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Mpofu L, Ganga-Limando M. The lived experiences of HIV-positive women in rural Zimbabwe: A qualitative focus group study. S Afr Fam Pract (2004) 2024; 66:e1-e8. [PMID: 38572873 PMCID: PMC11019049 DOI: 10.4102/safp.v66i1.5823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The study explored and described the meaning attached to the lived experiences of women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the rural context of Zimbabwe. Stigma and discrimination negatively impact one's ability to perform the expected social roles, the quality of life, and the efforts to prevent the spread of HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and reduce HIV-related mortality. Thus, the study aims to understand the meaning attached to the lived experiences of HIV-positive women living in rural areas or villages of Matabeleland South province in Zimbabwe. METHODS The study used a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory design. Four focus group discussions were conducted with 24 HIV-positive rural women living in Matabeleland South province, Zimbabwe. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was adopted to explore and describe the meaning attached to the lived experiences of women living with HIV. RESULTS Two interconnected themes were identified in the analysis with their sub-themes. These were: (1) struggle for social belonging, with subthemes - loss of social belonging and reduced access to community-based empowerment opportunities and (2) struggle for maintaining the quality of life with subthemes - lack of need-based community healthcare and food insecurity. CONCLUSION Being a woman living with HIV in rural Zimbabwe means a perpetual struggle to maintain one's humanness and quality of life.Contribution: This study's results will support the efforts of the Zimbabwean government to improve the quality of life of HIV-positive women living in rural areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limkile Mpofu
- Department of Health Studies, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria.
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Zhang J, Askenase P, Jaenisch R, Crumpacker CS. Approaches to pandemic prevention - the chromatin vaccine. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1324084. [PMID: 38143744 PMCID: PMC10739501 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1324084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Developing effective vaccines against viral infections have significant impacts on development, prosperity and well-being of human populations. Thus, successful vaccines such as smallpox and polio vaccines, have promoted global societal well-being. In contrast, ineffective vaccines may fuel arguments that retard scientific progress. We aim to stimulate a multilevel discussion on how to develop effective vaccines against recent and future pandemics by focusing on acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), coronavirus disease (COVID) and other viral infections. We appeal to harnessing recent achievements in this field specifically towards a cure for current pandemics and prevention of the next pandemics. Among these, we propose to apply the HIV DNA in chromatin format - an end product of aborted HIV integration in episomal forms, i.e., the chromatin vaccines (cVacc), to elicit the epigenetic silencing and memory that prevent viral replication and infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jielin Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Philip Askenase
- Allergy & Clinical Immunology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Rudolf Jaenisch
- Department of Biology, Whitehead Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Clyde S. Crumpacker
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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Jia DT, Carcamo PM, Diaz MM. Ongoing Healthcare Disparities in neuroHIV: Addressing Gaps in the Care Continuum. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2023; 20:368-378. [PMID: 37999827 DOI: 10.1007/s11904-023-00683-9] [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] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We aim to review the neurological complications of HIV and the social, cultural, and economic inequalities that contribute to disparities in neuroHIV care. RECENT FINDINGS Disparities in diagnostics and care of patients with neurological infections and non-infectious conditions associated with HIV in both high-income and low-to-middle-income countries (LMIC) are common. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these disparities. Factors, such as HIV-related stigma, may deter people from accessing HIV treatment. First-line recommended treatments for neurological infections are not available in many LMICs, leading to inadequate treatment and exposure to agents with more harmful side effect profiles. Access-related factors, such as lack of transportation, lack of health insurance, and inadequate telehealth access, may increase the risk of HIV-related neurological complications. Further research is needed to increase awareness of neurological complications among providers and PWH, and regional guidelines should be considered to better address these complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Tong Jia
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Paloma M Carcamo
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Health Innovation Laboratory, Alexander Von Humboldt Tropical Medicine Institute, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Monica M Diaz
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Deng C, Yan H, Wang J, Liu BS, Liu K, Shi YM. The anti-HIV potential of imidazole, oxazole and thiazole hybrids: A mini-review. ARAB J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arabjc.2022.104242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
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Sepúlveda-Páez G, Santibañez-Palma JF, Ferrer-Urbina R, Atencio D, Bucarei P, Castillo J, Fuentes M, Zumarán B. Internalized homophobia and sexual risk behavior in men who have sex with men: The mediational role of sexual self-concept. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1007749. [PMID: 36312057 PMCID: PMC9614244 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1007749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are one of the populations most likely to be infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) worldwide. Sexual risk behaviors (SRB) are the main route of HIV transmission. Among the factors associated with SRB, internalized homophobia (rejection of one’s sexuality) is a risk factor unique for MSM. However, how this factor influences SRB is not clear. Therefore, the present study attempts to clarify the mechanism of action of the relationship between internalized homophobia on SRB based on the mediating effects of sexual self-concept. A study was conducted with 124 MSM living in Chile over 18 years of age (M = 24.4 and SD = 4.19). Through path analysis, it was observed that internalized homophobia has slight inverse effects on SRBs (multiple sexual partners and sexual activity under the influence of alcohol or drugs) when the sexual self-efficacy dimension acts as a mediating variable. These findings suggest that developing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns focused on MSM must highlight the development of a healthy sexual self-concept and address self-stigma.
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Salimi-Jeda A, Esghaei M, Hossein Keyvani, Bokharaei-Salim F, Teimoori A, Abdoli A. Inhibition of HIV-1 replication using the CRISPR/cas9-no NLS system as a prophylactic strategy. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10483. [PMID: 36158108 PMCID: PMC9489754 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, it is estimated that 43 million people are living with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), and there are more than 600,000 acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related deaths in 2020. The only way to increase the life expectancy of these patients right now is to use combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) for the lifetime. Due to the integration of the HIV-1 DNA in lymphocytes, the replication of the virus can only be reduced by using antiretroviral drugs. If the drug is stopped, the virus will replicate and reduce the number of lymphocytes. In recent years, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated endonuclease Cas9-mediated genome editing system has been considered, preventing HIV-1 replication by causing DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) or disrupting the integrated virus replication by targeting the provirus. In this study, we utilized the CRISPR/Cas9 without the nuclear localization signal sequence (w/o NLS) system to inhibit the VSV-G-pseudotyped HIV-1 replication by targeting the HIV-1 DNA as a prophylactic method. To this end, we designed a multiplex gRNA (guide RNA) cassette to target the pol, env, and nef/long terminal repeat (nef/LTR) regions of the HIV-1 genome and then cloned it in plasmid expressing no-NLS-Cas9 protein as an all-in-one CRISPR/Cas9 vector. Using HIV-1 pseudovirus transduction into HEK-293T cell lines, our results showed that the CRISPR/Cas9-no NLS system disrupts the pseudotyped HIV-1 DNA and significantly (P-value < 0.0001) decreases the p24 antigen shedding and viral RNA load in cell culture supernatants harvested 48h after virus transduction. Although these results revealed the potential of the CRISPR/Cas9-no NLS nuclease system as a prophylactic strategy against HIV-1 infections, due to inefficient impairments of HIV-1 DNA, further studies are required to enhance its effectiveness and application in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Salimi-Jeda
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Esghaei
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Keyvani
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farah Bokharaei-Salim
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Teimoori
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Asghar Abdoli
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Meyer ACL. The Need to Revise Frascati Criteria for HIV-associated Neurocognitive Disorders to Improve Relevance for Diverse Global Populations. Neurol Clin Pract 2022; 12:328-330. [DOI: 10.1212/cpj.0000000000200063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Worldwide, cognitive impairment is a frequent complication of HIV and few treatments are available. Existing diagnostic criteria for cognitive disorders associated with HIV have limited diagnostic accuracy, hampering biomarker and therapeutic development. Further, these criteria are not linked to clinically meaningful outcomes, limiting utility in clinical settings. Limitations in diagnostic accuracy is most pronounced in resource-limited settings where the burden of HIV is greatest, largely due to heavy reliance on neuropsychological testing with limited cross-cultural validity. Accurate and clinically meaningful diagnostic criteria validated in diverse populations will improve research and clinical care for cognitively impaired people living with HIV globally.
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Meyer AC, Njamnshi AK, Gisslen M, Price RW. Neuroimmunology of CNS HIV Infection: A Narrative Review. Front Neurol 2022; 13:843801. [PMID: 35775044 PMCID: PMC9237409 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.843801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This short review provides an overview of the interactions of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV), immune and inflammatory reactions, and CNS injury over the course of infection. Systemic infection is the overall driver of disease and serves as the “platform” for eventual CNS injury, setting the level of immune dysfunction and providing both the HIV seeding and immune-inflammatory responses to the CNS. These systemic processes determine the timing of and vulnerability to HIV-related neuronal injury which occurs in a separate “compartment” with features that parallel their systemic counterparts but also evolve independently. Direct CNS HIV infection, along with opportunistic infections, can have profound neurological consequences for the infected individual. HIV-related CNS morbidities are of worldwide importance but are enhanced by the particular epidemiological, socioeconomic and environmental factors that heighten the impact of HIV infection in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana-Claire Meyer
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Alfred Kongnyu Njamnshi
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Yaoundé I, Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN), Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Magnus Gisslen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Richard W. Price
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Richard W. Price
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