Factors Associated with Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Injection and Noninjection Drug Users in Italy

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Bloodborne Viral Hepatitis Infections among Drug Users: The Role of Vaccination

Drug use is a prevalent world-wide phenomenon and hepatitis virus infections are traditionally a major health problem among drug users (DUs). HBV and HCV, and to a lesser extent HAV, are easily transmitted through exposure to infected blood and body fluids. Viral hepatitis is not inevitable for DUs. Licensed vaccines are available for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. The purpose of this overview is to show some epidemiological data about HBV and the other blood-borne viral hepatitis among DUs and to summarize and discuss use of hepatitis vaccinations in this population. Successful vaccination campaigns among DUs are feasible and well described. We try to focus on the most significant results achieved in successful vaccination programs as reported in scientific literature. Vaccination campaigns among DUs represent a highly effective form of health education and they are cost-saving

Patients in long-term maintenance therapy for drug use in Italy: analysis of some parameters of social integration and serological status for infectious diseases in a cohort of 1091 patients

BACKGROUND: Heroin addiction often severely disrupts normal social functioning. The aims of this multi-centre study of heroin users in long-term replacement treatment were: i) to provide information on aspects of social condition such as employment, educational background, living status, partner status and any history of drug addiction for partners, comparing these data with that of the general population; ii) to assess the prevalence of hepatitis, syphilis and HIV, because serological status could be a reflection of the social conditions of patients undergoing replacement treatment for drug addiction; iii) to analyse possible relationships between social conditions and serological status. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in sixteen National Health Service Drug Addiction Units in northern Italy. The data were collected from February 1, 2002 to August 31, 2002. Recruitment eligibility was: maintenance treatment with methadone or buprenorphine, treatment for the previous six months, and at least 18 years of age. In the centres involved in the study no specific criteria or regulations were established concerning the duration of replacement therapy. Participants underwent a face-to-face interview. RESULTS: The conditions of 1091 drug treatment patients were evaluated. The mean duration of drug use was 14.5 years. Duration was shorter in females, in subjects with a higher educational background, and in stable relationships. Most (68%) had completed middle school (11–14 years of age). Seventy-nine percent were employed and 16% were unemployed. Fifty percent lived with their parents, 34% with a partner and 14% alone. Males lived more frequently with their parents (55%), and females more frequently with a partner (60%). Sixty-seven percent of male patients with a stable relationship had a partner who had never used heroin. HCV prevalence was 72%, HBV antibodies were detected in 42% of patients, while 30% had been vaccinated; 12.5% of subjects were HIV positive and 1.5% were positive for TPHA. CONCLUSION: A significant percentage of heroin users in treatment for opiate addiction in the cohort study have characteristics which indicate reasonable integration within broader society. We posit that the combination of effective treatment and a setting of economic prosperity may enhance the social integration of patients with a history of heroin use

Novel members of the family Micromonosporaceae, Rugosimonospora acidiphila gen. nov., sp. nov. and Rugosimonospora africana sp. nov.

Two novel Gram-positive-staining, acidophilic strains were isolated from soil samples. Both show typical features of filamentous actinomycetes. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the strains are members of the family Micromonosporaceae. The two strains contain hydroxydiaminopimelic acid, glycine, alanine and glutamic acid in the peptidoglycan. Fatty acid profiles clearly differentiate the two strains: cyclohexyl C(17 : 0), i-C(16 : 0) and ai-C(17 : 0) are predominant in Delta1(T), while the major components for Delta3(T) are ai-C(17 : 0) and i-C(16 : 0). The two strains also differ in their major menaquinones, MK-9(H(8), H(4), H(6)) for Delta1(T) and MK-9(H(8), H(6)) for Delta3(T), and in phospholipid patterns; Delta1(T) displays phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, methyl phosphatidylethanolamine and an unknown aminophospholipid, while Delta3(T) also contains minor amounts of several unknown phospholipids in addition to these phospholipids. The whole-cell sugars of both strains are galactose, arabinose and xylose. The G+C content of the DNA is 72.7 mol% for Delta1(T) and 71.9 mol% for Delta3(T). On the basis of chemotaxonomic, physiological and phylogenetic data, we propose Rugosimonospora gen. nov. to accommodate the two strains, with the description of Rugosimonospora acidiphila gen. nov., sp. nov. (the type species; type strain Delta1(T) =DSM 45227(T) =NBRC 104874(T)) and Rugosimonospora africana sp. nov. (type strain Delta3(T) =DSM 45228(T) =NBRC 104875(T))

Assessment of the 9p21.3 locus in severity of coronary artery disease in the presence and absence of type 2 diabetes

Background: The 9p21.3 locus is strongly associated with the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and with type 2 diabetes (T2D). We investigate

Genome, Environment, Microbiome and Metabolome in Autism (GEMMA) Study Design: Biomarkers Identification for Precision Treatment and Primary Prevention of Autism Spectrum Disorders by an Integrated Multi-Omics Systems Biology Approach

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects approximately 1 child in 54, with a 35-fold increase since 1960. Selected studies suggest that part of the recent increase in prevalence is likely attributable to an improved awareness and recognition, and changes in clinical practice or service availability. However, this is not sufficient to explain this epidemiological phenomenon. Research points to a possible link between ASD and intestinal microbiota because many children with ASD display gastro-intestinal problems. Current large-scale datasets of ASD are limited in their ability to provide mechanistic insight into ASD because they are predominantly cross-sectional studies that do not allow evaluation of perspective associations between early life microbiota composition/function and later ASD diagnoses. Here we describe GEMMA (Genome, Environment, Microbiome and Metabolome in Autism), a prospective study supported by the European Commission, that follows at-risk infants from birth to identify potential biomarker predictors of ASD development followed by validation on large multi-omics datasets. The project includes clinical (observational and interventional trials) and pre-clinical studies in humanized murine models (fecal transfer from ASD probands) and in vitro colon models. This will support the progress of a microbiome-wide association study (of human participants) to identify prognostic microbiome signatures and metabolic pathways underlying mechanisms for ASD progression and severity and potential treatment response

Genome, Environment, Microbiome and Metabolome in Autism (GEMMA) study design: Biomarkers identification for precision treatment and primary prevention of Autism Spectrum Disorders by an integrated multi-omics systems biology approach

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects approximately 1 child in 54, with a 35-fold increase since 1960. Selected studies suggest that part of the recent increase in prevalence is likely attributable to an improved awareness and recognition, and changes in clinical practice or service availability. However, this is not sufficient to explain this epidemiological phenomenon. Research points to a possible link between ASD and intestinal microbiota because many children with ASD display gastro-intestinal problems. Current large-scale datasets of ASD are limited in their ability to provide mechanistic insight into ASD because they are predominantly cross-sectional studies that do not allow evaluation of perspective associations between early life microbiota composition/function and later ASD diagnoses. Here we describe GEMMA (Genome, Environment, Microbiome and Metabolome in Autism), a prospective study supported by the European Commission, that follows at-risk infants from birth to identify potential biomarker predictors of ASD development followed by validation on large multi-omics datasets. The project includes clinical (observational and interventional trials) and pre-clinical studies in humanized murine models (fecal transfer from ASD probands) and in vitro colon models. This will support the progress of a microbiome-wide association study (of human participants) to identify prognostic microbiome signatures and metabolic pathways underlying mechanisms for ASD progression and severity and potential treatment response.This work is conducted with support from the Advisory Board Members (California Institute of Technology, Winclove Probiotics, University of California Davis, Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, Ohio State University, the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network, Arizona State University, University College Cork), from the Consortium Partners: Fondazione EBRIS, in charge of project management and coordination and providing the gut permeability and immunological evaluation of the enrolled subjects; Nutricia Research Bv in charge of nutritional formulation development for interventional trial; Medinok Spa and Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (CNR) in charge of data analysis and multi-omics platform development; Bio Modeling Systems in charge of the mechanistic pathway hypothesis development; Euformatics in charge of analysis and the interpretation of the genomic variants of the patient material, and for the comparison of the variants from the different patient cohorts, Theoreo Srl and Imperial College Of Science in charge of metabolomics analysis and interpretation; National University of Ireland Galway, Azienda Sanitaria, Locale (ASL) Salerno and Massachusettse General Hospital for Children, in charge of enrollments for observation and interventional trials; Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement in charge of analyzing the genomic and transcriptomic profiles of the host microbiota; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, in charge of proteomics analysis; Utrecht University, in charge of pre-clinical studies; Tampereen Yliopisto, in charge of experimental design; Johns Hopkins University in charge of epigenomic evaluation and interpretation. Financial contributions were made by European Union.peer-reviewe