Oral serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin improves duodenal immune reconstitution and absorption function in patients with HIV enteropathy.

Objectives: To examine the impact of serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin, an oral medical food known to neutralize bacterial antigen and reduce intestinal inflammation, on restoration of mucosal immunity and gastrointestinal function in individuals with HIV enteropathy.

Design: Open-label trial with intensive 8-week phase of bovine serum immunoglobulin (SBI) 2.5 g twice daily with a 4-week washout period and an optional 9-month extension study.

HIV risks and seroprevalence among Mexican American injection drug users in California.

Latinos in the United States are an ethnically diverse group disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. We describe HIV seroprevalence, HIV risk behaviors and utilization of health services among Mexican American injection drug users (IDUs) in California (n = 286) and compare them to White (n = 830) and African American (n = 314) IDUs. Study participants were recruited from syringe exchange programs (n = 24) in California.

Injecting drug use and community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection.

To demonstrate that injecting drug use is a major risk factor of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infection and injecting drug users may be a reservoir of CA-MRSA infection in our community, we conducted a matched case-control study. Cases were CA-MRSA-infected patients at University of California, Davis, Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, from December 1, 2003, to May 31, 2004. Two control groups were community-associated methicillin-susceptible S.

Approval of syringe exchange programs in California: results from a local approach to HIV prevention.

Objectives: We studied the effect of local approval of syringe exchange programs in California (through Assembly AB136) on program availability and performance.

Methods: We determined the number of active syringe exchange programs in California by conducting Internet searches and obtaining information from the state and from local programs. To track changes in program availability and performance between 2000 and 2002, we interviewed 24 program directors annually for 3 years about program characteristics, syringe exchange policies, law enforcement contact, and other issues.

Human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus testing services at syringe exchange programs: availability and outcomes.

We described the availability and outcomes of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing services at syringe exchange programs throughout California, using interviews with 24 syringe exchange program directors and 560 syringe exchange clients. Both HIV and HCV testing services were available in 62% of programs, 21% had HIV testing only, and 17% had neither. Programs administered by health care/social service providers were more likely than independent syringe exchange programs to have HIV and HCV testing services available.

Examination of the association between syringe exchange program (SEP) dispensation policy and SEP client-level syringe coverage among injection drug users.

Aim: To determine whether syringe exchange programs' (SEPs) dispensation policy is associated with syringe coverage among SEP clients.

Design: Cross-sectional samples of SEPs and their clients.

Setting: SEPs in California, USA.

Higher syringe coverage is associated with lower odds of HIV risk and does not increase unsafe syringe disposal among syringe exchange program clients.

Objective: To determine if adequate syringe coverage --"one shot for one syringe"--among syringe exchange program (SEP) clients is associated with injection-related HIV risk behaviors and syringe disposal.

Design: HIV risk assessments with 1577 injection drug users (IDUs) recruited from 24 SEPs in California between 2001 and 2003. Individual syringe coverage was calculated as a proportion of syringes retained from SEP visits to total number of injections in the last 30 days.

Strategies to reduce HIV risk behavior in HIV primary care clinics: brief provider messages and specialist intervention.

Reducing HIV transmission is a critical goal worldwide, prompting new strategies to slow the spread of the virus. This paper describes the theoretical underpinnings of the Comprehensive Harm Reduction Protocol (CHRP) and the process of its implementation in one large urban HIV clinic and two smaller rural primary care clinics. Patients enrolled in CHRP complete the Risk Diagnostic Questionnaire (RDQ), self-reporting HIV transmission risk behavior at most clinic visits.

Comparisons of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and hospital-associated MSRA infections in Sacramento, California.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has long been a common pathogen in healthcare facilities, but in the past decade, it has emerged as a problematic pathogen in the community setting as well. A retrospective case series study of patients from whom MRSA was isolated from December 1, 2003, through May 31, 2004, was conducted at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center. Patient data were collected from electronic medical records and traditional chart reviews to determine whether MRSA acquisition was likely to have been in the community or in the hospital.

Secondary syringe exchange among users of 23 California syringe exchange programs.

This article describes the secondary syringe exchange (SSE) practices of injection drug users (IDUs) attending 23 syringe exchange programs (SEPs) in the state of California during 2002 (n=539). The sample was primarily heroin injecting, about two thirds male, half White and half other racial/ethnic groups. Participants were interviewed with a structured questionnaire that included items on sociodemographic factors, drug use practices, sexual practices, use of SEP and other social services, and satisfaction with SEP services.

Placebo-controlled phase 3 trial of a recombinant glycoprotein 120 vaccine to prevent HIV-1 infection.

Background: A vaccine is needed to prevent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection.

Methods: A double-blind, randomized trial of a recombinant HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein subunit (rgp120) vaccine was conducted among men who have sex with men and among women at high risk for heterosexual transmission of HIV-1. Volunteers received 7 injections of either vaccine or placebo (ratio, 2 : 1) over 30 months.

Injection risk behaviors among clients of syringe exchange programs with different syringe dispensation policies.

While there have been numerous papers published in the medical, social, and epidemiologic literature about the effectiveness of syringe exchange programs (SEPs), few papers identify operational characteristics of the SEPs they study or assess which of those characteristics are associated with optimal HIV risk reduction among clients. The objective of this study was to examine whether different syringe dispensation policies were associated with client-level injection-related HIV risk. Injection drug users (IDUs) were recruited at 23 SEPs in California in 2001 (n = 531).

Preliminary evidence of reduced cognitive inhibition in methamphetamine-dependent individuals.

Chronic methamphetamine abuse is associated with disruption of frontostriatal function involving serotonin and dopamine circuitry. Clinically, methamphetamine-dependent (MD) individuals are highly distractible and have difficulty focussing. Here, we used a computerized single-trial version of the Stroop Test to examine selective attention and priming in MD.