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Bhalerao A, Cucullo L. HIV-1 gp120 and tobacco smoke synergistically disrupt the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. Eur J Cell Biol 2022; 101:151271. [PMID: 36030572 PMCID: PMC10120396 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2022.151271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) terms HIV and tobacco use among the ten most important public health challenges we face today. In the last decade, there has been a remarkable decrease in the number of deaths due to HIV/AIDS, especially after the widespread availability and use of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). However, people living with HIV/AIDS have a heightened risk of chronic complications and comorbidities, including neurological disorders. Around 40-60 % of HIV-infected individuals progress to NeuroAIDS, a group of disorders caused primarily by HIV-mediated damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems, despite receiving cART. The detrimental effects of chronic smoking on the cerebrovascular system are also well studied and reported. Addictive behavior, such as smoking, is more common in HIV patients compared to the general population. In this context, given the existing immune suppression, smoking can pose a significant risk for the progression of the disease to NeuroAIDS by disrupting the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Here we show that co-treatment with Tobacco Smoke Extract (TSE) and HIV-1 gp120 (HIV envelope glycoprotein) in primary cultures of human brain microvascular endothelial cells promoted heightened cellular stress responses compared to control and individual treatments. Our findings suggest that a potential synergistic effect between smoke exposure and gp120 can worsen the loss of BBB viability, possibly exacerbating NeuroAIDS progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Bhalerao
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA.
| | - Luca Cucullo
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA; Department of Foundation Medical Studies, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, 586 Pioneer Dr, Rochester, MI 48309, USA.
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Bowen P, Zhang RP. Psychometric properties of the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) and prevalence of drug use among SA site-based construction workers. PSYCHOL HEALTH MED 2022:1-12. [PMID: 35861743 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2022.2103160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Construction workers in South Africa are an at-risk group for HIV/AIDS. Substance misuse, other than alcohol, is associated with poor decision-making, risky lifestyle behaviour, and non-use of condoms. Substance misuse is also associated with harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption and depression. The Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) is a widely used screening tool to detect drug abuse. The present study examines both the psychometric properties of the DUDIT and the prevalence of drug abuse among construction workers. A field study involving 496 male workers at 18 construction sites of seven construction companies in the Western Cape province of South Africa, was undertaken. Descriptive statistics, reliability, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to determine the prevalence of substance use, and the dimensionality, reliability and construct validity of the DUDIT. Approximately 10% of participants reported some form of substance use. Four hundred and sixty-seven employees (94.2%) were determined not to have drug-related problems (DUDIT score < 6). Of the at-risk employees (score >5), 5.0% (n = 25) were classified as 'possibly having a drug-related problem' (score 6-24) and 0.8% (n = 4) as 'possibly highly dependent on drugs' (score 25 or more). Of the 47 employees who reported drug use, 29 (61.7%) were classified as having a medium to high risk in relation to drug use. The internal consistency of the DUDIT was very good. The DUDIT reported a one-factor factorial structure, and the model fit indices indicated good model fit to the data. All factor loadings were significant, but there was some evidence of collinearity. Concurrent validity was demonstrated. DUDIT items 1 and 10 require further investigation due to their poor performance compared to the other items. The contribution of these two items needs to be investigated using item response theory (IRT).
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Bowen
- Department of Construction Economics and Management, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rita Peihua Zhang
- School of Property, Construction & Project Management, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
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Bhalerao A, Cucullo L. Impact of Tobacco Smoke in HIV Progression: a Major Risk Factor for the Development of NeuroAIDS and Associated of CNS Disorders. JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH-HEIDELBERG 2019; 28:259-270. [PMID: 33738180 DOI: 10.1007/s10389-019-01062-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Aim With the advent of highly active and combination antiretroviral therapy have substantially increased the life expectancy of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, this has brought into sharp contrast the incidence of several 'Non-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) diseases such as NeuroAIDS which identifies a group of neurological disorders caused primarily by HIV-mediated damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems. Given the patients depleted immune condition, the use and abuse of drug and addictive substances such as tobacco smoking can further deteriorates their overall health and accelerate the progression and severity of the disease. In this review we detail the pathogenesis, progression and characteristics of HIV and the impact of tobacco smoking as a risk factor for the progression of the disease to NeuroAIDS. This is a poorly understood aspect of HIV-related complications that needs to be addressed. Subjects and methods Review of theoretical approaches and knowledge synthesis. Results Tobacco smoking is highly prevalent in HIV patients when compared to the general population. The oxidative damage and inflammatory stress caused by chronic smoking on the cerebrovascular system have been well established. Considering that HIV patients have an impaired immune system and smokers per se are more susceptible to viral and bacterial inflammatory neuropathologies than non-smokers, it is conceivable that tobacco smoking as a risk factor for the progression of HIV into NeuroAIDS and related neurological impairments. Conclusion Tobacco smoke (TS) may bring about a synergistic effect in the context of persistent inflammatory state and cerebrovascular damage which facilitate HIV infection and progression to NeuroAIDS when compared to non-smokers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Bhalerao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA
| | - Luca Cucullo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA.,Center for Blood Brain Barrier Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA
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Rawson RA, Woody G, Kresina TF, Gust S. The globalization of addiction research: capacity-building mechanisms and selected examples. Harv Rev Psychiatry 2015; 23:147-56. [PMID: 25747927 PMCID: PMC4356020 DOI: 10.1097/hrp.0000000000000067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, the amount and variety of addiction research around the world has increased substantially. Researchers in Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, and western Europe have significantly contributed to knowledge about addiction and its treatment. However, the nature and context of substance use disorders and the populations using drugs are far more diverse than is reflected in studies done in Western cultures. To stimulate new research from a diverse set of cultural perspectives, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has promoted the development of addiction research capacity and skills around the world for over 25 years. This review will describe the programs NIDA has developed to sponsor international research and research fellows and will provide some examples of the work NIDA has supported. NIDA fellowships have allowed 496 individuals from 96 countries to be trained in addiction research. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have recently developed funding to support addiction research to study, with advice from NIDA, the substance use disorder problems that affect their societies. Examples from Malaysia, Tanzania, Brazil, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Republic of Georgia, Iceland, China, and Vietnam are used to illustrate research being conducted with NIDA support. Health services research, collaboratively funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and Department of State, addresses a range of addiction service development questions in low- and middle-income countries. Findings have expanded the understanding of addiction and its treatment, and are enhancing the ability of practitioners and policy makers to address substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A. Rawson
- Professor and Co-Director, UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles
| | - George Woody
- Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Principal Investigator, Delaware Valley Node of Clinical Trials Network, Treatment Research Institute
| | - Thomas F. Kresina
- Division of Pharmacologic Therapies, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Steve Gust
- Director, International Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, United States National Institutes of Health
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Chadwick JJ, Andrade LF, Altice FL, Petry NM. Correlates of having never been HIV tested among entrants to substance abuse treatment clinics: empiric findings from real-world New England settings. J Psychoactive Drugs 2014; 46:208-14. [PMID: 25052879 PMCID: PMC4780256 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2014.915363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Routine testing is the cornerstone to identifying HIV, but not all substance abuse treatment patients have been tested. This study is a real-world evaluation of predictors of having never been HIV tested among patients initiating substance abuse treatment. Participants (N = 614) from six New England clinics were asked whether they had ever been HIV tested. Eighty-five patients (13.8%) reported having never been tested and were compared to those who had undergone testing. Clinic, male gender (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07-3.41), and having fewer employment (AOR = 0.31; 95% CI = 0.11-0.88) and medical problems (AOR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.17-0.99) were independently correlated with having never been HIV tested. Thus, there is still considerable room for improved testing strategies as a clinically significant minority of substance abuse patients have never undergone HIV testing when they initiate treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne J. Chadwick
- Eastern Connecticut State University, Department of Biology, Willimantic, CT, USA
| | - Leonardo F. Andrade
- University of Connecticut School Medicine, Calhoun Cardiology Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Frederick L. Altice
- Yale University School of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Section, AIDS Program, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale University School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nancy M. Petry
- University of Connecticut School Medicine, Calhoun Cardiology Center, Farmington, CT, USA
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Botros BA, Aliyev QM, Saad MD, Michael AA, Sanchez JL, Carr JK, Earhart KC. HIV infection and associated risk factors among long-distance truck drivers travelling through Azerbaijan. Int J STD AIDS 2009; 20:477-82. [PMID: 19541890 DOI: 10.1258/ijsa.2008.008396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess HIV prevalence and associated risk behaviours among international truck drivers (TDs) in Azerbaijan. The subjects signed consent and completed a questionnaire. Blood was tested using two rapid HIV tests: Determine and OraQuick. Genotyping was performed on 13 positives. Overall, 3763 TDs from 21 countries were enrolled. Fifty-eight (1.54%) were HIV-positive. Highest prevalence was among Russians (2.88%), Ukrainians (1.66%) and Azerbaijani (1.09%). On univariate analysis, highest prevalence (60%) was among injecting drug users (IDUs) compared with 0.4% among non-IDUs (P < 0.001). The prevalence in men who had sex with men (MSM) (42.9%) was high (P </= 0.001). On multivariate analysis, IDUs and MSM remained as the main HIV independent risk factors. Additional risk factors include no condom use, no circumcision and a history of an sexually transmitted infection. Eleven of 13 samples were subtype A. In conclusion, HIV was highly associated with IDU and MSM. The detected HIV subtypes A and B are those predominant in the former Soviet Union.
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Affiliation(s)
- B A Botros
- US Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, Cairo, Egypt.
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Parry CDH, Carney T, Petersen P, Dewing S, Needle R. HIV-risk behavior among injecting or non-injecting drug users in Cape Town, Pretoria, and Durban, South Africa. Subst Use Misuse 2009; 44:886-904. [PMID: 19444728 DOI: 10.1080/10826080802487028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The rapid assessment aimed to describe drug use and sexual practices that place injection and noninjection drug users (IDUs/NIDUs) at risk for HIV in South Africa. The sample comprised 85 key-informant (KI) and focus-group (FG) interviewees in or serving locations with high levels of drug use in Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria. HIV testing of drug-using KIs was conducted using the SmartCheck Rapid HIV-1 Antibody Test. The findings indicated that commonly used drugs had differing effects on sexual and drug-use practices. Risky injecting behaviors among IDUs were common, and most interviewees engaged in sex when on drugs, some without condoms. These behaviors were also influenced by trust in intimate relationships. Injection drug users seemed more knowledgeable about HIV transmission than NIDUs, and 20% of IDUs who agreed to HIV screening tested positive. Views about drug- and HIV-intervention services, accessibility, and their efficacy were mixed. The findings suggest greater synergy is needed between drug- and HIV-intervention sectors and that consideration should be given to making various risk-reduction strategies more accessible. The study's limitations have been noted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles D H Parry
- Alcohol & Drug Abuse Research Unit, Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa.
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Abstract
Gender shapes the experience of drug use and its associated risks. In most parts of the world, however, harm reduction and drug treatment programmes that tailor their services to meet women's needs are rare or nonexistent. Many existing services inadvertently exclude women, and discriminatory policies and social stigma drive women drug users from care and expose them to human rights abuses. Women drug users often provide sex in exchange for housing, sustenance and protection, suffer violence from sexual partners and practise unsafe sex. This paper, drawing upon evidence from existing studies, examines ways in which gender-related factors can increase women drug users' vulnerability and decrease their access to harm reduction, drug treatment and sexual and reproductive health services. It recommends designing services with low-threshold access for women drug users that help them to become more independent, involving the women in designing services and policies, making programmes available for mothers, incorporating sexual and reproductive health into harm reduction services, providing gender-sensitive drug treatment and integrated harm reduction programmes for drug-using sex workers, connecting with domestic violence and rape prevention services and educating mainstream providers. Overall, investigating the circumstances women drug users face will help to formulate policies and programmes that better serve women who use drugs.
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Parry C, Petersen P, Dewing S, Carney T, Needle R, Kroeger K, Treger L. Rapid assessment of drug-related HIV risk among men who have sex with men in three South African cities. Drug Alcohol Depend 2008; 95:45-53. [PMID: 18242881 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2007.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2007] [Revised: 12/07/2007] [Accepted: 12/08/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The current assessment was undertaken to examine the link between drug use and sexual risk behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM) in locations known to have high prevalence rates of drug use and sexual risk behavior in Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria, South Africa. Street intercepts and purposive snowball sampling were used to recruit drug-using MSM. A rapid assessment was undertaken which included observation, mapping, key informant interviews and focus group interviews with MSM. Drug using key informants were tested for HIV. The use of drugs like crack cocaine, cannabis and methamphetamine to specifically facilitate sexual encounters was evident. Drugs led to inconsistent condom use and other high-risk sexual activities despite HIV risk knowledge being high. Many injecting drug-using MSM shared needles and reused equipment. Among MSM who agreed to HIV testing, one-third tested positive. Views about drug and HIV treatment and preventive services and their efficacy were mixed. Various barriers to accessing services were highlighted including homosexual stigmatization and availability of drugs in treatment facilities. Recommendations include addressing the gap between HIV-risk knowledge and practice, extending VCT services for MSM, increasing the visibility of drug abuse services within communities, addressing concerns about drug availability in treatment centers as well as reintegration issues and the need for after-care services, reducing stigmatization in drug and HIV services for MSM and finally, strengthening the link between drug treatment services and HIV prevention by integrating HIV/drug-related risks into HIV prevention efforts and HIV risks into drug use prevention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Parry
- Alcohol & Drug Abuse Research Unit, Medical Research Council, P.O. Box 19070, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa.
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Buffardi AL, Thomas KK, Holmes KK, Manhart LE. Moving upstream: ecosocial and psychosocial correlates of sexually transmitted infections among young adults in the United States. Am J Public Health 2008; 98:1128-36. [PMID: 18445794 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2007.120451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We determined the associations of ecosocial factors and psychosocial factors with having a prevalent sexually transmitted infection (STI), recent STI diagnoses, and sexual risk behaviors. METHODS Young adults aged 18 to 27 years in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n=14322) provided ecosocial, psychosocial, behavioral, and STI-history data. Urine was tested for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae by ligase chain reaction and for Trichomonas vaginalis, human papillomavirus, and Mycoplasma genitalium by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Prevalent STI was associated with housing insecurity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00, 1.72), exposure to crime (AOR=1.4; 95% CI=1.02, 1.80), and having been arrested (AOR=1.4; 95% CI=1.07, 1.84). STI prevalence increased linearly from 4.9% for 0 factors to 14.6% for 4 or more (P < .001, for trend). Nearly all contextual conditions predicted more lifetime partners and earlier sexual debut. Recent STI diagnosis was associated with childhood sexual abuse, gang participation, frequent alcohol use, and depression, adjusted for sexual risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Often present before sexual debut, contextual conditions enhance STI risk by increasing sexual risk behaviors and likelihood of exposure to infection. These findings suggest that upstream conditions such as housing and safety contribute to the burden of STIs and are appropriate targets for future intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne L Buffardi
- UW Center for AIDS and STD, University of Washington, 325 9th Ave, Box 359931, Seattle, WA 98104-2499, USA
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