Neighborhood Alcohol Environment: Differential Effects on Hazardous Drinking and Mental Health by Sex in Persons Living with HIV (PLWH).

Despite greater mental health co-morbidities and heavier alcohol use among PLWH, few studies have examined the role of the neighborhood alcohol environment on either alcohol consumption or mental health. Utilizing cross-sectional data from a cohort study in a southern U.S. metropolitan area, we examine the association between neighborhood alcohol environments on hazardous drinking and mental health among 358 in-care PLWH (84% African American, 31% female). Multilevel models were utilized to quantify associations between neighborhood alcohol exposure on hazardous drinking and effect modification by sex. Neighborhood alcohol density was associated with hazardous drinking among men but not women. Women living in alcohol dense neighborhoods were nearly two-fold likely to report depression compared to those in less dense neighborhoods, with no association between neighborhood alcohol density and depression among men. Neighborhood alcohol environments may be an important contextual factor to consider in reducing heavy alcohol consumption and improving mental health among PLWH.

Low vitamin D levels, prediabetes and prehypertension in healthy African American adults.

AIMS: To determine if customary lower serum vitamin D concentrations in healthy African American (AA) adults are associated with modest elevations in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and/or resting blood pressure (BP). Numerous health disparities between African American (AA) and Caucasian American (CA) adults, especially those which increase cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, have been attributed to lower serum vitamin D concentrations in the AA. Prediabetes (PreDM) and prehypertension (PreHTN) are significantly more prevalent in healthy disease free CA adults with serum vitamin D concentrations below the 75th percentile for the Caucasian cohort. We hypothesized that despite overall lower serum vitamin D concentrations in AA, an increase in the prevalence for PreDM and PreHTN would be seen in those with low vitamin D levels. METHODS AND RESULTS: Disease free AA adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2006 were assessed. PreDM and PreHTN were diagnosed using the ADA and JNC 7 criteria: (FPG) 100-125 mg/dL and resting systolic (SBP) 120-139 and/or diastolic (DBP) 80-89 mm Hg, respectively. Logistic regression was employed to assess effects of low vitamin D concentrations on the odds for PreDM and PreHTN (n = 621). Age, gender and BMI adjusted odds ratio for co-morbid PreDM and PreHTN in AA men (n = 343) and women (n = 278) with vitamin D levels ≤45.4 versus >45.4 nmol/L was 2.02 (1.11, 3.68), (p < 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Evaluating serum vitamin D levels, with consideration for supplementation in seemingly healthy AA adults with prediabetes, prehypertension, or co-existing prediabetes and prehypertension, has merit.

Template to improve glycemic control without reducing adiposity or dietary fat.

Drugs that improve chronic hyperglycemia independently of insulin signaling or reduction of adiposity or dietary fat intake may be highly desirable. Ad36, a human adenovirus, promotes glucose uptake in vitro independently of adiposity or proximal insulin signaling. We tested the ability of Ad36 to improve glycemic control in vivo and determined if the natural Ad36 infection in humans is associated with better glycemic control. C57BL/6J mice fed a chow diet or made diabetic with a high-fat (HF) diet were mock infected or infected with Ad36 or adenovirus Ad2 as a control for infection. Postinfection (pi), systemic glycemic control, hepatic lipid content, and cell signaling in tissues pertinent to glucose metabolism were determined. Next, sera of 1,507 adults and children were screened for Ad36 antibodies as an indicator of past natural infection. In chow-fed mice, Ad36 significantly improved glycemic control for 12 wk pi. In HF-fed mice, Ad36 improved glycemic control and hepatic steatosis up to 20 wk pi. In adipose tissue (AT), skeletal muscle (SM), and liver, Ad36 upregulated distal insulin signaling without recruiting the proximal insulin signaling. Cell signaling suggested that Ad36 increases AT and SM glucose uptake and reduces hepatic glucose release. In humans, Ad36 infection predicted better glycemic control and lower hepatic lipid content independently of age, sex, or adiposity. We conclude that Ad36 offers a novel tool to understand the pathways to improve hyperglycemia and hepatic steatosis independently of proximal insulin signaling, and despite a HF diet. This metabolic engineering by Ad36 appears relevant to humans for developing more practical and effective antidiabetic approaches.

Comparative isolation of vaginal yeasts on selective and nonselective media.

The isolation of vaginal yeasts was compared on a selective medium, phosphomolybdic acid agar, and on starch agar, a nonselective differential medium used primarily to isolate Corynebacterium vaginale. The majority of the Candida albicans strains were isolated on starch agar, but the selective medium was required for isolating all yeasts from the greatest number specimens.