Publications by authors named "W L Blok"
Objectives: Psychiatric symptoms occur frequently in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH), which may affect quality of life, sexual risk behavior, and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Data from large cohorts are limited, and symptoms are often analyzed in isolation. Therefore, we applied a network analysis to assess the interrelatedness of mental health indicators in a large cohort of PLWH.
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- Immunological non-responders (INR) are HIV patients with persistently low CD4+ T-cell counts despite effective antiretroviral therapy, putting them at higher risk for health issues.
- A study comparing INR to immunological responders (IR) found that INR had older age, more severe HIV prior to treatment, and lower CD4+ T-cell counts, with an increase in activated and exhausted CD4+ T-cells.
- The research highlighted that INR demonstrated impaired lymphocyte cytokine production, while innate immune responses remained similar, suggesting a potential benefit of anti-PD1 therapy for this group.
In people living with HIV (PLHIV), integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are part of the first-line combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), while non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based regimens are alternatives. Distinct cART regimens may variably influence the risk for non-AIDS comorbidities. We aimed to compare the metabolome and lipidome of INSTI and NNRTI-based regimens.
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- The study focuses on understanding the immune dysregulation in people living with HIV who are on combination antiretroviral therapy, aiming to identify new biomarkers and drug targets through a comprehensive multi-omics approach.
- Researchers are analyzing a large cohort of PLHIV, including untreated spontaneous controllers, utilizing various methods such as genomics, proteomics, and clinical assessments over a two-year period.
- The study includes a diverse population with notable extreme phenotypes, allowing for a thorough examination of immune responses and potential therapeutic interventions in the context of HIV infection.
Article Synopsis
- Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are powerful, brief astrophysical events that have been detected at various frequencies, but lower-frequency emissions have been challenging to observe.
- One notable FRB, FRB 20180916B, shows a 16.35-day periodicity and emits at frequencies as low as 120 megahertz, with its activity window varying by frequency — narrower and earlier at higher frequencies.
- The findings indicate that lower-frequency emissions can escape their surrounding medium, suggesting that some FRBs are in environments that don't absorb low-frequency signals, contradicting previous theories about absorption affecting FRB periodicity.