Evidence is mounting that the gut-brain axis plays an important role in mental diseases fueling mechanistic investigations to provide a basis for future targeted interventions. However, shotgun metagenomic data from treatment-naïve patients are scarce hampering comprehensive analyses of the complex interaction between the gut microbiota and the brain. Here we explore the fecal microbiome based on 90 medication-free schizophrenia patients and 81 controls and identify a microbial species classifier distinguishing patients from controls with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.896, and replicate the microbiome-based disease classifier in 45 patients and 45 controls (AUC = 0.765). Functional potentials associated with schizophrenia include differences in short-chain fatty acids synthesis, tryptophan metabolism, and synthesis/degradation of neurotransmitters. Transplantation of a schizophrenia-enriched bacterium, Streptococcus vestibularis, appear to induces deficits in social behaviors, and alters neurotransmitter levels in peripheral tissues in recipient mice. Our findings provide new leads for further investigations in cohort studies and animal models.
Retention in HIV care is vital to the HIV care continuum. The current review aimed to synthesize qualitative research to identify facilitators and barriers to HIV retention in care interventions. A qualitative evidence meta-synthesis utilizing thematic analysis. Prospective review registration was made in PROSPERO and review procedures adhered to PRISMA guidelines. Nineteen databases were searched to identify qualitative research conducted with individuals living with HIV and their caregivers. Quality assessment was conducted using CASP and the certainty of the evidence was evaluated using CERQual. A total of 4419 citations were evaluated and 11 were included in the final meta-synthesis. Two studies were from high-income countries, 3 from middle-income countries, and 6 from low-income countries. A total of eight themes were identified as facilitators or barriers for retention in HIV care intervention: (1) Stigma and discrimination, (2) Fear of HIV status disclosure, (3) task shifting to lay health workers, (4) Human resource and institutional challenges, (5) Mobile Health (mHealth), (6) Family and friend support, (7) Intensive case management, and, (8) Relationships with caregivers. The current review suggests that task shifting interventions with lay health workers were feasible and acceptable. mHealth interventions and stigma reduction interventions appear to be promising interventions aimed at improving retention in HIV care. Future studies should focus on improving the evidence base for these interventions. Additional research is needed among women and adolescents who were under-represented in retention interventions.
Objective To synthesize qualitative evidence on linkage to care interventions for people living with HIV. Design Systematic literature review. Methods We searched nineteen databases for studies reporting qualitative evidence on linkage interventions. Data extraction and thematic analysis were used to synthesize findings. Quality was assessed using the CASP tool and certainty of evidence was evaluated using the CERQual approach. Results Twenty-five studies from eleven countries focused on adults (24 studies), adolescents (8 studies), and pregnant women (4 studies). Facilitators included community-level factors (i.e. task-shifting, mobile outreach, integrated HIV and primary services, supportive cessation programs for substance users, active referrals, and dedicated case management teams) and individual-level factors (encouragement of peers/family and positive interactions with healthcare providers in transitioning into care). One key barrier for people living with HIV was perceived inability of providers to ensure confidentiality as part of linkage to care interventions. Providers reported difficulties navigating procedures across disparate facilities and having limited resources for linkage to care interventions. Conclusions Our findings extend the literature by highlighting the importance of task-shifting, mobile outreach, and integrated HIV and primary services. Both community and individual level factors may increase the feasibility and acceptability of HIV linkage to care interventions. These findings may inform policies to increase the reach of HIV services available in communities .
IntroductionQualitative research on antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence interventions can provide a deeper understanding of intervention facilitators and barriers. This systematic review aims to synthesize qualitative evidence of interventions for improving ART adherence and to inform patient-centred policymaking.MethodsWe searched 19 databases to identify studies presenting primary qualitative data on the experiences, attitudes and acceptability of interventions to improve ART adherence among PLHIV and treatment providers. We used thematic synthesis to synthesize qualitative evidence and the CERQual (Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research) approach to assess the confidence of review findings.ResultsOf 2982 references identified, a total of 31 studies from 17 countries were included. Twelve studies were conducted in high-income countries, 13 in middle-income countries and six in low-income countries. Study populations focused on adults living with HIV (21 studies, n=1025), children living with HIV (two studies, n=46), adolescents living with HIV (four studies, n=70) and pregnant women living with HIV (one study, n=79). Twenty-three studies examined PLHIV perspectives and 13 studies examined healthcare provider perspectives. We identified six themes related to types of interventions, including task shifting, education, mobile phone text messaging, directly observed therapy, medical professional outreach and complex interventions. We also identified five cross-cutting themes, including strengthening social relationships, ensuring confidentiality, empowerment of PLHIV, compensation and integrating religious beliefs into interventions. Our qualitative evidence suggests that strengthening PLHIV social relationships, PLHIV empowerment and developing culturally appropriate interventions may facilitate adherence interventions. Our study indicates that potential barriers are inadequate training and compensation for lay health workers and inadvertent disclosure of serostatus by participating in the intervention.ConclusionsOur study evaluated adherence interventions based on qualitative data from PLHIV and health providers. The study underlines the importance of incorporating social and cultural factors into the design and implementation of interventions. Further qualitative research is needed to evaluate ART adherence interventions.
Our objective was to explore the social meaning of HIV and perceptions of an HIV cure among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Guangzhou, China, which speaks to ethical and resource challenges to development in this field. We conducted a qualitative research study using in-depth interviews. We analyzed interview transcripts from 29 PWID, eight physicians, and three social workers from an outpatient HIV clinic and two methadone maintenance treatment centers. The social meaning of HIV infection and perceptions of an HIV cure reflected patients' relationships with society, health systems, and physicians. First, HIV infection decreased perceived social worth and disrupted peer relationships. The possibility of being cured renewed patient hope for regaining physical well-being and achieving social mobility. However, the existence of a cure may not alter the HIV-related stigma due to its association with stigmatized behaviors and marginalized groups. Second, although stigma was a significant barrier to engagement in health care, hope for a cure may outweigh fears of stigma and enhance linkage to HIV testing and treatment as well as methadone services. A cure may exacerbate perceived health disparities if inaccessible to key affected populations such as PWID. The social implications of an HIV cure among this key affected population may inform the design and implementation of cure clinical trials. Careful management of patient expectations, focusing research on key affected populations, expanding HIV testing and treatment systems, improving access to harm reduction programs, and ensuring post-trial access are important considerations for HIV cure research.
Human MSCs constitutively expressed immunosuppressive levels of PGE, HGF and TGF-β. The proinflammatory cytokine IFN-γ exhibited synergistic effects with MSCs on immunosuppression, possibly by up-regulating PGE, HGF and TGF-β in MSCs and inducting MSCs expression of IDO, involved in tryptophan catabolism.
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