamydia are increasing, teenage pregnancies are not yet down and there are long waits for genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic appointments.1 Two articles in this month's Journal and a parliamentary report highlight further problems. A qualitative focus group study by McNulty et al found that general practitioners (GPs) are often too busy to screen for chlamydia and feel that they don't know enough.2 Similarly, interviews with 71 female street-based commercial sex workers in Bristol revealed that although they do attend general practice, they do not disclose their occupation and they do not receive optimal care.3 Finally, a House of Commons Select Committee recently completed an inquiry into the sexual health of the nation.4 They found a ‘crisis in sexual health’ and little evidence that primary care trusts were ready to take on responsibilities for sexual health commiss...

Medicine, Science and the Law

Sexual health, 2018

This Special Issue of Sexual Health examines research and healthcare practice relating to sexuali... more This Special Issue of Sexual Health examines research and healthcare practice relating to sexualised drug use among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), colloquially known as 'chemsex' or 'party and play' (PnP). It draws together evidence relating to the epidemiology, sociology and psychology of chemsex, as well as the policy, community and clinical interventions that are required to ensure men have access to high-quality health care that meets their needs and reduces harm. Findings and discussions within the Issue emphasise the need to sensitively, non-judgementally and meaningfully engage with gay men about their engagement in chemsex in order to help improve their sexual health and wider wellbeing.

Sexually transmitted infections, 2016

Frontiers in immunology, 2014

To investigate changing nutritional demographics of treated HIV-1-infected patients and explore c... more To investigate changing nutritional demographics of treated HIV-1-infected patients and explore causes of obesity, particularly in women of African origin. We prospectively reviewed nutritional demographics of clinic attenders at an urban European HIV clinic during four one-month periods at three-yearly intervals (2001, 2004, 2007, and 2010) and in two consecutive whole-year reviews (2010-2011 and 2011-2012). Risk-factors for obesity were assessed by multiple linear regression. A sub-study of 50 HIV-positive African female patients investigated body-size/shape perception using numerical, verbal, and pictorial cues. We found a dramatic rise in the prevalence of obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m(2)), from 8.5 (2001) to 28% (2011-2012) for all clinic attenders, of whom 86% were on antiretroviral treatment. Women of African origin were most affected, 49% being obese, with a further 32% overweight (BMI 25-30 kg/m(2)) in 2012. Clinical factors strongly associated with obesity included female gend...

Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2013

Environmental contamination with DNA from Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) has previously been found in... more Environmental contamination with DNA from Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) has previously been found in Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) clinics. There are no known cases of cross-contamination of clinical samples and no known nosocomial infections. We investigated whether diagnostic samples could become contaminated from the environment by running dummy sample and carrying out a patient-throughput analysis. A total of 29 748 patients attended clinics over a year. Of these, 2860 (9.6%) had a positive Chlamydia test result. (1) A run of dummy samples (60 urine samples and 10 swabs) were processed as normal clinic specimens. (2) Patient-throughput analysis: Patient numbers attending the GUM clinic on a given day was categorised as low, moderate or high. χ(2) Tests were used to look for associations between categorical variables and Chlamydia test positivity. A Poisson regression model was fitted to look at the effect of the number of people in the clinic on the number of positive results in a given day. As some clinics were only run on certain days of the week, a sensitivity analysis was later performed with attendances at non-daily clinics removed. All dummy samples tested negative and we did not find evidence of an association between daily Chlamydia positivity and clinic attendance. It is unlikely that environmental or cross-contamination of CT has lead to significant numbers of false positive results. Laboratories check for possible cross-contamination routinely. The extension of this simple routine practice to all clinical areas could provide quality assurance, improving confidence in the results in clinics.

Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2005