The Impact of Drugs and Substance Abuse on Viral Pathogenesis-A South African Perspective

Overview

Journal Viruses

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2024 Jun 27

PMID 38932263

Authors

Lufuno Ratshisusu

Omphile E Simani

Jason T Blackard

Selokela G Selabe

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Illicit drug and alcohol abuse have significant negative consequences for individuals who inject drugs/use drugs (PWID/UDs), including decreased immune system function and increased viral pathogenesis. PWID/UDs are at high risk of contracting or transmitting viral illnesses such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). In South Africa, a dangerous drug-taking method known as "Bluetoothing" has emerged among nyaope users, whereby the users of this drug, after injecting, withdraw blood from their veins and then reinject it into another user. Hence, the transmission of blood-borne viruses (BBVs) is exacerbated by this "Bluetooth" practice among nyaope users. Moreover, several substances of abuse promote HIV, HBV, and HCV replication. With a specific focus on the nyaope drug, viral replication, and transmission, we address the important influence of abused addictive substances and polysubstance use in this review.

References

Chander G, Lau B, Moore R . Hazardous alcohol use: a risk factor for non-adherence and lack of suppression in HIV infection. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2006; 43(4):411-7. PMC: 2704473. DOI: 10.1097/01.qai.0000243121.44659.a4. View

Guure C, Obiri-Yeboah Laryea S, Dery S, Baptista da Silva C, Asamoah-Adu C, Ayisi-Addo S . Behavioural Risk for HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C Infections among a Population of Drug Users and Injectors across Four Regions in Ghana. Interdiscip Perspect Infect Dis. 2022; 2022:2544481. PMC: 9458387. DOI: 10.1155/2022/2544481. View

Varshney K, Browning S, Debnath S, Shet P, Shet D . A Systematic Review of Risk Factors and Consequences of Nyaope Usage: The Illicit Street Drug Containing HIV Antiretrovirals. AIDS Behav. 2022; 27(2):558-577. PMC: 9908705. DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03791-6. View

Schweitzer A, Horn J, Mikolajczyk R, Krause G, Ott J . Estimations of worldwide prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus infection: a systematic review of data published between 1965 and 2013. Lancet. 2015; 386(10003):1546-55. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)61412-X. View

Mthembi P, Mwenesongole E, Cole M . Chemical profiling of the street cocktail drug 'nyaope' in South Africa using GC-MS II: Stability studies of the cannabinoid, opiate and antiretroviral components during sample storage. Forensic Sci Int. 2019; 300:187-192. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.04.040. View

Hayashi K, Milloy M, Lysyshyn M, DeBeck K, Nosova E, Wood E . Substance use patterns associated with recent exposure to fentanyl among people who inject drugs in Vancouver, Canada: A cross-sectional urine toxicology screening study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2017; 183:1-6. PMC: 5803313. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.10.020. View

Banerjee S, Sindberg G, Wang F, Meng J, Sharma U, Zhang L . Opioid-induced gut microbial disruption and bile dysregulation leads to gut barrier compromise and sustained systemic inflammation. Mucosal Immunol. 2016; 9(6):1418-1428. PMC: 4996771. DOI: 10.1038/mi.2016.9. View

Daniels W, Sekhotha M, Morgan N, Manilall A . The Cytotoxic Effects of Nyaope, a Heroin-based Street Drug, in Neuroblastoma Cells. IBRO Neurosci Rep. 2024; 16:280-290. PMC: 10875117. DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2024.01.014. View

Buch S, Periyasamy P, Thangaraj A, Sil S, Chivero E, Tripathi A . Opioid-Mediated HIV-1 Immunopathogenesis. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2020; 15(4):628-642. PMC: 7872067. DOI: 10.1007/s11481-020-09960-5. View

10.

Kramvis A, Kew M . Epidemiology of hepatitis B virus in Africa, its genotypes and clinical associations of genotypes. Hepatol Res. 2007; 37(s1):S9-S19. DOI: 10.1111/j.1872-034X.2007.00098.x. View

11.

Scheibe A, Shelly S, Hugo J, Mohale M, Lalla S, Renkin W . Harm reduction in practice - The Community Oriented Substance Use Programme in Tshwane. Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med. 2020; 12(1):e1-e6. PMC: 7284158. DOI: 10.4102/phcfm.v12i1.2285. View

12.

Lefoka M, Netangaheni R . Factors associated with smoking and transitioning to nyaope injection amongst women in the City of Tshwane Municipality: A self-report by women. Health SA. 2022; 27:1775. PMC: 9350489. DOI: 10.4102/hsag.v27i0.1775. View

13.

Shiu C, Barbier E, Di Cello F, Choi H, Stins M . HIV-1 gp120 as well as alcohol affect blood-brain barrier permeability and stress fiber formation: involvement of reactive oxygen species. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007; 31(1):130-7. DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00271.x. View

14.

Rough K, Dietrich J, Essien T, Grelotti D, Bansberg D, Gray G . Whoonga and the abuse and diversion of antiretrovirals in Soweto, South Africa. AIDS Behav. 2013; 18(7):1378-80. PMC: 4047174. DOI: 10.1007/s10461-013-0683-x. View

15.

Thoueille P, Choong E, Cavassini M, Buclin T, Decosterd L . Long-acting antiretrovirals: a new era for the management and prevention of HIV infection. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2021; 77(2):290-302. PMC: 8809192. DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkab324. View

16.

Wang X, Ye L, Zhou Y, Liu M, Zhou D, Ho W . Inhibition of anti-HIV microRNA expression: a mechanism for opioid-mediated enhancement of HIV infection of monocytes. Am J Pathol. 2011; 178(1):41-7. PMC: 3069926. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2010.11.042. View

17.

Lee K, Hutton H, Lesko C, Monroe A, Alvanzo A, McCaul M . Associations of Drug Use, Violence, and Depressive Symptoms with Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Women with Alcohol Misuse. Womens Health Issues. 2018; 28(4):367-374. PMC: 6592607. DOI: 10.1016/j.whi.2018.04.004. View

18.

Degenhardt L, Hall W . Extent of illicit drug use and dependence, and their contribution to the global burden of disease. Lancet. 2012; 379(9810):55-70. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61138-0. View

19.

Molina P, Amedee A, Winsauer P, Nelson S, Bagby G, Simon L . Behavioral, Metabolic, and Immune Consequences of Chronic Alcohol or Cannabinoids on HIV/AIDs: Studies in the Non-Human Primate SIV Model. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2015; 10(2):217-32. PMC: 4470723. DOI: 10.1007/s11481-015-9599-8. View

20.

DeAtley T, Mathews C, Stein D, Grelotti D, Brown L, Giovenco D . Risk and protective factors for use among adolescents in South Africa. Addict Behav Rep. 2020; 11:100277. PMC: 7195513. DOI: 10.1016/j.abrep.2020.100277. View