Gilles Lambert

Publications (4)9.24 Total impact

• Article: Prevalence of HIV and hepatitis C virus infections among inmates of Quebec provincial prisons.

  Céline Poulin, Michel Alary, Gilles Lambert, Gaston Godin, Suzanne Landry, Hélène Gagnon, Eric Demers, Elena Morarescu, Jean Rochefort, Christiane Claessens
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  ABSTRACT: To determine the prevalence of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections and examine risk factors for these infections among inmates in Quebec provincial prisons. Anonymous cross-sectional data were collected from January to June 2003 for men (n = 1357) and women (n = 250) who agreed to participate in the study and who completed a self-administrated questionnaire and provided saliva samples. The prevalence of HIV infection was 2.3% among the male participants and 8.8% among the female participants. The corresponding prevalence of HCV infection was 16.6% and 29.2%, respectively. The most important risk factor was injection drug use. The prevalence of HIV infection was 7.2% among the male injection drug users and 0.5% among the male non-users. Among the women, the rate was 20.6% among the injection drug users, whereas none of the non-users was HIV positive. The prevalence of HCV infection was 53.3% among the male injection drug users and 2.6% among the male non-users; the corresponding values among the women were 63.6% and 3.5%. HIV and HCV infections constitute an important public health problem in prison, where the prevalence is affected mainly by a high percentage of injection drug use among inmates.
  Canadian Medical Association Journal 08/2007; 177(3):252-6. · 8.22 Impact Factor
• Article: The C‐terminal helix of human apolipoprotein AII promotes the fusion of unilamellar liposomes and displaces apolipoprotein AI from high‐density lipoproteins

  Gilles Lambert, Anne Decout, Berlinda Vanloo, Didier Rouy, Nicolas Duverger, Athina Kalopissis, Joel Vandekerckhove, Jean Chambaz, Robert Brasseur, Maryvonne Rosseneu
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  ABSTRACT: To assess the functional properties of apolipoprotein (apo) AII and to investigate the mechanism leading to the displacement of apo AI from native and reconstituted high-density lipoproteins (HDL and r-HDL) by apo AII, wild-type and variant apo AII peptides were synthesized. The wild-type peptides, residues 53−70 and 58−70, correspond to the C-terminal helix of apo AII and are predicted to insert at a tilted angle into a lipid bilayer. We demonstrate that both the apo AII-(53−70) peptide, and to a lesser extent the apo AII-(58−70) peptide are able to induce fusion of unilamellar lipid vesicles together with membrane leakage, and to displace apo AI from HDL and r-HDL. Two variants of the apo AII-(53−70)-wild-type (WT) peptide, designed either to be parallel to the water/lipid interface [apo AII-(53−70)-0+] or to retain an oblique orientation [apo AII-(53−70)-30+], were synthesized in order to test the influence of the obliquity on their fusogenic properties and ability to displace apo AI from HDL. The parallel variant did not bind lipids, due to its self-association properties. However, the apo AII-(53−70)-30+ variant was fusogenic and promoted the displacement of apo AI from HDL. Moreover, the extent of fusion of the apo AII-(53−70)-WT, apo AII-(58−70)-WT and apo AII-(53−70)-30+ peptides was related to the α-helical content of the lipid-bound peptides measured by infrared spectroscopy. Infrared measurements using polarized light also confirmed the oblique orientation of the helical component of the three peptides. In native and r-HDL, the tilted insertion of the C-terminal helix of apo AII resulting in a partial destabilization of the HDL external lipid layer might contribute to the displacement of apo AI by apo AII.
  European Journal of Biochemistry. 12/2001; 253(1):328 - 338.
• Article: Prison inmates' intention to demand that bleach be used for cleaning tattooing and piercing equipment.

  Hélène Gagnon, Gaston Godin, Michel Alary, Gilles Lambert, Léo-Daniel Lambert, Suzanne Landry
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  ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to document the phenomenon of tattooing and piercing in prisons in Quebec and to identify factors underlying the intention of inmates to demand that equipment used in prison for piercing and tattooing be cleaned with bleach. A total of 1,434 inmates recruited in seven prisons completed a questionnaire with the help of a community worker. The questionnaire was developed using an integrative model based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. One third of respondents had been tattooed in prison in the past and 2.6% had a piercing; 27.2% of the tattooing and 30.5% of the piercing were carried out using unsafe equipment. Three quarters of the respondents expressed a firm intention to demand that equipment used for tattooing or piercing be cleaned with bleach. Logistic regression analysis showed that personal normative beliefs (OR 5.09; 95% CI 3.54-7.32), perceived behavioural control (OR 3.55; 95% CI 2.48-5.08) and role beliefs (OR 3.23; 95% CI 1.72-6.06) were the significant determinants of intention. Interventions aimed at encouraging safer tattooing and piercing activities in prison should focus on inmates' sense of responsibility, obstacles impeding adoption of this behaviour and promotion of this behaviour as an integral part of the culture in the prison environment.
  Canadian journal of public health. Revue canadienne de santé publique 98(4):297-300. · 1.02 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Gaston Godin

  Article: Prison inmates' intention to demand that bleach be used for cleaning tattooing and piercing equipment

  Hélène Gagnon, Gaston Godin, Michel Alary, Gilles Lambert, Léo-Daniel Lambert, Mps, Suzanne Landry
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  ABSTRACT: Objective: The aim of this study was to document the phenomenon of tattooing and piercing in prisons in Quebec and to identify factors underlying the intention of inmates to demand that equipment used in prison for piercing and tattooing be cleaned with bleach. Method: A total of 1,434 inmates recruited in seven prisons completed a questionnaire with the help of a community worker. The questionnaire was developed using an integrative model based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Results: One third of respondents had been tattooed in prison in the past and 2.6% had a piercing; 27.2% of the tattooing and 30.5% of the piercing were carried out using unsafe equipment. Three quarters of the respondents expressed a firm intention to demand that equipment used for tattooing or piercing be cleaned with bleach. Logistic regression analysis showed that personal normative beliefs (OR 5.09; 95% CI 3.54-7.32), perceived behavioural control (OR 3.55; 95% CI 2.48-5.08) and role beliefs (OR 3.23; 95% CI 1.72-6.06) were the significant determinants of intention. Conclusion: Interventions aimed at encouraging safer tattooing and piercing activities in prison should focus on inmates' sense of responsibility, obstacles impeding adoption of this behaviour and promotion of this behaviour as an integral part of the culture in the prison environment.