Publications

A variety of studies have suggested that vitamin D may play a palliative role in improving insulin secretion and glucose tolerance. Endothelial cells of the microcirculation are thought to play an important role in regulating both insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity in target tissues. We have selectively deleted the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene in endothelial cells of the murine vasculature. These mice demonstrate improved glucose tolerance, improved insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle, but not in liver, and a reduction in expression and secretion of insulin in the pancreatic islets. Collectively, these data, taken within the context of recent publications in this field, suggest that the endothelial cell VDR plays a tonic inhibitory role in regulating glucose disposal and could prove to be a factor in controlling glucose homeostasis in the intact organism.

PURPOSE

Purposes of this study were to identify subgroups of patients with distinct trajectories for morning and evening fatigue, evaluate for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics among these subgroups, and compare and contrast the predictors of subgroup membership for morning and evening fatigue.

METHODS

Outpatients with breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, or lung cancer (n = 582) completed questionnaires, a total of six times over two cycles of chemotherapy (CTX). Morning and evening fatigue severity were evaluated using the Lee Fatigue Scale. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify distinct subgroups.

RESULTS

Three latent classes were identified for morning fatigue (i.e., low (31.8 %), high (51.4 %), and very high (16.8 %)) and for evening fatigue (i.e., moderate (20.0 %), high (21.8 %), and very high (58.2 %)). Most of the disease and treatment characteristics did not distinguish among the morning and evening fatigue classes. Compared to the low class, patients in the high and very high morning fatigue classes were younger, had a lower functional status, and higher level of comorbidity. Compared to the moderate class, patients in the very high evening fatigue class were younger, more likely to be female, had child care responsibilities, had a lower functional status, and a higher level of comorbidity.

CONCLUSION

LPA allows for the identification of risk factors for more severe fatigue. Since an overlap was not observed across the morning and evening fatigue classes and unique predictors for morning and evening fatigue were identified, these findings suggest that morning and evening fatigue may have distinct underlying mechanisms.

OBJECTIVES

Food insecurity and HIV/AIDS outcomes are inextricably linked in sub-Saharan Africa. We report on health and nutritional outcomes of a multisectoral agricultural intervention trial among HIV-infected adults in rural Kenya.

DESIGN

This is a pilot cluster randomized controlled trial.

METHODS

The intervention included a human-powered water pump, a microfinance loan to purchase farm commodities, and education in sustainable farming practices and financial management. Two health facilities in Nyanza Region, Kenya were randomly assigned as intervention or control. HIV-infected adults 18 to 49 years' old who were on antiretroviral therapy and had access to surface water and land were enrolled beginning in April 2012 and followed quarterly for 1 year. Data were collected on nutritional parameters, CD4 T-lymphocyte counts, and HIV RNA. Differences in fixed-effects regression models were used to test whether patterns in health outcomes differed over time from baseline between the intervention and control arms.

RESULTS

We enrolled 72 and 68 participants in the intervention and control groups, respectively. At 12 months follow-up, we found a statistically significant increase in CD4 cell counts (165 cells/μl, P < 0.001) and proportion virologically suppressed in the intervention arm compared with the control arm (comparative improvement in proportion of 0.33 suppressed, odds ratio 7.6, 95% confidence interval: 2.2-26.8). Intervention participants experienced significant improvements in food security (3.6 scale points higher, P < 0.001) and frequency of food consumption (9.4 times per week greater frequency, P = 0.013) compared to controls.

CONCLUSION

Livelihood interventions may be a promising approach to tackle the intersecting problems of food insecurity, poverty and HIV/AIDS morbidity.

During its life cycle, Plasmodium falciparum undergoes rapid proliferation fueled by de novo synthesis and acquisition of host cell lipids. Consistent with this essential role, Plasmodium lipid synthesis enzymes are emerging as potential drug targets. To explore their broader potential for therapeutic interventions, we assayed the global lipid landscape during P. falciparum sexual and asexual blood stage (ABS) development. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we analyzed 304 lipids constituting 24 classes in ABS parasites, infected red blood cell (RBC)-derived microvesicles, gametocytes, and uninfected RBCs. Ten lipid classes were previously uncharacterized in P. falciparum, and 70%-75% of the lipid classes exhibited changes in abundance during ABS and gametocyte development. Utilizing compounds that target lipid metabolism, we affirmed the essentiality of major classes, including triacylglycerols. These studies highlight the interplay between host and parasite lipid metabolism and provide a comprehensive analysis of P. falciparum lipids with candidate pathways for drug discovery efforts.