Goats' milk fermented with L. rhamnosus CRL1505 could be manufactured as an alternative probiotic dairy product since this new food has the ability to stimulate the common mucosal immune system and to improve defenses against respiratory and intestinal infections.
ObjectivesWe assessed the efficiency of BCN Checkpoint in detecting new cases of HIV infection and efficiently linking newly diagnosed individuals to care.
MethodsThis study analysed during 2007-2012 the number of tests performed and the number of persons tested in BCN Checkpoint, the HIV prevalence, global and in first visits, the capacity of HIV detection compared to the reported cases in MSM in Catalonia, and the linkage to care rate.
ResultsDuring the six years a total of 17.319 tests were performed and 618 HIV-positive cases were detected. Median prevalence of clients who visited the centre for the first time was 5.4% (4.1-5.8). BCN Checkpoint detected 36. 3% (35.0-40.4) of all reported cases in MSM during [2009][2010][2011]. Linkage to care was achieved directly in 90.5% of the cases and only 2.4% of cases were lost to follow-up.
ConclusionsA community-based centre, addressed to a key population at risk, can be less effort consuming (time and funding) and show high efficiency in HIV detection and linkage to care. . These factors discourage persons from sexual minorities from seeking and receiving essential HIV prevention, testing, care and treatment services, condemning them to remain at disproportionately high risk of HIV acquisition [6]. Greater access to testing and availability of prevention and care services for persons infected with HIV can reduce new infections and lead to reductions in HIV-associated morbidity and mortality [7]. To overcome some of these barriers to the early diagnosis and linkage to care of infected persons, the patient-based organization Projecte dels NOMS-Hispanosida created in 2006 BCN Checkpoint, a community-based centre (CBC) for MSM in the gay area of Barcelona. This centre offers HIV testing free of prejudice, peer counselling and support, and linkage to medical care for people diagnosed with HIV infection. The centre is staffed by a part-time physician, a nurse, 12 counsellors, a receptionist and two administrative assistants. All members of the team are gay, some are HIV positive and six counsellors are part-time volunteers. Peer support is fundamental in helping HIV-infected persons to deal with the emotional impact of receiving such a diagnosis, as well as in helping them to seek medical care and adhere to treatment. This CBC is dedicated to MSM because Barcelona has a significant MSM community with a high prevalence of HIV infection (17%) [8]. Awareness of serostatus also results in a reduction in the risk of transmission of HIV to sex partners, as a substantial proportion of PLWHIV reduce sexual behaviours likely to transmit HIV after discovering that they have HIV infection [9]. Thus, HIV testing represents secondary prevention for people who know their HIV status (reduction of prevalence and severity of the disease) and primary prevention for the community (reduction of HIV incidence).
KeywordsProjecte dels NOMS-Hispanosida, in addition to setting up BCN Checkpoint, started promoting regular testing for MSM and implemented for the first time in Spain the rapid HIV t...
BackgroundDespite the fact that most vitamins are present in a variety of foods, malnutrition, unbalanced diets or insufficient intake of foods are still the cause of vitamin deficiencies in humans in some countries. Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) is a complex compound that is only naturally produced by bacteria and archea. It has been reported that certain strains belonging to lactic acid bacteria group are capable of synthesized water-soluble vitamins such as those included in the B-group, as vitamin B12. In this context, the goal of the present paper was to evaluate and characterize the production of vitamin B12 in Lactobacillus coryniformis CRL 1001, a heterofermentative strain isolated from silage.ResultsCell extract of L. coryniformis CRL 1001, isolated from silage, is able to correct the coenzyme B12 requirement of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium AR 2680 in minimal medium. The chemical characterization of the corrinoid-like molecule isolated from CRL 1001 cell extract using HPLC and mass spectrometry is reported. The majority of the corrinoid produced by this strain has adenine like Coα-ligand instead 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole. Genomic studies revealed the presence of the complete machinery of the anaerobic biosynthesis pathway of coenzyme B12. The detected genes encode all proteins for the corrin ring biosynthesis and for the binding of upper (β) and lower (α) ligands in one continuous stretch of the chromosome.ConclusionsThe results here described show for the first time that L. coryniformis subsp. coryniformis CRL 1001 is able to produce pseudocobalamin containing adenine instead of 5,6-dimethlbenzimidazole in the Coα-ligand. Genomic analysis allowed the identification and characterization of the complete de novo biosynthetic pathway of the corrinoid produced by the CRL 1001 strain.
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