Legal and illegal drug use among female sex workers in bar and club prostitution in Belgium: a quantitative and qualitative study

Aims: This study describes the amounts and effects of drug use in bar and club sex work, and the use of healthcare for the drug-related needs of sex workers (SW). Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Belgium. In a quantitative component, 120 bar and club SW were interviewed face-to-face by means of a semi-structured questionnaire. In a qualitative component, 25 SW were interviewed face-to-face and 5 focus group discussions with key actors professionally involved with the study's subject were conducted. Findings: Many bar and club SW drink frequently alcohol and engage in heavy drinking. Illegal drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and benzodiazepines are also frequently used. The drug use often involves poly or combined drug use. More than one-third experienced a certain degree of dependence on a product and many experienced effects from drug use on their sex work. The study shows that SW have difficulties accessing drug-related healthcare. Conclusions: SW use often legal and illegal drugs. The prevalence and influence of drug use among bar and club SW illustrates the need for drug and sex work related healthcare. Distribution of more information about the risks of drug use, the possible negative effects, and the available drug-related healthcare is needed

Crystal structure of the GalNAc/Gal-specific agglutinin from the phytopathogenic ascomycete Sclerotinia sclerotiorum reveals novel adaptation of a beta-trefoil domain

International audienceA lectin from the phytopathogenic ascomycete Sclerotinia sclerotiorum that shares only weak sequence similarity with characterized fungal lectins has recently been identified. S. sclerotiorum agglutinin (SSA) is a homodimeric protein consisting of two identical subunits of ∼ 17 kDa and displays specificity primarily towards Gal/GalNAc. Glycan array screening indicates that SSA readily interacts with Gal/GalNAc-bearing glycan chains. The crystal structures of SSA in the ligand-free form and in complex with the Gal-β1,3-GalNAc (T-antigen) disaccharide have been determined at 1.6 and 1.97 Å resolution, respectively. SSA adopts a β-trefoil domain as previously identified for other carbohydrate-binding proteins of the ricin B-like lectin superfamily and accommodates terminal non-reducing galactosyl and N-acetylgalactosaminyl glycans. Unlike other structurally related lectins, SSA contains a single carbohydrate-binding site at site α. SSA reveals a novel dimeric assembly markedly dissimilar to those described earlier for ricin-type lectins. The present structure exemplifies the adaptability of the β-trefoil domain in the evolution of fungal lectins

Mutational analysis of the carbohydrate binding activity of the tobacco lectin

At present the three-dimensional structure of the tobacco lectin, further referred to as Nictaba, and its carbohydrate-binding site are unresolved. In this paper, we propose a three-dimensional model for the Nictaba domain based on the homology between Nictaba and the carbohydrate-binding module 22 of Clostridium thermocellum Xyn10B. The suggested model nicely fits with results from circular dichroism experiments, indicating that Nictaba consists mainly of beta-sheet. In addition, the previously identified nuclear localization signal is located at the top of the protein as a part of a protruding loop. Judging from this model and sequence alignments with closely related proteins, conserved glutamic acid and tryptophan residues in the Nictaba sequence were selected for mutational analysis. The mutant DNA sequences as well as the original Nictaba sequence have been expressed in Pichia pastoris and the recombinant proteins were purified from the culture medium. Subsequently, the recombinant proteins were characterized and their carbohydrate binding properties analyzed with glycan array technology. It was shown that mutation of glutamic acid residues in the C-terminal half of the protein did not alter the carbohydrate-binding activity of the lectin. In contrast, mutation of tryptophan residues in the N-terminal half of the Nictaba domain resulted in a complete loss of carbohydrate binding activity. These results suggest that tryptophan residues play an important role in the carbohydrate binding site of Nictaba

Medicinal Plants Used Against Typhoid Fever in Bamboutos Division, Western Cameroon

Typhoid fever is a serious infectious disease that has been a public health concern for millennia. An impressive number of plant species are traditionally used in the management of typhoid fever in the Bamboutos Division of the West Region of Cameroon. In the present ethnobotanical survey an attempt has been made to document the different medicinal plants used traditionally by traditional healers and elders to treat typhoid fever. Ethnobotanical interviews on medicinal plants used to treat typhoid fever were conducted with traditional healers and elderly persons using open-ended semi-structured questionnaires. Field trips were made to the sites where they harvest plants, and specimens were collected and identified. A total of 59 medicinal plant species belonging to 56 genera and 33 families were recorded during the study. The most commonly used plant families recorded were Asteraceae (17%); Fabaceae (7%); and Bignoniaceae, Malvaceae, and Moraceae (5.0% each). The most frequently utilized medicinal plant parts were leaves (48.6%), followed by bark (28.9%), stem (7.8%), whole plant (6.5%), roots (5.2%), and fruits (2.6%). while shrubs (35,5%) were the primary source of medicine, followed by herbs (32.2%) and trees (30.5%). Most of the medicinal plant species (40.6%) were harvested from the wild compared to 38.9% from cultivated land and 20.3% semi-cultivated. Decoction was the most common method of traditional drug preparation. Oral administration was the only mode of dispensing of herbal medicine. Most of the plants were used in combination to increase effectiveness in the treatment of the disease. Knowledge of the use of plants as medicines remains mostly with traditional healers and older generation who are illiterate. It is recommended that research institutes and university researchers carry out research on these species so as to conserve and improve their genetic constitutions. Also, attempts must be made to encourage the documentation of plants, so that they can be readily accessible to a larger number of populace

Medicinal plants used for treating reproductive health care problems in Cameroon, Central Africa

Approximately 80% of the African population uses traditional plants to deal with health problems, basically because of their easy accessibility and affordability. This study was carried out to document indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants used by traditional healers and elders in the treatment of reproductive health care in the Bamboutos Division of the West Region in Cameroon, Central Africa. The research methods used included semi-structured interviews and participative field observations. For the interviews, 70 knowledgeable respondents (40 traditional healers and 30 elders) were selected via purposive sampling. Voucher specimens were collected with the help of respondents, processed into the Cameroon National Herbarium in Yaounde following standard methods, identified with the help of pertinent floras and taxonomic experts, and submitted to Department of Botany at the University of Dschang. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze and summarize ethnobotanical information obtained. Informant consensus factors (ICF) were used to elucidate the agreement among informants on the species to be used in the treatment within a category of illness. The results showed that a total of 70 plant species from 37 families (mostly of the Asteraceae [8 species], Euphorbiaceae [7], and Acanthaceae and Bignoniaceae [4 each]) are used in the treatment of 27 reproductive ailments, with the highest number of species (37) being used against venereal diseases, followed by female (29) andmale infertility (21), respectively. Leaves (47.3%) were the most commonly harvested plant parts and the most common growth forms harvested were the herbs (45.7%), followed by shrubs (30%). Sixty percent of plant material was obtained from the wild ecosystems. Herbal remedies were mostly prepared in the form of decoction (66.2%) and were taken mainly orally. Informant consensus about usages of medicinal plants ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 with an average value of 0.91. It can be concluded that medicinal plants have played and will continue to play major roles in the management of reproductive healthcare in the study area

Phase I, randomized, observer-blind, placebo-controlled studies to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of an investigational non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) protein vaccine in adults

Background: Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a major cause of various respiratory diseases. The development of an effective vaccine against NTHi mandates new approaches beyond conjugated vaccines as this opportunistic bacterium is non-encapsulated. Here we report on the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of a multi-component investigational vaccine based on three conserved surface proteins from NTHi (proteins D [PD],E [PE] and Pilin A [PilA]) in two observer-blind phase I studies. Methods: In the first study (NCT01657526), 48 healthy 18-40 year-olds received two vaccine formulations (10 or 30 mu g of each antigen [PD and a fusion protein PE-PilA]) or saline placebo at months 0 and 2. In the second study (NCT01678677), 270 50-70 year-olds, current or former smokers, received eight vaccine formulations (10 or 30 mu g antigen/dose non-adjuvanted or adjuvanted with alum, AS01(E) or ASO4(c)) or saline placebo at months 0,2 and 6 (plain and alum-adjuvanted groups) and at months 0 and 2 (AS-adjuvanted groups). Solicited and unsolicited adverse events (AEs) were recorded for 7 and 30 days post-vaccination, respectively; potential immune-mediated diseases (pIMDs) and serious AEs (SAEs) throughout the studies. Humoral and antigen-specific T-cell immunity (in study 2 only) responses were assessed up to 12 months post-vaccination. Results: Observed reactogenicity was highest in the AS-adjuvanted groups but no safety concerns were identified with any of the NTHi vaccine formulations. One fatal SAE (cardiac arrest) not considered related to vaccination, and one pIMD (non-serious psoriasis) in the Placebo group, were reported post-dose 3 in Study 2. All formulations generated a robust antibody response while the AS01-adjuvanted formulations produced the highest humoral and cellular immune responses. Conclusion: This study confirms that the NTHi vaccine formulations had an acceptable reactogenicity and safety profile and were immunogenic in adults. These results justify further clinical development of this NTHi vaccine candidate

HPV vaccination: Are we overlooking additional opportunities to control HPV infection and transmission?

Human papillomavirus virus-like particles (HPV VLPs) have distinctive immunogenic properties that generate a durable antibody response, producing high-quality neutralizing antibodies. By vaccination, i.e., intramuscular injection of these HPV VLPs, the viral survival strategy of avoiding exposure to the systemic immune system is completely overruled, and large amounts of vaccine-induced systemic antibodies are generated. These systemic circulating antibodies are easily transuded to the genital mucosa and are detectable in female genital secretions. It is well accepted that these antibodies interact with the virions presented by an infected partner and inhibit infection. However, much less attention has been paid to the role of anti-HPV vaccine-induced antibodies in an HPV-infected individual where infectious virions are encountered by neutralizing antibodies in mucosal secretions. There is a clear need to further investigate and document this role. Indeed, if HPV vaccination of HPV-infected women has an effect on HPV transmission, auto-inoculation, and relapse after treatment, this may influence how we model, assess, and implement HPV vaccination programmes. (C) 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases

Man-specific, GalNAc/T/Tn-specific and Neu5Ac-specific seaweed lectins as glycan probes for the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) coronavirus

Seaweed lectins, especially high-mannose-specific lectins from red algae, have been identified as potential antiviral agents that are capable of blocking the replication of various enveloped viruses like influenza virus, herpes virus, and HIV-1 in vitro. Their antiviral activity depends on the recognition of glycoprotein receptors on the surface of sensitive host cells—in particular, hemagglutinin for influenza virus or gp120 for HIV-1, which in turn triggers fusion events, allowing the entry of the viral genome into the cells and its subsequent replication. The diversity of glycans present on the S-glycoproteins forming the spikes covering the SARS-CoV-2 envelope, essentially complex type N-glycans and high-mannose type N-glycans, suggests that high-mannose-specific seaweed lectins are particularly well adapted as glycan probes for coronaviruses. This review presents a detailed study of the carbohydrate-binding specificity of high-mannose-specific seaweed lectins, demonstrating their potential to be used as specific glycan probes for coronaviruses, as well as the biomedical interest for both the detection and immobilization of SARS-CoV-2 to avoid shedding of the virus into the environment. The use of these seaweed lectins as replication blockers for SARS-CoV-2 is also discussed

Survival of Taenia saginata eggs under different environmental conditions

This study aimed to assess in vitro the transmission potential of T. saginata eggs stored in different media at various temperatures, and to optimize recovery, hatching and activation methods. A total of 42 freshwater and 42 silt samples were spiked with 100 mu l of a T. saginata egg suspension, of which half were stored at 5 degrees C and the other half at 20 degrees C. Additionally, 5 silt and 35 tap water control samples were included. Eggs were obtained from gravid proglottids passed by a human carrier following treatment. The duration of the experiment was 6 months, with three sampling time points at 2, 4 and 6 months, respectively (Study 1). In addition, two pilot studies were carried out. One included 8 samples kept in a freshwater stream for a period of 2 and 4 months, respectively, from December 2016 until February 2017 (Study 2). Another study used 6 water samples which were stored for one week in the freezer at -18 degrees C, and 6 samples that were stored outdoor from 7 to 14 February, at temperatures ranging from - 6 degrees C to 5 degrees C (Study 3). To assess survival of T. saginata eggs, recovery, hatching and activation methods were optimized. Taenia saginata eggs could be activated after 6 months of storage in water and silt at 5 degrees C. Storage at 20 degrees C significantly decreased activation of the eggs, to 4 months when stored in water and 2 months when stored in silt. Furthermore, degenerative changes in oncospheres were observed when eggs were stored at 20 degrees C, which were associated with an increased loss of oncospheres during activation. Eggs could be activated after 4 months of storage in the stream at temperatures ranging from - 10 degrees C to 17 degrees C, as well as after one week of constant freezing at - 18 degrees C, or repeated freezing and thawing from - 6 degrees C to 5 degrees C. This study indicates that T. saginata eggs can survive a Northern European winter, and thus pose a significant risk of transmission, and that in vitro activation is a more accurate method for assessing the transmission potential of T. saginata eggs, than recovery, integrity and hatching. Studies will be needed to assess how accurate the in vitro activation correlates to in vivo infectivity to ensure an accurate assessment of the transmission potential at a larger scale for surveillance purposes

Nasopharyngeal S. pneumoniae carriage and density in Belgian infants after 9 years of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine programme

Background: In Belgium, the infant pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) programme changed from PCV7 (2007-2011) to PCV13 (2011-2015) and to PCV10 (2015-2016). A 3-year nasopharyngeal carriage study was initiated during the programme switch in 2016. Main objective of the year 1 assessment was to obtain a baseline measurement of pneumococcal carriage prevalence, carriage density, serotype distribution and antibiotic resistance. Materials/methods: Two infant populations aged 6-30 months and without use of antibiotics in the seven days prior to sampling were approached: (1) attending one of 85 randomly selected day-care centres (DCC); (2) presenting with AOM at study-trained general practitioners and paediatricians. Demographic and clinical characteristics were documented and a single nasopharyngeal swab was taken. S. pneumoniae were cultured, screened for antibiotic resistance and serotyped, and quantitative Taqman real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) targeting LytA was performed. Results: Culture-based (DCC: 462/760; 60.8%- AOM: 27/39; 69.2%) and LytA-based (DCC: 603/753; 80.1% - AOM: 32/39; 82.1%) carriage prevalence was high. Average pneumococcal DNA load in LytA-positive day-care samples was 6.5 x 10(6) copies/mu l (95%Cl = 3.9-9.2 x 10(6), median = 3.5 x 10(5)); DNA load was positively associated with signs of common cold and negatively with previous antibiotic use. Culture based frequency of 13 pneumococcal vaccine (PCV) serotypes was 5.4% in DCC and 7.7% in AOM, with 19F and 14 being most frequent, and frequencies below 0.5% for serotypes 3, 6A, 19A in both populations. Predominant non-PCV serotypes were 23B and 23A in day-care and 11A in infants with AOM. In day-care, resistance to penicillin was rare (<0.5%) and absent against levofloxacin; 32.7% and 16.9% isolates were cotrimoxazole- and erythromycin-resistant respectively. Conclusion: Four years after PCV13 introduction in the vaccination programme, PCV13 serotype carriage was rare in infants throughout Belgium and penicillin resistance was rare. Continued surveillance in the context of a PCV programme switch is necessary