Digital Commons Network^™

Longitudinal Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) Acceptability, Initiation And Adherence Among Criminal Justice-Involved Adults In The Usa: The Southern Prep Cohort Study (Specs) Protocol, Katherine Lemasters, Carrie B. Oser, Mariah Cowell, Katie Mollan, Kathryn Nowotny, Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein

Sociology Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: HIV prevalence among criminal justice (CJ)-involved adults is five times higher than the general population. Following incarceration, CJ-involved individuals experience multilevel barriers to HIV prevention. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a widely available, daily medication efficacious in preventing HIV. Little is known about PrEP knowledge, acceptability, initiation and sustained use among CJ-involved persons or about how these outcomes vary by multilevel factors. The Southern Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Study (SPECS) will investigate barriers and facilitators for PrEP initiation and sustained use among CJ-involved adults, building a foundation for PrEP interventions for this underserved population.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: SPECS uses a mixed-methods sequential …

Human Apobec3 Variations And Viral Infection, Shiva Sadeghpour, Saeideh Khodaee, Mostafa Rahnama, Hamzeh Rahimi, Diako Ebrahimi

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Human APOBEC3 (apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing catalytic polypeptide-like 3) enzymes are capable of inhibiting a wide range of endogenous and exogenous viruses using deaminase and deaminase-independent mechanisms. These enzymes are essential components of our innate immune system, as evidenced by (a) their strong positive selection and expansion in primates, (b) the evolution of viral counter-defense mechanisms, such as proteasomal degradation mediated by HIV Vif, and (c) hypermutation and inactivation of a large number of integrated HIV-1 proviruses. Numerous APOBEC3 single nucleotide polymorphisms, haplotypes, and splice variants have been identified in humans. Several of these variants have been reported to be associated …

Impact Of Social Isolation In Hiv-Positive Individuals During A Pandemic, Corina Jane Bakoylis

Dissertations

Problem: The global pandemic of COVID-19 caused concern for immunocompromised individuals. The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to assess the impact of social isolation on feelings of loneliness, depression, and social isolation experiences in HIV-positive individuals residing in a long-term care facility.

Methods: A mixed-method convergent design with a purposeful sample of HIV-positive adult residents residing in a long-term care facility was utilized. An evaluation of loneliness using the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale (Version 3) and depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) were completed. Personal experiences were also assessed with five predetermined open-ended …

The Intersection Of Hiv, Covid-19 And Systemic Racism, Gary F. Spinner

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

ABSTRACT

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) pandemic has taken the greatest toll on racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Blacks and Latinxs suffer greater disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity and mortality from HIV as compared with Whites. Similarly, the Covid-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has disproportionately affected Blacks, Latinxs, and Native Americans causing higher rates of infection, more severe disease, and higher rates of mortality as compared with Whites. The pandemic of racism is as ubiquitous as the pandemics of HIV and Covid-19. Its sustaining forces drive wealth inequality, poverty, racially segregated and overcrowded housing, unequal employment opportunities, unequal …

A Prospective Observational Study Of Community Acquired Pneumonia In Kenya: The Role Of Viral Pathogens, Jamila Nambafu, Mary Achakolong, Fridah Mwendwa, Jumaa Bwika, Felix Riunga, Samuel Gitau, Hanika Patel, Rodney Adam

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: Lower respiratory tract infections continue to contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality across all age groups globally. In sub-Saharan Africa, many studies of community acquired pneumonia in adults have focused on HIV-infected patients and little attention has been given to risk factors and etiologic agents in an urban area with a more moderate HIV prevalence.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 77 patients admitted to a 280 bed teaching hospital in Kenya with radiographically confirmed community acquired pneumonia from May 2019 to March 2020. The patients were followed for etiology and clinical outcomes. Viral PCR testing was performed using …

Circumcision As An Intervening Strategy Against Hiv Acquisition In The Male Genital Tract, Adhikarimayum Lakhikumar Sharma, Joseph Hokello, Mudit Tyagi

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

Unsafe sex with HIV-infected individuals remains a major route for HIV transmission, and protective strategies, such as the distribution of free condoms and pre-or post-prophylaxis medication, have failed to control the spread of HIV, particularly in resource-limited settings and high HIV prevalence areas. An additional key strategy for HIV prevention is voluntary male circumcision (MC). International health organizations (e.g., the World Health Organization, UNAIDS) have recommended this strategy on a larger scale, however, there is a general lack of public understanding about how MC effectively protects against HIV infection. This review aims to discuss the acquisition of HIV through the …

Food Insecurity And Frailty Among Women With And Without Hiv In The United States: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Judy Y. Tan, Lila A. Sheira, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Deborah Gustafson, Anjali Sharma, Daniel Merenstein, Mardge H. Cohen, Elizabeth Golub, Andrew Edmonds, Igho Ofotokun, Margaret Fischl, Deborah Konkle-Parker, Torsten Neilands, Phyllis Tien, Sheri D. Weiser

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Frailty is frequently observed among people with HIV, and food insecurity is associated with frailty in the general population. Evidence is scarce on the associations between food insecurity and frailty among women with HIV who maybe particularly vulnerable to the impacts of food insecurity. The goal of this study was to assess associations between food insecurity and frailty among women with and without HIV.

Methods: There were 1265 participants from the Women’s Interagency HIV Study who participated in frailty assessments in2017. Frailty was measured using the Fried Frailty Phenotype, and women were subsequently categorized as robust, pre-frailor frail. …

An Update On The Hiv Dna Vaccine Strategy, Joseph Hokello, Adhikarimayum Lakhikumar Sharma, Mudit Tyagi

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

In 2020, the global prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was estimated to be 38 million, and a total of 690,000 people died from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)–related complications. Notably, around 12.6 million people living with HIIV/AIDS did not have access to life-saving treatment. The advent of the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the mid-1990s remarkably enhanced the life expectancy of people living with HIV/AIDS as a result of improved immune functions. However, HAART has several drawbacks, especially when it is not used properly, including a high risk for the development of drug resistance, as well as undesirable …

Dating App Use Among Rural Men Who Have Sex With Men And Its Relationship To Hiv Prevention And Risk Behaviors: A Mixed-Methods Analysis, Lauren Bineau, Danielle Lambert, Natalia Truszczynski, Nathan Hansen, Carolyn Lauckner

Center for Health Equity Transformation Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Men who have sex with men (MSM) in rural areas have limited access to HIV prevention and education resources. Given the growing usage of mobile dating apps among the wider MSM population, this research sought to explore their use among MSM in rural areas and their potential for delivering HIV prevention information.

METHODS: Participants were recruited from different areas of the rural Southern USA. This mixed-methods study consisted of an online survey (n=85) and follow-up qualitative phone interviews with 20 survey respondents. The survey assessed dating app use, sexual behaviors, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) awareness, usage, and attitudes among …

Fanconi Syndrome Leading To Hypophosphatemic Osteomalacia Related To Tenofovir Use., Mana Rao, Liam Dadey, Thomas Glowa, Peter Veldkamp

Parkview Pharmacy Department

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is used worldwide to treat and prevent Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. Fanconi syndrome is a complication of TDF use and is characterized by inadequate reabsorption of glucose, phosphate and protein in the proximal tubule of the kidney which may eventually lead to osteomalacia manifested by symptoms of pain, muscular weakness and difficulty ambulating. We present a patient with severe osteomalacia due to progressive and unrecognized Fanconi's syndrome, who responded rapidly to TDF withdrawal, oral phosphate repletion and calcitriol. With the widespread use of TDF-containing antiviral regimens, it is critically important that physicians adhere to screening …

Development Of Long-Acting Antiviral Drug Nanoformulations, Denise Cobb

Theses & Dissertations

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved the quality and duration of life for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. However, opportunities to improve its profile abound. ART is limited by putative viral reservoir penetrance, emergence of viral mutations, inherent toxicities, and regimen non-adherence. These highlight the need improved drug delivery schemes. Previously, our lab has demonstrated that targeting mononuclear phagocytes for antiretroviral drug delivery extends drug half-life and improves penetrance into viral reservoirs, addressing these limitations of ART. Herein, we developed synthetic and biologic antiretroviral (ARV) drug nanocarriers improve the pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) profiles of ARVs through …

Multimodal Neuroimaging Of Hiv And Aging, Brandon Lew

Theses & Dissertations

HIV infection remains a significant contributor to disease burden, and with the success of antiretroviral therapies, the population of people with HIV is aging. A growing literature suggests a relationship between HIV-infection and a profile of age advancement, most notably in molecular studies of epigenetics. However, despite the widely-known high prevalence of HIV-related brain atrophy, functional deficits, and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND), epigenetic age advancement has not been linked to HIV-related changes in neuroimaging metrics.

We applied three neuroimaging methods, structural MRI, resting state functional MRI, and resting state MEG, to study the brain structure and function of 121 virally-suppressed …

Mitochondrial Functions Are Compromised In Cd4 T Cells From Art-Controlled Plhiv, Juan Zhao, Madison Schank, Ling Wang, Zhengke Li, Lam N. Nguyen, Xindi Dang, Dechao Cao, Sushant Khanal, Lam N. Nguyen, Bal K. Thakuri, Stella C. Ogbu, Zeyuan Lu, Xiao Y. Wu, Zheng D. Morrison, Mohamed El Gazzar, Ying Liu, Jinyu Zhang, Shunbin Ning

ETSU Faculty Works

The hallmark of HIV/AIDS is a gradual depletion of CD4 T cells. Despite effective control by antiretroviral therapy (ART), a significant subgroup of people living with HIV (PLHIV) fails to achieve complete immune reconstitution, deemed as immune non-responders (INRs). The mechanisms underlying incomplete CD4 T cell recovery in PLHIV remain unclear. In this study, CD4 T cells from PLHIV were phenotyped and functionally characterized, focusing on their mitochondrial functions. The results show that while total CD4 T cells are diminished, cycling cells are expanded in PLHIV, especially in INRs. HIV-INR CD4 T cells are more activated, displaying exhausted and senescent …

Simian Varicella Virus Antibody Response In Recombinant Svv-Siv Immunized Primates, Kiser Horne

Honors Theses

Since its emergence in the early 1980’s HIV has killed approximately 32 million people, and continues to kill over half a million people every year. Significant research into potential vaccines and cures for HIV has been ongoing for decades but has been largely unsuccessful. One of the more promising technologies that is being investigated to develop an HIV vaccine is recombinant vaccine technology. The study presented in this thesis aims to use simian varicella virus (SVV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) to act as a model for recombinant vaccine development. If a recombinant SVV-SIV vaccine can be proven safe and …

Changes In Body Mass Index Among Antiretroviral Therapy Naïve People Living With Hiv In Southeastern Nigeria, John O. Olawepo, Jennifer R. Pharr, Chad L. Cross, Babayemi O. Olakunde, Chinedu Aniekwe, Mercy Niyang, Raisa Kabir, Ayodotun Olutola

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

The proportion of people living with HIV (PLHIV) who are overweight or obese is rising, leading to a double epidemic of HIV and obesity. The purpose of this retrospective longitudinal study was to examine changes in body mass index (BMI) among PLHIV who were new to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in two states in Southeastern Nigeria. The BMI at baseline and 12 months were compared and the difference in proportions in each BMI category was tested. The association between the BMI at 12 months and the demographic and/or clinical variables was examined using multiway analysis of covariance. The study included 2,146 …

Dietary Intake Is Associated With Neuropsychological Impairment In Women With Hiv, Leah H. Rubin, Deborah R. Gustafson, Lakshmi Warrior, Lila Sheira, Kathryn C. Fitzgerald, Raha Dastgheyb, Kathleen M. Weber, Phyllis C. Tien, Audrey French, Amanda B. Spence, Anjali Sharma, Dionna W. Williams, Cory J. White, Eric C. Seaberg, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Sheri D. Weiser

Faculty Publications

Background

Diet is a modifiable risk factor that may influence cognition in people with HIV.

Objectives

We examined the association between dietary intake and cognition in women with HIV (WWH) and HIV-seronegative women.

Methods

An 18-item dietary National Cancer Institute screener was completed by 729 WWH and 346 HIV-seronegative Women's Interagency HIV Study participants. Daily intake frequencies of processed meats, sweet beverages, fish, whole milk, and vegetables were calculated. Participants completed biennial neuropsychological (NP) testing. NP domains included attention/working memory, executive function, processing speed, memory, learning, fluency, and motor function. NP impairment was defined as demographically adjusted T-scores (mean = …

Changes In Genital Inflammatory Biomarkers Associated With Hiv Pathogenesis In Survivors Of Acute Sexual Assault, Liana Bethala, Erica Hardy, Mimi Ghosh

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

Hiv-Associated Thrombotic Microangiopathy: A Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (Ttp)-Like Syndrome, Julia L. Boland, Emily Sun, Molly Perkins, Hayley Rogers, Jennifer Makhoul, Abdulaziz Al-Malki, Adrienne N. Poon

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Age-Associated Gut Microbial Dysbiosis And Plasma Metabolite Alterations In People Living With Hiv (Plwh)., R. Sighal, Smita Ghare, Vaughn Bryant, Sabina Gautam, Chanakya Charan Tirumala, Andrea Reyes-Vega, Craig J. Mcclain, Ronald Cohen, Varand Govind, R L. Cook, Shirish Barve

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background: HIV-1 infection and aging are independently associated with gut microbial dysbiosis and neurocognitive impairment. However, the interactive effects of HIV-infection and aging on the development of specific pathogenic features of gut microbial dysbiosis and consequent metabolic abnormalities associated with neurocognitive dysfunction remain largely undetermined and were examined in the present study

A Secondary Analysis Of Peer Support And Family Acceptance Among Homosexual Living With Hiv And Antiretroviral Therapy: Quality Of Life Perspectives, Ina Martiana, Agung Waluyo, Sri Yona, Edianto Edianto

Jurnal Keperawatan Indonesia

Men who have sex with men (MSM) comprise a population at risk for HIV infection. Assessing the Quality of Life (QOL) in MSM might be different than other populations. This study showed a secondary analysis from our previous research. It was needed to understand whether peer support and family acceptance had an impact on QOL of MSM living with HIV and ART (Antiretroviral Therapy). A total of 175 respondents were involved in this cross-sectional study that was carried out with purposive sampling. The questionnaires were translated to Bahasa and tested for validity and reliability. Data questionnaires completed were analyzed. Results …

Multi-Level Considerations For Optimal Implementation Of Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Therapy To Treat People Living With Hiv: Perspectives Of Health Care Providers Participating In Phase 3 Trials, Andrea Mantsios, Miranda Murray, Tahilin S. Karver, Wendy Davis, Noya Galai, Princy Kumar, Susan Swindells, U. Fritz Bredeek, Rafael Rubio García, Antonio Antela, Santiago Cenoz Gomis, Miguel Pascual Bernáldez, Maggie Czarnogorski, Krischan Hudson, Nicki Walters, Deanna Kerrigan

Journal Articles: Infectious Diseases

BACKGROUND: Long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy (LA ART) has been shown to be non-inferior to daily oral ART, with high patient satisfaction and preference to oral standard of care in research to date, and has recently been approved for use in the United States and Europe. This study examined the perspectives of health care providers participating in LA ART clinical trials on potential barriers and solutions to LA ART roll-out into real world settings.

METHODS: This analysis draws on two data sources: (1) open-ended questions embedded in a structured online survey of 329 health care providers participating in the ATLAS-2 M …

Long Non-Coding Rna Gas5 Regulates T Cell Functions Via Mir21-Mediated Signaling In People Living With Hiv, Lam N. T. Nguyen, Lam N. Nguyen, Juan Zhao, Madison Schank, Xindi Dang, Dechao Cao, Sushant Khanal, Bal K. Chand Thakuri, Zeyuan Lu, Jinyu Zhang, Zhengke Li, Zheng D. Morrison, Xiao Y. Wu, Mohamed El Gazzar, Shunbin Ning, Ling Wang, Jonathan P. Moorman, Zhi Q. Yao

ETSU Faculty Works

T cells are critical for the control of viral infections and T cell responses are regulated by a dynamic network of non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs (miR) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA). Here we show that an activation-induced decline of lncRNA growth arrest-specific transcript 5 (GAS5) activates DNA damage response (DDR), and regulates cellular functions and apoptosis in CD4 T cells derived from people living with HIV (PLHIV) via upregulation of miR-21. Notably, GAS5-miR21-mediated DDR and T cell dysfunction are observed in PLHIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART), who often exhibit immune activation due to low-grade inflammation despite robust virologic control. We …

A Matter Of Life Or Death: Productively Infected And Bystander Cd4 T Cells In Early Hiv Infection, Dechao Cao, Sushant Khanal, Ling Wang, Zhengke Li, Juan Zhao, Lam N. Nguyen, Lam N. Nguyen, Xindi Dang, Madison Schank, Bal K. C. Thakuri, Jinyu Zhang, Zeyuan Lu, Xiao Y. Wu, Zheng D. Morrison, Mohamed El Gazzar, Shunbin Ning, Jonathan P. Moorman, Zhi Q. Yao

ETSU Faculty Works

CD4 T cell death or survival following initial HIV infection is crucial for the development of viral reservoirs and latent infection, making its evaluation critical in devising strategies for HIV cure. Here we infected primary CD4 T cells with a wild-type HIV-1 and investigated the death and survival mechanisms in productively infected and bystander cells during early HIV infection. We found that HIV-infected cells exhibited increased programmed cell death, such as apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis, than uninfected cells. However, productively infected (p24+) cells and bystander (p24-) cells displayed different patterns of cell death due to differential expression of pro-/anti-apoptotic proteins …

Consequences Of Covid-19 Crisis For Persons With Hiv: The Impact Of Social Determinants Of Health, Kristie Cason Waterfield, Gulzar H. Shah, Gina D. Etheredge, Osaremhen Ikhile

Health Policy & Community Health: Faculty Publications

Background

With the indiscriminate spread of COVID-19 globally, many populations are experiencing negative consequences such as job loss, food insecurity, and inability to manage existing medical conditions and maintain preventive measures such as social distancing and personal preventative equipment. Some of the most disadvantaged in the COVID-19 era are people living with HIV/AIDS and other autoimmune diseases.

Discussion

As the number of new HIV infections decrease globally, many subpopulations remain at high risk of infection due to lack of or limited access to prevention services, as well as clinical care and treatment. For persons living with HIV or at higher …

Differential Relationships Of Stress And Hiv Disclosure By Gender: A Person Centered Longitudinal Study, Chengbo Zeng, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Xueying Yang Ph.D., Zhiyong Shen, Yuejiao Zhou

Faculty Publications

Background: Existing literature mostly consider HIV disclosure as a static event and investigate its relationship with stress using a cross-sectional design. It is unclear about the dynamic changes of HIV disclosure levels (defined as the number of disclosure targets) and how stress may influence these changes. This study explored different disclosure levels using a person-centered longitudinal approach, examined whether stress could predict these disclosure levels, and investigated if this relationship differed by gender among people living with HIV (PLWH). Methods: Data were derived from a prospective cohort study conducted from November 2016 to January 2018 in Guangxi, China. Four hundred …

Capacity Of Rural Counties To Address An Hiv Or Hepatitis C Outbreak, Jennifer Lenardson Mhs, Jaclyn Janis Rn, Mph, Amanda Burgess Mppm, Karen Pearson Mlis, Ma, Martha Elbaum Mpa

Population Health

HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) are major public health concerns in the United States and are a focus of significant federal health policy attention. Rural counties may be potentially vulnerable to an HIV or HCV outbreak among persons who inject drugs due to greater prevalence of high-risk injection practices as well as limited public health capacity to prevent, prepare for, and respond to an HIV or HCV outbreak. This study identified states potentially at risk for an HIV or HCV outbreak and used data from the 2016 Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) Profile Survey, 2016 National Association …

Hiv-1 Latency And Viral Reservoirs: Existing Reversal Approaches And Potential Technologies, Targets, And Pathways Involved In Hiv Latency Studies, Sushant Khanal, Madison Schank, Mohamed El Gazzar, Jonathan P. Moorman, Zhi Q. Yao

ETSU Faculty Works

Eradication of latent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a global health challenge. Reactivation of HIV latency and killing of virus-infected cells, the so-called “kick and kill” or “shock and kill” approaches, are a popular strategy for HIV cure. While antiretroviral therapy (ART) halts HIV replication by targeting multiple steps in the HIV life cycle, including viral entry, integration, replication, and production, it cannot get rid of the occult provirus incorporated into the host-cell genome. These latent proviruses are replication-competent and can rebound in cases of ART interruption or cessation. In general, a very small population of cells harbor provirus, …

Std Prevention: An Educational Intervention For Exotic Dancers, Maria Delurdes Dehoyos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Centers for Disease Control and prevention reported nearly 2.3 million STD cases diagnosed in 2017, and the number is continuing to rise. San Antonio, Texas, is ranked third in the state of Texas with the highest STD rates and leading in the state with congenital syphilis. There is an increased risk for contracting STDs working in the sex industry. There are little to no studies pertaining to any educational interventions offered to exotic dancers to increase personal knowledge on STDs. This research has focused on an educational intervention offered by a nurse practitioner to exotic dancers in two adults-only …

A Biophysical Investigation Of Hiv-1 Envelope Cytoplasmic-Tail Mediated Retention In The Gag Lattice, Nicholas Scott Groves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The infectivity of Human Immunodeficiency Virus is critically dependent on successful incorporation of the trimeric viral envelope glycoprotein, Envelope (Env), into Gag lattice assembly sites on the host-cell plasma membrane during virus biogenesis. The mechanistic nature of interaction between Gag, the structural protein, and Env, the viral spike, are dependent on the Gag matrix (MA) and Env cytoplasmic tail (CT) domains. Env laterally diffuses on the host cell plasma membrane until encountering a budding Gag lattice, where it is retained until particle scission and release. The mechanism of Env entry and retention in the lattice remains elusive and enigmatic. Here …

Voices From The Field: A Qualitative Study Of The Challenges And Promising Practices Of Rural Public Health In Addressing Hiv And Hepatitis C, Martha Elbaum Williamson Mpa, Karen B. Pearson Mlis, Ms, Amanda R. Burgess Mppm, Jennifer D. Lenardson Mhs, Erika C. Ziller Phd

Population Health

Rural areas of the United States may be vulnerable to an HIV or hepatitis C (HCV) outbreak among persons who inject drugs. Researchers at the University of Southern Maine’s Rural Health Research Center examined the capacity of rural public health systems to prepare for, identify, control, and respond to an HIV or HCV outbreak. Through semi-structured interviews with 36 state and local public health professionals from six rural states, we sought to understand the challenges related to HIV, HCV, and serving rural persons who inject drugs and to identify strategies to address those challenges. Challenges limiting the public health capacity …