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Objective: The ability to work is amongst the top concerns of people living with well treated HIV. Cognitive impairment has been reported in many otherwise asymptomatic persons living with HIV and even mild impairment is associated with higher rates of occupational difficulties. There are several classification algorithms for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) as well as overall scoring methods available to summarize neuropsychological performance. We asked which method best explained work status and productivity., Design: Participants (N = 263) drawn from a longitudinal Canadian cohort underwent neuropsychological testing., Methods: : Several classification algorithms were applied to establish a HAND diagnosis and two summary measures (NPZ and Global Deficit Score) were computed. Self-reported work status and productivity was assessed at each study visit (four visits, 9 months apart). The association of work status with each diagnostic classification and summary measure was estimated using logistic regression. For those working, the value on the productivity scale was regressed within individuals over time, and the slopes were regressed on each neuropsychological outcome., Results: The application of different classification algorithms to the neuropsychological data resulted in rates of impairment that ranged from 28.5 to 78.7%. Being classified as impaired by any method was associated with a higher rate of unemployment. None of the diagnostic classifications or summary methods predicted productivity, at time of testing or over the following 36 months., Conclusion: Neuropsychological diagnostic classifications and summary scores identified participants who were more likely to be unemployed, but none explained productivity. New methods of assessing cognition are required to inform optimal workforce engagement., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) possesses multiple biological activities; small, dense HDL3c particles displaying distinct lipidomic composition exert potent antiatherogenic activities which can be compromised in dyslipidemic, hyperglycemic insulin-resistant states. However, it remains indeterminate (i) whether such functional HDL deficiency is related to altered HDL composition, and (ii) whether it originates from atherogenic dyslipidemia, dysglycemia, or both. In the present work we analyzed compositional characteristics of HDL subpopulations and functional activity of small, dense HDL3c particles in treatment-naïve patients with well-controlled (n=10) and poorly-controlled (n=8) type 2 diabetes (T2D) and in normolipidemic age- and sex-matched controls (n=11). Our data reveal that patients with both well- and poorly-controlled T2D displayed dyslipidemia and low-grade inflammation associated with altered HDL composition. Such compositional alterations in small, dense HDL subfractions were specifically correlated with plasma HbA1c levels. Further analysis using a lipidomic approach revealed that small, dense HDL3c particles from T2D patients with poor glycemic control displayed additional modifications of their chemical composition. In parallel, antioxidative activity of HDL3c towards oxidation of low-density lipoprotein was diminished. These findings indicate that defective functionality of small, dense HDL particles in patients with T2D is not only affected by the presence of atherogenic dyslipidemia, but also by the level of glycemic control, reflecting compositional alterations of HDL., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Membrane-modification effects, induced by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation in diacetylenic liposomes, were analyzed upon contact with cells, biological membranes, and proteins. Liposomes formulated with mixtures of unsaturated 1,2-bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and saturated 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, in a 1:1 molar ratio, were compared with those that were UV-irradiated and analyzed in several aspects. Membrane polymerization inherence on size stability was studied as well as its impact on mitochondrial and microsomal membrane peroxidation induction, hemolytic activity, and cell viability. Moreover, in order to gain insight about the possible irradiation effect on interfacial membrane properties, interaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA), lysozyme (Lyso), and apolipoprotein (apoA-I) was studied. Improved size stability was found for polymerized liposomes after a period of 30 days at 4°C. In addition, membrane irradiation had no marked effect on cell viability, hemolysis, or induction of microsomal and mitochondrial membrane peroxidation. Interfacial membrane characteristics were found to be altered after polymerization, since a differential protein binding for polymerized or nonpolymerized membranes was observed for BSA and Lyso, but not for apoA-I. The substantial contribution of this work is the finding that even when maintaining the same lipid composition, changes induced by UV irradiation are sufficient to increase size stability and establish differences in protein binding, in particular, reducing the amount of bound Lyso and BSA, without increasing formulation cytotoxicity. This work aimed at showing that the usage of diacetylenic lipids and UV modification of membrane interfacial properties should be strategies to be taken into consideration when designing new delivery systems.

Vaccine development today encounters a main obstacle, which is the need for effective adjuvants suitable for clinical trials. Aluminum salts, discovered 70 years ago and, very recently, MF59, are the only types of adjuvants currently used in vaccines licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Liposomes represent an alternative approach to vaccine adjuvants. In this article, we describe the inflammatory response and biological effect of polymerization and the addition of positive charges in liposome formulations. Nonpolymerized cationic (NP(+)) liposomes significantly reduce metabolism in Vero cells after 24 hours. Correspondingly, both NP(+) and polymerized cationic (P(+)) liposomes reduce cell viability following a 48-hour incubation. Similar results were obtained with cells from the peritoneal cavities of mice. Paradoxically, those liposomes that presented clearly cytostatic or cytotoxic effects in vitro stimulated metabolism and had a mitogenic effect in vivo. Finally, the adjuvant effect was tested by immunization in BALB/c mice. The major effect was obtained with NP(+) liposomes. Accordingly, we also demonstrated that NP(+) liposomes injected into the dermis produced an outstanding inflammatory reaction, showing the histopathological characteristics of an inoculation granuloma. Thus, positive charge would play an important role in the immunoadjuvant effect of liposomes by conferring them cytotoxic capacity.

In this work, we analyzed protein interaction, cell toxicity, and biodistribution of liposome formulation for further possible applications as DNA vehicles in gene-therapy protocols. In relation to protein interaction, cationic liposomes showed the lowest protein interaction, but this parameter was incremented with DNA association. On the other hand, noncharged liposomes presented high protein interaction, but DNA association decreased this parameter. Protein interaction of polymeric liposomes did not change with DNA association. Cell toxicity of these three liposome formulations was low, cell death became present at concentrations higher than 0.5 mg/mL, and these concentrations were higher than those usually used in transfection assays. In the case of noncharged and polymeric liposomes, toxicity increased upon interaction with serum proteins. DNA/liposome-mediated tissue distribution was analyzed in Balb-c female mice. Results indicated that noncharged liposomes were able to deliver DNA to liver after intraperitoneal (i.p.) inoculation, while polymeric liposomes were able to deliver DNA to kidney by using the same inoculation route. Cationic liposomes were able to deliver DNA to a wide range of tissues by the i.p. route (e.g., liver, intestine, kidney, and blood). After subcutaneous inoculation, only cationic liposomes were able to deliver DNA to blood, but not the other two formulations within the detection limits of the method.

MC-C fibrosarcoma and B16F0 melanoma tumors were implanted intradermally in the dorsal region of the foot of mice. Tumor progression was compared to standard implantation in the flank. Although foot tumors only reached 13% (MC-C) and 25% (B16F0) of the mean volume of flank tumors, a more malignant phenotype in terms of histology and survival rate was observed in this type of tumors. Moreover, lung metastases were only detected in hosts bearing foot tumors, in contrast to MC-C and B16F0 populations with tumors growing in the flank. In addition, cellular influx and local immune reaction were higher in the dorsal region of the foot. According to our results, the dermis of the flank allows excessive tumor growth due to its low reactivity. Thus, differences in innate and adaptive immune effectors between the evaluated tumor microenvironments would account for the differences in tumor malignancy. Due to its striking differences with the standard flank inoculation, the tumor implantation model herein introduced could be a valuable tool to study the metastatic potential of different cell lines and the microenvironment components affecting tumor growth.

Murine melanoma B16F0 cells were transfected with SA:DPPC:DOPE (2:1:1 molar ratio) liposomes associated with a plasmid encoding murine IL-12. Stearylamine, a cationic lipid, showed a greater transfection efficiency compared to DOTAP-containing liposomes. The lipid:DNA ratio was 2:1 (w/w). Control groups were mock transfected or transfected with an empty plasmid (pNeo). pNeo or IL-12 transfected cells and controls were inoculated intradermically into the dorsal region of the foot or the lateral flank of C57BL6 mice. Results showed that IL-12 expression had a marked effect on in vivo growth of B16 melanoma tumors developed in both anatomic sites, significantly retarding their growth and prolonging host survival.