Prevalence and risk factors for HIV-1 infection in people who use illicit drugs in northern Brazil.

BACKGROUND: People who use illicit drugs (PWUDs) have a high risk of viral infections. To date, there is a paucity of information on HIV infection among PWUDs in remote Brazilian regions. This study determined the prevalence and factors associated with HIV-1 infection among PWUDs in northern Brazil. METHODS: Sociodemographic, economic, drug use and health-related information were collected through interviews from a community-recruited, multi-site sample of 1753 PWUDs. The blood samples collected were tested for the presence of HIV-1 using chemiluminescence immunoassay and PCR or western blotting. Logistic regressions identified factors independently associated with HIV-1 infection. RESULTS: In total, 266 (15.2%) PWUDs were HIV-1 positive. Hepatitis B virus and/or hepatitis C virus nucleic acid was detected in 65 (3.7%) PWUDs infected by HIV-1. The factors associated with HIV-1 infection were male gender, older age, a lower educational level and a lower income, crack cocaine use, a longer drug use history and a history of drug injection and engagement in unsafe sex, sex work and a higher number of sexual partners. CONCLUSIONS: The current study provides unique, initial insights into HIV and co-infection status and pertinent risk factors among PWUDs in northern Brazil, with clear and diverse implications for urgently improved prevention and treatment intervention needs.

Hepatitis C virus infection status and associated factors among a multi-site sample of people who used illicit drugs in the Amazon region.

BACKGROUND: Elevated rates of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection have been reported in epidemiological studies with people who used illicit drugs (PWUIDs) in different Brazilian regions. In Brazil's Amazon region, studies have already identified the common use of illicit drugs among adolescents and the high prevalence of HCV infections among PWUIDs. However, all studies done with PWUIDs were conducted with small samples and within limited geographic coverage. This study determined the prevalence and risk factors for HCV infection in PWUIDs in the Amazon region, northern Brazil, as well as estimating the prevalence and factors associated with the HCV spontaneous clearance (HSC). METHODS: This cross-sectional study accessed 1666 PWUIDs from multiple municipalities of the Amazon region. Socio-demographic, economic, drug use and health-related information were collected through interviews. Blood samples collected were tested for the presence of anti-HCV antibodies and RNA-HCV. HCV genotypes were identified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Logistic regressions were run to identify factors independently associated with HCV infection status and HSC. RESULTS: In total, 577 (34.6%) featured HCV antibodies, of which 384 (23.1%) had active HCV infection and 193 (11.6%) indicated HSC. Genotypes 1 (80.2%) and 3 (18.8%) were detected. HCV infection status was associated with the length of illicit drug use history, factors related to parenteral and sexual transmission, and factors of socio-economic marginalization leading to potential risk activities for HCV. HSC was associated with the ethnic (including indigenous) background of participants. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of HCV infection were detected in PWUIDs. Genotype 1 was predominant. Intense use of illicit drugs, unprotected sexual intercourse, high number of sexual partners and social marginalization were associated with all HCV infection. HSC was associated with origin (Amazonian-born) and non-white (e.g., Black or Indigenous) of PWUIDs. These findings emphasize the need for improve HCV prevention and control services and care for PWUIDs in the Brazilian Amazon region.

Cisteína como antioxidante para a criopreservação de sêmen de garanhões considerado de baixa congelabilidade / Cysteine as an antioxidant to frozen semen of “bad freezer” stallions

Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito da adição de cisteína (CIS), como agente antioxidante, no diluenteutilizado para criopreservação de espermatozoides equinos com histórico de sêmen com baixa congelabilidade.Três amostras seminais de sete garanhões foram obtidas por meio de vagina artificial, diluídas em meiocomercial (Botusêmen) e distribuídas em dois tratamentos: controle e CIS (2,5 mM de cisteína) ecriopreservadas. Após o descongelamento, as avaliações in vitro foram: cinética espermática computadorizada eavaliação da integridade das membranas plasmática e acrossomal por meio de sondas fluorescentes. Verificou-seque no grupo CIS o percentual de motilidade total e progressiva (23,95 ± 3,33; 4,66 ± 0,84), respectivamente, foisuperior em relação às amostras do grupo controle (11,38 ± 2,35; 2,04 ± 0,36), (P < 0,01). Não houve diferençacom relação à integridade das membranas plasmática (12,5 ± 2,6 x 15,1 ± 2,6) e acrossomal (24,2 ± 3,6 x 25,4 ±3,85), (P > 0,05), quando se comparou grupo controle e cisteína, respectivamente. Levando-se em consideraçãoque a motilidade apresenta alta correlação com a fertilidade, os resultados sugerem que a adição de cisteína naconcentração de 2,5 mM ao meio diluente antes do congelamento de sêmen incrementa a qualidade dosespermatozoides criopreservados de animais considerados de baixa congelabilidade.(AU)

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of in vitro addition of cysteine (CIS) as antioxidantused for frozen semen of "bad freezer" stallions. Three semen samples from seven stallions were obtained byartificial vagina, diluted in commercial extender (Botusêmen) and splited in two treatments: control and CIS(2.5 mM of cysteine) and cryopreserved. After post-thaw, the analyzed parameters were: computerized analysisof sperm movement characteristics and acrosmal and plasma membrane integrity by fluorescent probes. Totaland progressive motility were higher (P < 0.01) in CIS group (23.95 ± 3.33; 4.66 ± 0.84) when compared withcontrol group (11.38 ± 2.35; 2.04 ± 0.36), respectively. Regarding plasma and acrosomal membrane integritythere was no difference (P > 0.05) (12.5 ± 2.6 x 15.1 ± 2.6 and 24.2 ± 3.6 x 25.4 ± 3.85, respectively) betweenthe control and cysteine group. It is known that the motility is highly correlated with fertility so these resultssuggest that the addition of 2.5 mM of cysteine in the frozen extender medium before cryopreservation increasesthe seminal quality of "bad freezer" stallions.(AU)

Cisteína como antioxidante para a criopreservação de sêmen de garanhões considerado de baixa congelabilidade / Cysteine as an antioxidant to frozen semen of “bad freezer” stallions

Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito da adição de cisteína (CIS), como agente antioxidante, no diluenteutilizado para criopreservação de espermatozoides equinos com histórico de sêmen com baixa congelabilidade.Três amostras seminais de sete garanhões foram obtidas por meio de vagina artificial, diluídas em meiocomercial (Botusêmen) e distribuídas em dois tratamentos: controle e CIS (2,5 mM de cisteína) ecriopreservadas. Após o descongelamento, as avaliações in vitro foram: cinética espermática computadorizada eavaliação da integridade das membranas plasmática e acrossomal por meio de sondas fluorescentes. Verificou-seque no grupo CIS o percentual de motilidade total e progressiva (23,95 ± 3,33; 4,66 ± 0,84), respectivamente, foisuperior em relação às amostras do grupo controle (11,38 ± 2,35; 2,04 ± 0,36), (P 0,05), quando se comparou grupo controle e cisteína, respectivamente. Levando-se em consideraçãoque a motilidade apresenta alta correlação com a fertilidade, os resultados sugerem que a adição de cisteína naconcentração de 2,5 mM ao meio diluente antes do congelamento de sêmen incrementa a qualidade dosespermatozoides criopreservados de animais considerados de baixa congelabilidade.

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of in vitro addition of cysteine (CIS) as antioxidantused for frozen semen of "bad freezer" stallions. Three semen samples from seven stallions were obtained byartificial vagina, diluted in commercial extender (Botusêmen) and splited in two treatments: control and CIS(2.5 mM of cysteine) and cryopreserved. After post-thaw, the analyzed parameters were: computerized analysisof sperm movement characteristics and acrosmal and plasma membrane integrity by fluorescent probes. Totaland progressive motility were higher (P 0.05) (12.5 ± 2.6 x 15.1 ± 2.6 and 24.2 ± 3.6 x 25.4 ± 3.85, respectively) betweenthe control and cysteine group. It is known that the motility is highly correlated with fertility so these resultssuggest that the addition of 2.5 mM of cysteine in the frozen extender medium before cryopreservation increasesthe seminal quality of "bad freezer" stallions.