ABSTRACT
The inactivated COVID-19 vaccine has demonstrated high efficacy in the general population through extensive clinical and real-world studies. However, its effectiveness in immunocompromised individuals, particularly those living with HIV (PLWH), remains limited. In this study, 20 PLWH and 15 HIV-seronegative individuals were recruited to evaluate the immunogenicity of an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine in PLWH through a prospective cohort study. The median age of the 20 PLWH and 15 HIV-seronegative individuals was 42 years and 31 years, respectively. Of the PLWH, nine had been on ART for over five years. The median anti-SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD IgG antibody level on d224 was higher than that on d42 (8188.7 ng/mL vs. 3200.9 ng/mL, P < 0.05). Following COVID-19 infection, the antibody level increased to 29,872.5 ng/mL on dre+90, 12.19 times higher than that on d300. Compared with HIV-seronegative individuals, the antibody level in PLWH was lower on d210 (183.3 ng/mL vs. 509.3 ng/mL, P < 0.01), while there was no difference after d224. The symptoms of COVID-19 infection in PLWH were comparable to those in HIV-seronegative individuals. In this study, the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated good immunogenicity in PLWH. The protective benefit of booster vaccinations for PLWH cannot be ignored. Implementing a booster vaccination policy for PLWH is an effective approach to providing better protection against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Viral , COVID-19 Vaccines , COVID-19 , HIV Infections , Immunogenicity, Vaccine , SARS-CoV-2 , Vaccines, Inactivated , Humans , Adult , Male , Female , COVID-19/prevention & control , COVID-19/immunology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Prospective Studies , China/epidemiology , Antibodies, Viral/blood , Antibodies, Viral/immunology , Vaccines, Inactivated/immunology , Vaccines, Inactivated/administration & dosage , COVID-19 Vaccines/immunology , COVID-19 Vaccines/administration & dosage , HIV Infections/immunology , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , Middle Aged , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Immunoglobulin G/immunology , Young AdultABSTRACT
The HIV/AIDS prevalence in female sex workers (FSWs) and elderly male clients is increasing in Guangxi, China, but the transmission relationship between them remains unclear. This study aims to illuminate the transmission network between FSWs and elderly male clients using molecular epidemiological analyses. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that CRF01_AE was the dominant strain, followed by CRF07_BC and CRF08_BC in both groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that viral loads of 50 to 1000 copies/mL, immunological treatment failure and CRF07_BC were risk factors for entering the transmission network. Transmission network analysis showed that CRF07_BC tended to form large clusters, whereas CRF01_AE tended to form multiple but small clusters. Two groups of 11 FSWs and 169 clients were intricately intertwined. Spatial analysis demonstrated the formation of hotspots and clusters of transmission sharing regional differences. In conclusion, our study provides direct genetic evidence of transmission linkages between FSWs and elderly male clients. Although the CRF01_AE subtype was still the predominant subtype in the region, the higher degree and larger clusters found in CRF07_BC illustrate a rapid and intensive uptrend, which is expected to increase its prevalence in the region in the future.
Subject(s)
HIV Infections/transmission , HIV-1/classification , RNA, Viral/genetics , Sequence Analysis, RNA/methods , Sex Workers/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , China/epidemiology , Cluster Analysis , Female , HIV Infections/epidemiology , HIV Infections/virology , HIV-1/genetics , Humans , Logistic Models , Male , Middle Aged , Multivariate Analysis , Phylogeny , Prevalence , Rural Population , Viral LoadABSTRACT
In recent years, the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among Chinese university students has increased significantly, and HIV transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM) comprises more than half of the new cases. There is still a lack of research investigating the incidence of male-to-male sex, the attitudes towards MSM, and the awareness of HIV/AIDS among university students in Guangxi, one of the HIV high-risk areas in China. Therefore, we performed a cross-sectional investigation among 578 male students, recruited by stratified sampling, in universities in Nanning, Guangxi, between January 2016 and March 2017. Researcher-administered anonymous questionnaires were completed. Self-recognition as MSM was found in 8.48% of the subjects. Compared with non-MSM, university student MSM included more people over the age of 20 (OR = 4.95), had less migration from other districts of Guangxi (OR = 0.26), and the majority were nonmedical students (OR = 8.99). In total, 63.25% of the male student participants reported a lack of acceptance of MSM, while 35.47% acknowledged barriers between themselves and acquaintances who were MSM. Overall, 67.30% of the subjects correctly answered questions related to AIDS knowledge. The proportion of MSM subjects who answered the AIDS-related questions completely correctly was significantly lower than that of non-MSM subjects (42.86% vs. 69. 57%, respectively, OR: 0.33), but the self-recognition risk of MSM was significantly higher than that of non-MSM (OR = 2.59). Risky behaviors associated with HIV infections, including smoking, alcohol consumption, drug abuse, and inconsistent condom use, were significantly higher among the MSM participants. The percentages of student's willingness to accept MC and PrEP were 70.93% and 77.51%, respectively. These results raise the alarm that university student MSM in Guangxi, China, require urgent public attention and more effective health education, including the education on MC and PrEP.