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Zhu L, Thompson WW, Hagan L, Randall LM, Rudolph AE, Young AM, Havens JR, Salomon JA, Linas BP. Potential impact of curative and preventive interventions toward hepatitis C elimination in people who inject drugs-A network modeling study. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 130:104539. [PMID: 39033645 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Injection-equipment-sharing networks play an important role in hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID). Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatments for HCV infection and interventions to prevent HCV transmission are critical components of an overall hepatitis C elimination strategy, but how they contribute to the elimination outcomes in different PWID network settings are unclear. METHODS We developed an agent-based network model of HCV transmission through the sharing of injection equipment among PWID and parameterized and calibrated the model with rural PWID data in the United States. We modeled curative and preventive interventions at annual coverage levels of 12.5 %, 25 %, or 37.5 % (cumulative percentage of eligible individuals engaged), and two allocation approaches: random vs targeting PWID with more injection partners (hereafter 'degree-based'). We compared the impact of these intervention strategies on prevalence and incidence of HCV infections. We conducted sensitivity analysis on key parameters governing the effects of curative and preventive interventions and PWID network characteristics. RESULTS Combining curative and preventive interventions at 37.5 % annual coverage with degree-based allocation decreased prevalence and incidence of HCV infection by 67 % and 70 % over two years, respectively. Curative interventions decreased prevalence by six to 12 times more than preventive interventions, while curative and preventive interventions had comparable effectiveness on reducing incidence. Intervention impact increased with coverage almost linearly across all intervention strategies, and degree-based allocation was always more effective than random allocation, especially for preventive interventions. Results were sensitive to parameter values defining intervention effects and network mean degree. CONCLUSION DAA treatments are effective in reducing both prevalence and incidence of HCV infection in PWID, but preventive interventions play a significant role in reducing incidence when intervention coverage is low. Increasing coverage, including efforts in reaching individuals with the most injection partners, preventing reinfection, and improving compliance and retention in preventive services can substantially improve the outcomes. PWID network characteristics should be considered when designing hepatitis C elimination programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhu
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Health Policy, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - William W Thompson
- Prevention Branch, Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, GA, USA
| | - Liesl Hagan
- Prevention Branch, Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, GA, USA
| | - Liisa M Randall
- Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Abby E Rudolph
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Temple University College of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - April M Young
- Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA; Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jennifer R Havens
- Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Joshua A Salomon
- Department of Health Policy, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin P Linas
- Section of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Bennett SJ, Davila CA, Reyes Z, Valentín-Acevedo A, Carrasco KG, Abadie R, Marlin MC, Beel M, Chapple AG, Fernando S, Guthridge JM, Chiou KS, Dombrowski K, West JT, Wood C. Immune profiling in Puerto Rican injection drug users with and without HIV-1 infection. J Leukoc Biol 2023; 114:142-153. [PMID: 37042743 PMCID: PMC10776106 DOI: 10.1093/jleuko/qiad045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Antiretroviral therapy has been effective in suppressing HIV viral load and enabling people living with HIV to experience longer, more conventional lives. However, as people living with HIV are living longer, they are developing aging-related diseases prematurely and are more susceptible to comorbidities that have been linked to chronic inflammation. Coincident with HIV infection and aging, drug abuse has also been independently associated with gut dysbiosis, microbial translocation, and inflammation. Here, we hypothesized that injection drug use would exacerbate HIV-induced immune activation and inflammation, thereby intensifying immune dysfunction. We recruited 50 individuals not using injection drugs (36/50 HIV+) and 47 people who inject drugs (PWID, 12/47 HIV+). All but 3 of the HIV+ subjects were on antiretroviral therapy. Plasma immune profiles were characterized by immunoproteomics, and cellular immunophenotypes were assessed using mass cytometry. The immune profiles of HIV+/PWID-, HIV-/PWID+, and HIV+/PWID+ were each significantly different from controls; however, few differences between these groups were detected, and only 3 inflammatory mediators and 2 immune cell populations demonstrated a combinatorial effect of injection drug use and HIV infection. In conclusion, a comprehensive analysis of inflammatory mediators and cell immunophenotypes revealed remarkably similar patterns of immune dysfunction in HIV-infected individuals and in people who inject drugs with and without HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney J. Bennett
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 1104 T St, Lincoln, NE 68588, United States
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, 1700 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, United States
| | - Carmen Ana Davila
- Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 660 N 12th St, Lincoln, NE 68588, United States
| | - Zahiraliz Reyes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Universidad Central del Caribe, PO Box 60327, Bayamón, Puerto Rico 00960, United States
| | - Aníbal Valentín-Acevedo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Universidad Central del Caribe, PO Box 60327, Bayamón, Puerto Rico 00960, United States
| | - Kim Gocchi Carrasco
- Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 660 N 12th St, Lincoln, NE 68588, United States
| | - Roberto Abadie
- Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 660 N 12th St, Lincoln, NE 68588, United States
| | - M. Caleb Marlin
- Arthritis & Clinical Immunology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, 825 NE 13th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, United States
| | - Marci Beel
- Arthritis & Clinical Immunology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, 825 NE 13th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, United States
| | - Andrew G. Chapple
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, 1700 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, United States
| | - Samodha Fernando
- Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 3940 Fair St, Lincoln, NE 68503, United States
| | - Joel M. Guthridge
- Arthritis & Clinical Immunology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, 825 NE 13th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, United States
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, United States
| | - Kathy S. Chiou
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 1220 T St, Lincoln, NE 68588, United States
| | - Kirk Dombrowski
- University of Vermont, 5 South Prospect St, Burlington, VT 05405, United States
| | - John T. West
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, 1700 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, United States
| | - Charles Wood
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, 1700 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, United States
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Abadie R. "I don't want to die": a qualitative study of coping strategies to prevent fentanyl-related overdose deaths among people who inject drugs and its implications for harm reduction policies. Harm Reduct J 2023; 20:75. [PMID: 37316884 PMCID: PMC10264884 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00805-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fentanyl and fentanyl-related analogues are the main drivers of overdose death in the USA, particularly among people who inject drugs (PWID). Despite the fact that non-Hispanic whites exhibit higher population rates of synthetic opioid mortality, overdose deaths have increased among African American and Latinos in urban areas. Yet little attention has been paid to the introduction of fentanyl among rural PWID in Puerto Rico. METHODS We conducted N = 38 in-depth interviews with PWID in rural Puerto Rico to document participants' experiences of injection drug use after the arrival of fentanyl and the strategies they implemented to manage overdose death risks. RESULTS Participants suggest that the arrival of fentanyl in large scale happened after Hurricane Maria in 2017; this coincided with a dramatic increase in overdose episodes and deaths. Fear of overdose deaths motivated some participants to substitute intravenous drug use for other forms of substance use or to seek MOUD. PWID that continued injection use resorted to conducting "hit tests," avoiding injecting alone, using naloxone, and employing fentanyl testing strips. CONCLUSIONS While overdose deaths would have been higher without participants' willingness to adopt harm-reduction strategies, this paper illustrates the limits of these policies to address the current epidemic of fentanyl-related overdose deaths among this population. More studies are needed to understand how health disparities shape overdose risks for minority populations. However, major policy changes, in particular the revision of the harmful role of the War on Drugs and the termination of failed neoliberal economic policies that contribute to deaths of despair, should be addressed if we are to make a dent in this epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Abadie
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 839 Oldfather Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA.
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Lahiri A, Jha SS, Chakraborty A. Addiction habits in a rural cohort of injection drug users and effects on serum lipid profile: Analysis of a repeated measures study from an eastern state of India. THE NATIONAL MEDICAL JOURNAL OF INDIA 2023; 36:150-156. [PMID: 38692608 DOI: 10.25259/nmji_1_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Background Injecting drug use (IDU) is associated with several cardiometabolic risks. We aimed to measure the independent effects of IDU behaviour and related factors on serum lipid profile among people who inject drugs (PWIDs). Methods We did a longitudinal study with six follow-up measurements at an interval of 2 months among 104 PWIDs from 11 selected hotspots under two blocks in West Bengal, India. Generalized estimating equations with robust standard errors analysed the effect of addiction habits on lipid profile parameters. Results The mean (SD) age of the participants was 27.6 (5.24) years, 36.5% married and 44.3% were unemployed at the time of recruitment. At the baseline, the mean (SD) body mass index (BMI) and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were 20.0 (1.82) kg/m2 and 112.0 (15.90) mg/dl, respectively. The mean duration of drug use was 2.5 (1.20) years. While 62.5% had normal triglyceride (TG), 14.4% had high total cholesterol (TC) and 69.2% had dyslipidaemia at the baseline. Adjusted for age, BMI, FBS and other addiction-related variables, models showed that longer duration of drug use (>3 years) resulted in higher levels of TG, higher TC-to-high-density lipoprotein ratio and dyslipidaemia. Tobacco use and high FBS level were also risk factors for dyslipidaemia. Conclusions Higher duration of IDU, tobacco use and higher FBS were associated with deranged lipid profile among PWIDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arista Lahiri
- Department of Community Medicine, Dr B.C. Roy Multi-Speciality Medical Research Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
| | - Sweety Suman Jha
- Department of Community Medicine, Dr B.C. Roy Multi-Speciality Medical Research Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
| | - Arup Chakraborty
- Department of Community Medicine, Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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Fogel JM, Zhang Y, Palumbo PJ, Guo X, Clarke W, Breaud A, Richardson P, Piwowar-Manning E, Hamilton EL, Ha TV, Dumchev K, Djoerban Z, Hoffman I, Hanscom B, Miller WC, Eshleman SH. Use of Antiretroviral Drug Testing to Assess the Accuracy of Self-reported Data from HIV-Infected People Who Inject Drugs. AIDS Behav 2019; 23:2101-2108. [PMID: 30600453 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-018-2379-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
We used antiretroviral (ARV) drug testing to evaluate the accuracy of self-reported data for HIV status and antiretroviral treatment (ART) among people who inject drugs enrolled in an HIV prevention trial. ARV drugs were detected in enrollment samples from 72/482 = 14.9% HIV-infected participants (39/52 = 75.0% who reported being on ART; 33/430 = 7.7% who reported not being on ART). Overall, 213/482 = 44.2% participants indicated that they were not aware of their HIV-positive status prior to study entry; of those, 30 had ARV drugs detected at enrollment, including 15 who also had ARV drugs detected at the screening visit. These participants were likely aware of their HIV-positive status at study entry but did not report this to study staff. This study shows that self-reported data on HIV testing history and ART may not be accurate and that ARV drug testing can help identify persons who are aware of their HIV-positive status and are on ART.
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Abadie R, Goldenberg S, Welch-Lazoritz M, Fisher CB. Establishing trust in HIV/HCV research among people who inject drugs (PWID): Insights from empirical research. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0208410. [PMID: 30517202 PMCID: PMC6281254 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The establishment of trust between researchers and participants is critical to advance HIV and HCV prevention particularly among people who inject drugs (PWID) and other marginalized populations, yet empirical research on how to establish and maintain trust in the course of community health research is lacking. This paper documents ideas about trust between research participants and researchers amongst a sub-sample of PWID who were enrolled in a large, multi-year community health study of social networks and HIV/HCV risk that was recently conducted in rural Puerto Rico. METHODS Qualitative research was nested within a multi-year Social Network and HIV/HCV Risk study involving N = 360 PWID > 18 years of age living in four small, rural Puerto Rican communities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between March 2017 and April 2017 with a subset of 40 active PWID who had been enrolled in the parent study. Interview questions invited participants to draw upon their recent experience as research participants to better understand how PWID perceive and understand participant-researcher trust within the context of HIV/HCV-related epidemiological research. RESULTS Fear of police, stigma and concerns regarding confidentiality and anonymity were identified as structural factors that could compromise participation in HIV/HCV-related research for PWID. While monetary compensation was an important motivation, participants also valued the opportunity to learn about their HIV/HCV status. During their participation in the study, gaining knowledge of safe injection practices was perceived as a valuable benefit. Participant narratives suggested that PWID may adopt an incremental and ongoing approach in their assessment of the trustworthiness of researchers, continuously assessing the extent to which they trust the research staff throughout the course of the research. Trust was initially generated through peer Respondent Driven Sampling recruitment. Research staff who maintained a presence in the community for the entire duration of the prospective study reinforced trust between participants and the research team. CONCLUSION Although PWID face numerous structural barriers to research-related trust in HIV/HCV research, we found that using a peer-based recruitment method like RDS, and employing a research staff who are knowledgeable about the targeted population, culturally sensitive to their needs, and who maintain a long-term presence in the community may help mitigate many of these barriers. The reputation of the research is built incrementally as participants join the study. This contributes to a "street reputation" that grows as current or former participants vouch for the study. Establishing trust was identified as only the first step towards building a collaborative relationship with participants, and our findings suggest that steps to address criminalization and stigmatization also are necessary to support research trust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Abadie
- Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States of America
| | - Shira Goldenberg
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Bumaby, BC, Canada
| | - Melissa Welch-Lazoritz
- Pharmaceutical and Nutrition Care, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Celia B. Fisher
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, United States of America
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