Information Needs of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Ibadan Metropolis

It is no longer news that the horrific grip of HIV/AIDS has claimed more lives than those killed in world wars one and two. In Nigeria, a developing economy with high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, cases of HIV/AIDS have been reported in all the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.  This research sought out to enumerate the varying information needs of these special people positively living with HIV.In other to achieve this objective, fifty Persons Living With HIV/AIDS  ( PLWHA) responded to the questionnaire designed to reveal their information needs across nine different local government  areas in Ibadan, Nigeria with the view to know their information sources  and the barriers  inhibiting access to HIV/AIDS information.However, the findings revealed that relevant information which should meet  the varying needs of PLWHA are not available due to poverty, non involvement of the positive people at HIV/AIDS- related programmes, including the selection of HIV/AIDS information, stigmatization and discrimination often faced by PLWHA . While 62% of the respondents consulted the media, 62% turned to Churches and Mosques where the clergies were scarcely trained in HIV/AIDS related activities. Other sources of information were hardly consulted.It is recommended that religious leaders can be a very good channel in reaching out to PLWHA if trained as peer educators.  PLWHA should be included in the various selection committees not to only provide relevant information, but also to give sense of belonging in meeting their psychological needs. NGOs on HIV/AIDS-information dissemination should be encouraged as well. Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Information needs, user information, health information

Gut microbiome of helminth-infected indigenous Malaysians is context dependent

Background: While microbiomes in industrialized societies are well characterized, indigenous populations with traditional lifestyles have microbiomes that are more akin to those of ancient humans. However, metagenomic data in these populations remains scarce, and the association with soil-transmitted helminth infection status is unclear. Here, we sequenced 650 metagenomes of indigenous Malaysians from fve villages with diferent prevalence of helminth infections. Results: Individuals from villages with higher prevalences of helminth infections have more unmapped reads and greater microbial diversity. Microbial community diversity and composition were most strongly associated with different villages and the efects of helminth infection status on the microbiome varies by village. Longitudinal changes in the microbiome in response to albendazole anthelmintic treatment were observed in both helminth infected and uninfected individuals. Inference of bacterial population replication rates from origin of replication analysis identifed specifc replicating taxa associated with helminth infection. Conclusions: Our results indicate that helminth efects on the microbiota were highly dependent on context, and efects of albendazole on the microbiota can be confounding for the interpretation of deworming studies. Furthermore, a substantial quantity of the microbiome remains unannotated, and this large dataset from an indigenous population associated with helminth infections is a valuable resource for future studie

THE ROLE OF THE PROSTAGLANDIN D2 RECEPTOR, CRTH2, IN THE REGULATION OF TYPE 2 IMMUNE RESPONSES AT MUCOSAL SURFACES

159 pagesType 2 immunity is important in the generation of protective immune responses for worm clearance as well as for the repair and regenerative process that occurs following chronic infection and disease. While previous studies show that cytokines play key roles in regulating Type 2 inflammation, the role of bioactive lipid mediators such as prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) at various mucosal surfaces and how they interact with the other activating cytokine pathways in vivo has not being fully explored. In this thesis, the biology of the PGD2 and its receptor (R) chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on T helper Type 2 (Th2) cells (CRTH2) and their intersection with cytokine-dependent effects was investigated during Type 2 inflammation in the lung and intestine. First, the interaction between the activating cytokine pathway, interleukin (IL)-33-ST2, and the bioactive lipid mediator pathway, prostaglandin D2-CRTH2, in the airway mucosa was examined. The data from these results demonstrates that CRTH2-dependent effects lie downstream of IL-33, directly affecting the migration of group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) into inflamed lung tissues. Following this, the role of the PGD2-CRTH2 pathway in regulating mucosal responses during helminth-induced intestinal Type 2 inflammation were assessed. We show that PGD2 and its receptor CRTH2, known for their pro-inflammatory role during chronic Type 2 inflammation in the lung, have a suppressive role during helminth-induced Type 2 intestinal inflammation. CRTH2 deficient mice and chimeric mice with CRTH2 deficiency in the non-hematopoietic system infected with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis cleared their worms more efficiently and had increased intestinal mucin responses compared to their wild type mice (WT) controls. Single cell RNA sequencing revealed an enrichment for secretory lineage epithelial cells in the small intestine of CRTH2 deficient compared to wild type mice. Critically, small intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) and specifically goblet and tuft cells expressed the gene that encodes for CRTH2, Gpr44, and murine small intestinal organoids stimulated with Type 2 cytokines downregulated expression of goblet cell- and tuft cell-associated genes following culture with PGD2, in a CRTH2-dependent fashion. Together, these results demonstrate an interaction between the activating IL-33 pathway and the PGD2-CRTH2 pathway for regulation of Type 2 inflammation in the airway mucosa and highlight a novel regulatory effect of the PGD2-CRTH2 pathway during helminth-induced Type 2 intestinal inflammation. These studies may inform the development and use of therapies for treatment of Type 2 inflammatory diseases.2022-06-0

Immune system investigation using parasitic helminths

Coevolutionary adaptation between humans and helminths has developed a finely tuned balance between host immunity and chronic parasitism due to immunoregulation. Given that these reciprocal forces drive selection, experimental models of helminth infection are ideally suited for discovering how host protective immune responses adapt to the unique tissue niches inhabited by these large metazoan parasites. This review highlights the key discoveries in the immunology of helminth infection made over the last decade, from innate lymphoid cells to the emerging importance of neuroimmune connections. A particular emphasis is placed on the emerging areas within helminth immunology where the most growth is possible, including the advent of genetic manipulation of parasites to study immunology and the use of engineered T cells for therapeutic options. Lastly,we cover the status of human challenge trials with helminths as treatment for autoimmune disease, which taken together, stand to keep the study of parasitic worms at the forefront of immunology for years to come

Data from: Spatiotemporal-social association predicts immunological similarity in rewilded mice

<p>Environmental influences on immune phenotypes are well-documented, but our understanding of which elements of the environment affect immune systems, and how, remains vague. Behaviors, including socializing with others, are central to an individual's interaction with its environment. We therefore tracked behavior of rewilded laboratory mice of three inbred strains in outdoor enclosures and examined contributions of behavior, including associations measured from spatiotemporal cooccurrences, to immune phenotypes. We found extensive variation in individual and social behavior among and within mouse strains upon rewilding.  And we found that the more associated two individuals were, the more similar their immune phenotypes were. Spatiotemporal association was particularly predictive of similar memory T and B cell profiles and was more influential than sibling relationships or shared infection status. These results highlight the importance of shared spatiotemporal activity patterns and/or social networks for immune phenotype and suggest potential immunological correlates of social life.<span><br></span></p><p>Funding provided by: National Science Foundation<br>Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/021nxhr62<br>Award Number: DGE-2039656</p><p>Funding provided by: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases<br>Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/043z4tv69<br>Award Number: </p><p>Funding provided by: New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Research*<br>Crossref Funder Registry ID: <br>Award Number: UL1TR003017</p><p>This dataset includes the data and analysis code for Downie et al. (2023 preprint, 202? publication). It is a mixture of immune cell phenotypes, serum cytokines, MLN cytokine production, microbiome (sequenced via 16S), and behavioral data from RFID check-ins. Please see the preprint (or eventual manuscript) for details about the methodology and degree of processing. The behavioral data is largely unprocessed, while the flow cytometry data and ELISA data are post-processing.</p&gt

Data from: Spatiotemporal-social association predicts immunological similarity in rewilded mice

<p>Environmental influences on immune phenotypes are well-documented, but our understanding of which elements of the environment affect immune systems, and how, remains vague. Behaviors, including socializing with others, are central to an individual's interaction with its environment. We therefore tracked behavior of rewilded laboratory mice of three inbred strains in outdoor enclosures and examined contributions of behavior, including associations measured from spatiotemporal cooccurrences, to immune phenotypes. We found extensive variation in individual and social behavior among and within mouse strains upon rewilding.  And we found that the more associated two individuals were, the more similar their immune phenotypes were. Spatiotemporal association was particularly predictive of similar memory T and B cell profiles and was more influential than sibling relationships or shared infection status. These results highlight the importance of shared spatiotemporal activity patterns and/or social networks for immune phenotype and suggest potential immunological correlates of social life.<span><br></span></p><p>Funding provided by: National Science Foundation<br>Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/021nxhr62<br>Award Number: DGE-2039656</p><p>Funding provided by: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases<br>Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/043z4tv69<br>Award Number: </p><p>Funding provided by: New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Research*<br>Crossref Funder Registry ID: <br>Award Number: UL1TR003017</p><p>This dataset includes the data and analysis code for Downie et al. (2023 preprint, 202? publication). It is a mixture of immune cell phenotypes, serum cytokines, MLN cytokine production, microbiome (sequenced via 16S), and behavioral data from RFID check-ins. Please see the preprint (or eventual manuscript) for details about the methodology and degree of processing. The behavioral data is largely unprocessed, while the flow cytometry data and ELISA data are post-processing.</p&gt