Article
Microbiology
Chuyu Zhang, Yun Lan, Linghua Li, Ruiying He, Yu Meng, Jian Li, Weilie Chen
Summary: This study investigated the factors associated with different HIV-1 tropisms in low-level viral load HIV-1 infections in China. The majority of infections in Guangdong receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy for more than 6 months were R5-tropic, and the baseline immune level was lower in X4-tropic infections. Furthermore, certain amino acid variations were associated with X4-tropic HIV-1.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
T. C. Nino-Sandoval, N. S. Rocha, F. W. Sarinho, C. F. de M. Vasconcelos, A. F. de M. Vasconcelos, B. C. Vasconcelos
Summary: Autohemotherapy has shown positive effects in treating viral diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and Coronavirus according to the analysis of literature. More prospective comparative studies are needed to further validate its efficacy.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Srikanth Gatadi, Y. Madhavi, Srinivas Nanduri
Summary: The rise in drug resistance to conventional antimicrobial agents has become a major healthcare threat globally, while the development of nanoparticle drug conjugates shows promising potential in overcoming challenges posed by traditional medications. Potential multi-functional nanoparticle drug conjugates could revolutionize clinical medicine and play a crucial role in reducing disease burden.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
(2021)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Jenny Yeon Hee Kim, Martin Ragusa, Fernando Tortosa, Ana Torres, Lionel Gresh, Jairo Andres Mendez-Rico, Carlos Arturo Alvarez-Moreno, Thiago Costa Lisboa, Sandra Liliana Valderrama-Beltran, Sylvain Aldighieri, Ludovic Reveiz
Summary: This review aims to investigate latent virus reactivation and co-infection cases in COVID-19 patients to provide evidence for improving patient health. The study found differences in characteristics and clinical outcomes between viral reactivations and co-infections among COVID-19 patients.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jia Yao, Yuan Zhang, Xian-Zhe Wang, Jia Zhao, Zhao-Jun Yang, Yu-Ping Lin, Lu Sun, Qi-Yun Lu, Guan-Jie Fan
Summary: The systematic review and meta-analysis showed that flavonoids are effective and safe in treating viral acute respiratory tract infections. However, the conclusions should be confirmed in larger-scale studies due to limitations in the number and quality of the included trials.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Review
Dermatology
Luis Alberto Ribeiro Froes, Tereza Setsuko Toma, Rosana Evangelista Poderoso, Maria Angela Bianconcini Trindade
Summary: This article summarizes the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of viral co-infections in leprosy patients, providing valuable insights and recommending areas for future research.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Virology
Brent D. Jones, Eli J. Kaufman, Alison J. Peel
Summary: Co-infection is a commonly overlooked phenomenon in disease ecology, particularly in bats as wildlife reservoirs for zoonotic viruses. This review examines existing literature on viral co-infections in bats and highlights the need for more targeted studies to understand the role co-infection plays in viral transmission dynamics. The study also emphasizes the importance of considering detection strategy and appropriate analysis methodology in future co-infection studies.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Laura N. Broyles, Robert Luo, Debi Boeras, Lara Vojnov
Summary: This article summarizes the risk of sexual transmission of HIV from individuals with low-level viral loads and emphasizes its importance in public health. The review of 8 studies shows that the risk of HIV transmission is almost zero when viral loads are below 1000 copies per mL. These findings can help destigmatize HIV and promote adherence to antiretroviral therapy.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Reza Nouri, Yuqian Jiang, Anthony J. Politza, Tianyi Liu, Wallace H. Greene, Yusheng Zhu, Jonathan J. Nunez, Xiaojun Lian, Weihua Guan
Summary: This study reported a new digital CRISPR-Cas13 assay (dCRISPR) using automated membrane-based partitioning to achieve absolute quantification of HIV-1 viral RNAs. The method does not require amplification and can rapidly quantify RNA samples over a wide range in a short period of time.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Danielle A. Rankin, Lauren S. Peetluk, Stephen Deppen, James Christopher Slaughter, Sophie Katz, Natasha B. Halasa, Nikhil K. Khankari
Summary: This systematic review evaluated diagnostic models used to predict viral acute respiratory infections in children. A total of 18 studies were included, and the results showed that these models performed well in predicting viral-specific influenza. However, there were high risks of bias in the analytic aspects of the studies. External validation is recommended to ensure the accuracy of the models.
Review
Immunology
Youyi Fong, Jessica Markby, Mauro Andreotti, Ingrid Beck, Thomas Bourlet, Don Brambilla, Lisa Frenkel, Rosalia Lira, Julie A. E. Nelson, Georgios Pollakis, Sandrine Reigadas, Douglas Richman, Souleymane Sawadogo, Laura Waters, Chunfu Yang, Clement Zeh, Meg Doherty, Lara Vojnov
Summary: The study reviewed 23 studies comparing the diagnostic accuracy of dried plasma spots and liquid plasma, finding that dried plasma spots had sensitivity and specificity greater than 90% and misclassification rates below 10% across all treatment failure thresholds. Dried plasma spots performed well at treatment failure thresholds.
JAIDS-JOURNAL OF ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROMES
(2022)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Nerea San Martin-Gonzalez, Agueda Castro-Quintas, Laia Marques-Feixa, Rosa Ayesa-Arriola, Marta Lopez, Lourdes Fananas
Summary: Maternal respiratory viral infections during pregnancy may have subtle effects on offspring's neurodevelopment, particularly in areas such as early motor development and attentional and behavioral/emotional aspects. However, the results regarding the association between maternal respiratory infections and infants' neurodevelopment are controversial. Further studies are needed to consider potential confounding factors.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Forrest Toegel, Andrew M. Rodewald, Matthew D. Novak, Sarah Pollock, Meghan Arellano, Jeannie-Marie Leoutsakos, August F. Holtyn, Kenneth Silverman
Summary: Based on evaluation of randomized controlled trials, only a few interventions were able to significantly increase the proportion of HIV-infected individuals achieving undetectable viral loads. Overall, these interventions were found to be more effective than Standard of Care. However, recent interventions did not show increased effectiveness in promoting undetectable viral loads.
Review
Immunology
Monica D. Reece, Colin Song, Sarah C. Hancock, Susan Pereira Ribeiro, Deanna A. Kulpa, Christina Gavegnano
Summary: BCL-2 family proteins and Jak 1/2 inhibitors are potential immunomodulators for the treatment and cure of HIV-1 and other viral infections. Venetoclax has shown anti-HIV-1 effects and reduction in reservoir size, while Jak 1/2 inhibitors like Ruxolitinib and baricitinib have been shown to decrease BCL-2 expression and decay the HIV-1 latent reservoir.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Aviram Avital, Noy Sadot Muzika, Zohar Persky, Gili Bar, Yuval Michaeli, Yulia Fridman, Avishai Karny, Jeny Shklover, Janna Shainsky, Sigal Savaldi-Goldstein, Haim Weissman, Oded Shoseyov, Avi Schroeder
Summary: The study successfully utilized RNA interference (RNAi) technology to treat GLRaV-3 infection in Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines, effectively reducing viral titer and promoting recovery of the vines and grapes.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Nubiya Amaerjiang, Menglong Li, Huidi Xiao, Jiawulan Zunong, Ziang Li, Dayong Huang, Sten H. Vermund, Rafael Perez-Escamilla, Xiaofeng Jiang, Yifei Hu
Summary: This study investigated dehydration and renal impairment among a child cohort in Beijing, China during a school week. Results showed a higher prevalence of dehydration in boys. Changes in renal indicators were observed in the dehydrated group, with increased beta(2)-microglobulin concentrations on Wednesdays and Fridays. Dehydration worsened renal impairment, particularly in tubular abnormalities, during childhood on school days.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Dan Li, Kate Nyhan, Xin Zhou, Yunxu Zhu, Danielle Castro, Sten H. Vermund, Marie Brault
Summary: The objective of this scoping review is to provide an overview of existing studies and evidence on the impact of school closures and reopenings during the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in widespread school closures, which have had adverse effects on education, physical health, and mental well-being of children. Understanding the impact of school closures and reopenings is crucial for bringing schools back to normal functioning. However, there is a lack of research on individual knowledge, needs, and behaviors in the context of school reopenings. This scoping review aims to fill this research gap by identifying and synthesizing the current research on the impact of COVID-19 on K-12 schools and vice versa.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sten H. Vermund
Summary: This editorial introduces a special Global Health Section that focuses on the interface between the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 pandemics. The authors in this special issue cover various topics related to how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected global efforts towards HIV control, and how co-infection, stigma, and social determinants of disease have impacted populations across continents. The lessons from both historic pandemics, HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, can guide us in optimizing pandemic disease control, prevention, and management.
CURRENT HIV/AIDS REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Natasha Turyasingura, Wilmot G. James, Sten H. Vermund
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has been the main topic in global health discussions since early 2020. Vaccine development against SARS-CoV-2 has been successful, but the distribution has not been fair, especially in African countries. This article highlights the low vaccination rates in Africa and suggests Africa-based research and development as a sustainable solution for vaccine equity.
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luojia Deng, Peiqi Li, Xuezhixing Zhang, Qianxue Jiang, DeAnne Turner, Chao Zhou, Yanxiao Gao, Frank Qian, Ci Zhang, Hui Lu, Huachun Zou, Sten H. Vermund, Han-Zhu Qian
Summary: This meta-analysis synthesized global evidence on the risk of reinfection among previously infected individuals with SARS-CoV-2. The findings showed that the incidence of reinfection was lower than that of new infection, indicating a lower risk of reinfection for those with a prior infection. However, further evaluations are needed due to the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lan Jin, Sten H. Vermund, Yawei Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the usage of prescription opioids among nonfatal motor vehicle crash injuries in the United States from 2014 to 2018. The prevalence of prescription opioids decreased over time and varied spatially. The decrease in prevalence was consistent with the decrease in opioid dispensing rate and high-dose opioids.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Blia Yang, Rosa Sloot, Sian Floyd, Dolapo Awoniyi, Sam Griffith, Helen Ayles, Sarah Fidler, Richard H. Hayes, Sten Vermund, Peter Bock
Summary: A study conducted in South Africa found that conducting household visits during the weekends increased the number of men and women participating in the HIV testing program. This suggests that targeting households during the weekend can be an effective and easy-to-implement strategy to increase the number of men accessing HIV testing.
JAIDS-JOURNAL OF ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROMES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Bruno Andraus Filardi, Valter Silva Monteiro, Pedro Vellosa Schwartzmann, Vivian do Prado Martins, Luis Eduardo Rosa Zucca, Gabriela Crispim Baiocchi, Amyn A. Malik, Julio Silva, Anne M. Hahn, Nicholas F. G. Chen, Kien Pham, Eddy Perez-Then, Marija Miric, Vivian Brache, Leila Cochon, Rafael A. Larocca, Roberto Della Rosa Mendez, Douglas Bardini Silveira, Aguinaldo Roberto Pinto, Julio Croda, Inci Yildirim, Saad B. Omer, Albert I. Ko, Sten H. Vermund, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Akiko Iwasaki, Carolina Lucas
Summary: The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sublineages resulted in increased transmission rates and reduced vaccine protection. Homologous CoronaVac booster doses showed lower efficiency in enhancing immune response compared to heterologous BNT162b2 or ChAdOx1 boosters, especially in individuals over 50 years old. These findings emphasize the potential benefits of heterologous vaccination strategies for older adults fully vaccinated with CoronaVac during the Omicron wave.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Virology
Ainur Sanaubarova, Emma Pujol-Hodge, Natalya Dzissyuk, Philippe Lemey, Sten H. Vermund, Andrew J. Leigh J. Brown, Syed Ali
Summary: HIV incidence in Kazakhstan increased by 73% between 2010 and 2020, with an estimated 35,000 people living with HIV (PLHIV) in 2020. Studies on the prevalence of drug resistance in Kazakhstan are sparse. In this study, we analyzed 968 HIV-1 pol sequences collected between 2017 and 2020, representing almost 3% of PLHIV in 2020. The study revealed high levels of drug resistance and differential drug-resistant mutations (DRMs) frequencies between subtypes, emphasizing the need for drug resistance monitoring and tailored drug regimens.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Wen Shu, Menglong Li, Huidi Xiao, Nubiya Amaerjiang, Nourhan M. Khattab, Jiawulan Zunong, Mengying Guan, Sten H. Vermund, Yifei Hu
Summary: This study investigated children aged 6 to 10 from 6 elementary schools in Beijing, collecting data on the Life's Essential 8 (LE8) metrics and cardiovascular structural parameters. The findings showed a decline in cardiovascular health scores with age.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Eddy Perez-Then, Marija Miric, Han-Zhu Qian, Ying Qing Chen, Yixin Wang, Virginia Vallejo, Wanda Quezada, Melissa Flaquer, Juan Olivo, Jean Castillo, Natalia Garcia, Katherine Calderon, Scarlet Cueto, Bienvenido Veras, Miguel Russo, Indira Jimenez, Sorileydi Guzman, Luz Garabito, Evelyn Cueto, Fatima Colombo, Dominga Taveras, Dania Torres, Jeannette Baez, Jose Yunen, Ellen Koenig, Eladio Perez, Oscar Lopez, Fior Estephanie Severino Medina, Xuanyi Wang, Yiming Shao, Sten H. Vermund
Summary: A nationwide vaccination campaign using the inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac) in the Dominican Republic showed that full immunization and partial immunization can reduce the risk of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalization.
OPEN FORUM INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Dan Li, Tyler Shelby, Marie Brault, Rajit Manohar, Sten Vermund, Ashley Hagaman, Laura Forastiere, Tyler Caruthers, Emilie Egger, Yizhou Wang, Nathan Manohar, Peter Manohar, J. Lucian Davis, Xin Zhou
Summary: This study aimed to address the limitations of traditional interview-format contact tracing (TCT) by using a Hardware-Assisted Bluetooth-based Infection Tracking (HABIT) device. The implementation of HABIT in a high school setting was evaluated, and it was found that the device identified a significant number of unique contacts not reported by interview. However, technical difficulties hindered the implementation and sustained use of HABIT.
JMIR FORMATIVE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Kimberly A. Powers, Wilbroad Mutale, Nora E. Rosenberg, Lauren A. Graybill, Katie R. Mollan, Kellie Freeborn, Friday Saidi, Suzanne Maman, Priscilla L. Mulenga, Andreas Jahn, Rose K. Nyirenda, Jeffrey S. A. Stringer, Sten H. Vermund, Benjamin H. Chi
Summary: Despite the success in reducing vertical HIV transmission, most ANC programs in eastern and southern Africa have not focused on preventing maternal HIV acquisition during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The study suggests that implementing combination HIV prevention interventions alongside ANC could greatly reduce maternal HIV incidence.
JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL AIDS SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Huidi Xiao, Wen Shu, Menglong Li, Liyuan Xu, Nubiya Amaerjiang, Jiawulan Zunong, Sten H. Vermund, Dayong Huang, Mei Chong, Yifei Hu
Summary: This study aimed to assess the effects of sex and overweight/obesity on left ventricular mass (LVM) and left ventricular volume in Chinese children. The results showed that higher BMI, fat mass, waist circumference, visceral fat area, and stroke volume predicted higher LVM, left ventricle end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), and end-systolic volume (LVESV) in both boys and girls. Boys with elevated BMI had greater left ventricular hypertrophy. LVEDV and LVESV were higher in boys than in girls and increased with higher BMI in both genders. LVEDV and LVESV were associated with visceral fat area in boys.
Article
Immunology
Hagit Kopel, Van Hung Nguyen, Catherine Boileau, Alina Bogdanov, Isabelle Winer, Thierry Ducruet, Ni Zeng, Mac Bonafede, Daina B. Esposito, David Martin, Andrew Rosen, Nicolas van de Velde, Sten H. Vermund, Stefan Gravenstein, James A. Mansi
Summary: This study used a nationwide dataset in the US to estimate the relative effectiveness (rVE) of two mRNA vaccines (mRNA-1273.222 and BNT162b2 Bivalent) in preventing COVID-19-related hospitalizations and outpatient visits. The findings showed that mRNA-1273.222 had greater effectiveness compared to BNT162b2 Bivalent in preventing COVID-19-related hospitalizations and outpatient visits, with increased benefits in older adults.