Barriers and opportunities for the mental health of LGBT older adults and older people living with HIV: a systematic literature review.

OBJECTIVE: LGBT older adults and older people living with HIV (PLWH) experience a disproportionate burden of behavioral health conditions compared to their heterosexual, cisgender, and HIV-negative peers. This study intends to systematically review the literature regarding accessing mental health care among LGBT older adults and older PLWH. METHODS: This study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement framework. Three databases were searched using Boolean search strings, and inclusion/exclusion criteria were developed and applied to the search outcomes to appropriately narrow results. Article quality and evidence of bias were evaluated using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) quality-assessment tool, and the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) assessment tool, two instruments used to help reviewers in assessing for internal validity of studies. Two independent researchers coded the articles for themes, and consensus was reached on theme grouping through an iterative process. RESULTS: Out of 2,031 articles initially screened, 28 met all inclusion criteria and advanced to final analysis. Several key themes emerged, including a lack of provider competency in caring for LGBT patients, lower rates of insurance coverage, greater mental health burden, social and structural determinants of health, policy solutions, and technology and health literacy. CONCLUSION: There were several domains identified in the literature as barriers to accessing mental healthcare, as well as opportunities to better attend to the mental health needs of these populations. Provider training, implementing health technology solutions, and enacting public policy changes could improve mental health outcomes.

Antibiotic treatment induces microbiome dysbiosis and reduction of neuroinflammation following traumatic brain injury in mice.

Background: The gut microbiome is linked to brain pathology in cases of traumatic brain injury (TBI), yet the specific bacteria that are implicated are not well characterized. To address this gap, in this study, we induced traumatic brain injury (TBI) in male C57BL/6J mice using the controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury model. After 35 days, we administered a broad-spectrum antibiotics (ABX) cocktail (ampicillin, gentamicin, metronidazole, vancomycin) through oral gavage for 2 days to diminish existing microbiota. Subsequently, we inflicted a second TBI on the mice and analyzed the neuropathological outcomes five days later. Results: Longitudinal analysis of the microbiome showed significant shifts in the diversity and abundance of bacterial genera during both acute and chronic inflammation. These changes were particularly dramatic following treatment with ABX and after the second TBI. ABX treatment did not affect the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) but did alter intestinal morphology, characterized by reduced villus width and a lower count of goblet cells, suggesting potential negative impacts on intestinal integrity. Nevertheless, diminishing the intestinal microbiome reduced cortical damage, apoptotic cell density, and microglial/macrophage activation in the cortical and thalamic regions of the brain. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that eliminating colonized gut bacteria via broad-spectrum ABX reduces neuroinflammation and enhances neurological outcomes in TBI despite implications to gut health.

Probiotic treatment causes sex-specific neuroprotection after traumatic brain injury in mice.

Background: Recent studies have shed light on the potential role of gut dysbiosis in shaping traumatic brain injury (TBI) outcomes. Changes in the levels and types of Lactobacillus bacteria present might impact the immune system disturbances, neuroinflammatory responses, anxiety and depressive-like behaviors, and compromised neuroprotection mechanisms triggered by TBI. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of a daily pan-probiotic (PP) mixture in drinking water containing strains of Lactobacillus plantarum, L. reuteri, L. helveticus, L. fermentum, L. rhamnosus, L. gasseri, and L. casei, administered for either two or seven weeks before inducing TBI on both male and female mice. Methods: Mice were subjected to controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) analysis was performed for metabolite measurements. The taxonomic profiles of murine fecal samples were evaluated using 16S rRNA V1-V3 sequencing analysis. Histological analyses were used to assess neuroinflammation and gut changes post-TBI, while behavioral tests were conducted to evaluate sensorimotor and cognitive functions. Results: Our findings suggest that PP administration modulates the diversity and composition of the microbiome and increases the levels of SCFAs in a sex-dependent manner. We also observed a reduction of lesion volume, cell death, and microglial and macrophage activation after PP treatment following TBI in male mice. Furthermore, PP-treated mice show motor function improvements and decreases in anxiety and depressive-like behaviors. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that PP administration can mitigate neuroinflammation and ameliorate motor and anxiety and depressive-like behavior deficits following TBI. These results underscore the potential of probiotic interventions as a viable therapeutic strategy to address TBI-induced impairments, emphasizing the need for gender-specific treatment approaches.

An HIV Primary Care Rotation Improved HIV and STI Knowledge, Enhanced Sexual History-Taking Skills, and Increased Interest in a Career in Infectious Diseases Among Medical Students and Residents.

Rotations in HIV primary care clinics have the potential to teach trainees core competencies and influence their career pathway. We found that fund of knowledge, confidence in obtaining a sexual history, and interest in an Infectious Diseases career all increased following an HIV clinic rotation.

Extended Human Papillomavirus Genotype Distribution and Cervical Cytology Results in a Large Cohort of Chinese Women With Invasive Cervical Cancers and High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions.

OBJECTIVES: To study the human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype distribution of cervical cancer (CxCa) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3 (CIN2/3) in China and to evaluate cotesting of HPV and cytology in CxCa screening. METHODS: Patients with histopathologic CxCa and CIN 2/3 diagnoses reported between January 2012 and June 2016 and extended HPV genotype testing in the prior 6 months were documented in the institute. Available prior Papanicolaou (Pap) test results were also documented. Extended HPV genotype testing was performed using two China Food and Drug Administration-approved HPV tests. RESULTS: CxCa and CIN 2/3 diagnoses and recent prior HPV test results were documented in 370 CxCa cases and 2774 CIN 2/3 cases. The high-risk (hr) HPV-positive rate was 88.4% for CxCa and 90.1% for CIN 2/3. Among 327 HPV-positive CxCa cases, the most common HPV types were HPV 16 (70.3%), 18 (7.0%), 58 (5.7%), 33 (4.1%), and 53 and 59 (1.9% each). Among 2499 hrHPV-positive CIN 2/3 cases, the most common HPV types were HPV 16 (53.3%), 58 (21.4%), 52 (11%), 33 (10.6%), and 18 (5.1%). 161 CxCa cases and 1094 CIN 2/3 cases also had available prior cotest results. Among cotested cases hrHPV-negative results were reported in 12.4% of CxCa and 10.1% of CIN 2/3 cases compared to cytology-negative results reported in 15.5% of CxCa and 4.3% of CIN 2/3. CONCLUSIONS: HPV 16/18/59/39/45 genotypes were significantly more prevalent in CxCa cases than in CIN 2/3 cases, consistent with the more limited progressive potential of some CIN 2/3 lesions. Of CIN 2/3 and CxCa cases, 10% to 12% had recent negative hrHPV test results, pointing to a significant limitation of primary HPV screening.