Blue Monday: Co-occurring Stimulant Use and HIV Persistence Predict Dysregulated Catecholamine Synthesis.

Background: This longitudinal study examined whether co-occurring stimulant use and HIV disease processes predicted greater risk for depression via dysregulated metabolism of amino acid precursors for neurotransmitters.

Methods: In total, 110 sexual minority men (ie, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men) living with HIV who had biologically confirmed recent methamphetamine use were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. The kynurenine/tryptophan (K/T) and phenylalanine/tyrosine (P/T) ratios were measured over 15 months to index dysregulated metabolism of amino acid precursors for serotonin and catecholamines.

Tryptophan degradation is associated with risk-taking propensity in methamphetamine users with treated HIV infection.

Few studies have examined neuroimmune pathways that could contribute to impulsivity in people living with HIV who use substances. Eighty-four methamphetamine-using, sexual minority men with an undetectable HIV viral load were administered the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), a behavioral measure of risk-taking propensity. We examined the associations between kynurenine/tryptophan ratio and phenylalanine/tyrosine ratio with BART scores using multiple linear regression.

Getting to the point: Methamphetamine injection is associated with biomarkers relevant to HIV pathogenesis.

Background: People living with HIV who use stimulants, such as methamphetamine, display greater immune dysregulation and experience faster clinical HIV progression. However, it remains unclear if the extent of immune dysregulation differs between methamphetamine users who engage in injection drug use (Meth IDU) and methamphetamine users who do not.

Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 86 sexual minority men living with HIV who had an undetectable viral load (< 40 copies/mL) and recent, biologically confirmed methamphetamine use.

The contribution of syndemic conditions to cardiovascular disease risk.

The syndemic conditions of low education, childhood maltreatment, depression, HIV, alcohol and cocaine use, and obesity have been established as independent risk factors for cardiovascular risk, but research examining the association between syndemic conditions and cardiovascular risk in high-risk populations is lacking. A total of  = 503 participants underwent an ultrasound of the carotid artery to assess for atherosclerotic plaque. Participants, HIV-infected ( = 202) and HIV-uninfected ( = 301) with and without a history of cocaine use, were a mean age of 36.

Identifying factors associated with successful implementation and uptake of an evidence-based voluntary medical male circumcision program in Zambia: the Spear and Shield 2 Program.

Voluntary medical male circumcision has been shown to provide a 50%-70% reduction in the risk of HIV infection without contributing to behavioral disinhibition of safer sexual practices. This study examined the interim implementation and dissemination data of Spear and Shield 2, an HIV risk-reduction program in Zambia. The purpose of this interim review was to identify contextual challenges to implementation and implement midcourse corrections associated with sustainability of program delivery.

Reproductive decision-making among postpartum HIV-infected women in rural South Africa.

Despite pregnancy spacing recommendations to optimize health outcomes among mothers and neonates, unplanned pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa is common among women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (WLHIV). This study examined factors associated with reproductive decision-making among WLHIV to inform pregnancy-planning interventions. WLHIV in rural South Africa (n = 165) were assessed at 12 months postpartum.