Human Deficiency Virus Infection Research Articles

Characteristics of rectal chlamydia among men who have sex with men in southern Taiwan, 2020-2022: An emerging threat of rectal lymphogranuloma venereum L2b.

The prevalence of rectal chlamydia among men who have sex with men (MSM) without human deficiency virus infection (non-HIV) remains uncertain in Taiwan, and rectal lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) among MSM has never been reported in the Far East. From January 2020 to April 2022, MSM coming for anonymous voluntary counseling and testing, for pre-exposure prophylaxis, and for antiretroviral therapy were enrolled. All participants submitted his fecal samples and completed a QR-code questionnaire. Medical records of those who took regular medical visits for HIV were recorded. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for all fecal samples, and ompA gene sequencing was therefore performed for each Chlamydia-positive fecal sample. Among 341 MSM during 2020-2022 in southern Taiwan, 21 (6.2%) had rectal chlamydia infection. Risk factors of rectal chlamydia included co-infection with rectal gonorrhea (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 6.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.44-31.91, P=0.015) and multiple sexual partners (AOR 1.373, 95% CI 1.002-1.882, P=0.048). Further ompA gene sequencing from 19 Chlamydia-positive fecal samples revealed that the prevalent genotypes or genovariants were Da (26.3%) and L2b (26.3%), followed by B (21.1%), J (14.3%), and G (9.5%). All cases of rectal LGV genovariant L2b presented as acute proctitis with diarrhea, anal pain, or discharge and were treated successfully with prolonged treatment of doxycycline. Rectal gonorrhea and multiplex sexual partners are risk factors for rectal chlamydia. Clinicians in Taiwan should be aware of the emerging threat of rectal LGV among MSM with acute proctitis.

Primary Sternal Osteomyelitis Caused by Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus: A Diagnosis Rare in Healthy Adults

Primary sternal osteomyelitis (PSO) is a rare clinical entity, and usually, it is associated with predisposing factors such as intravenous drug use, diabetes mellitus, or human deficiency virus infection. In an otherwise healthy adult, it becomes an even rarer entity. Early diagnosis and treatment minimize associated morbidity, like the need for surgical debridement, longer courses of medication, and length of in-hospital stay.We describe the case of a 54-year-old man without any predisposing risk factors for PSO, who presented with chest pain, erythema, tenderness, and warmth at the right parasternal region. A non-enhanced thoracic tomography showed a 33 mm suspicious pulmonary nodule and no signs of sternum abnormalities. To better evaluate this finding, a positron emission tomography with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose was performed, showing abnormal uptake of the radionuclide at the sternomanubrial synchondrosis and no abnormal uptake at the lung parenchyma. The presence of Staphylococcus aureus in blood cultures, in conjunction with these results, supported the diagnosis of PSO. The patient completed six weeks of microbiologically oriented antibacterial therapy with complete recovery.

Modulation of gene expression in CD4+ T lymphocytes following in vitro HIV infection: a comparison between human and chimpanzee.

Chimpanzees are susceptible to experimental infection by human deficiency virus (HIV)-1, but unlike humans, they exceptionally develop an immunodeficiency syndrome after HIV-1 inoculation. To explore the difference between human and chimpanzee, we analyzed the expression of 1547 genes of various functions in human or chimpanzee CD4+ lymphoblasts inoculated in vitro with HIV-1. We observed that, 1day after HIV inoculation, fifty-eight genes were up-regulated in lymphoblasts of the three humans while their expression remained unchanged in lymphoblasts of the three chimpanzees. One gene is involved in adhesion of HIV (catenin-alpha), three in the immune response (semaphorin 4D, placental growth factor, IL-6), three in apoptosis (deleted in colorectal carcinoma, caspase 9 and FOXO1A). No difference between species was revealed for the expression of 373 genes related to glycosylation pathways. The in vitro human/chimpanzee comparison reveals new candidate genes up-regulated after inoculation with HIV-1 only in human lymphoblasts and which could be related to the higher sensitivity of human to HIV-induced AIDS.

Adrenal Enzyme Impairment in Neonates and Adolescents Treated with Ritonavir and Protease Inhibitors for HIV Exposure or Infection

Background: Human deficiency virus (HIV) protease inhibitors (PIs) are widely used drugs whose effects are pharmacologically enhanced by ritonavir, a potent cytochrome P450 inhibitor. We reported previously that prophylactic postnatal ritonavir-PI therapy in HIV-exposed neonates was associated with increases in plasma 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S). Aims: To further investigate adrenal function in neonates and adolescents given ritonavir-PI. Methods: Adrenal function was assessed prospectively in 3 HIV-exposed neonates given short-term prophylactic treatment and 3 HIV-infected adolescents given long-term treatment. Plasma cortisol, 17-OHP, 17-OH-pregnenolone, DHEA-S, and androstenedione were measured before and after ACTH administration. Results: None of the patients had clinical signs of adrenal dysfunction. The only neonate exposed to ritonavir-PI in utero had up to 3-fold increases in plasma 17-OHP. Increases in 17-OH-pregnenolone of up to 3.1-fold were noted in 4 of the 6 patients, and all 6 patients had elevations in DHEA-S (up to 20.4-fold increase) and/or DHEA (up to 4.7-fold) and/or androstenedione (up to 5.2-fold). All these parameters improved after treatment completion. Conclusion: Neonates and adolescents given ritonavir-PI exhibit a similar adrenal dysfunction profile consistent with an impact on multiple adrenal enzymes. These abnormalities require evaluation, given the potentially long exposure times.

Spectrum and survival of cancer in cohort of HIV-infected population

Objection To investigate the spectrum and survival status of HIV positive cancer in HuBei province, China. Methods HIV positive cancer patients were added up and followed up who had registered in Zhongnan Hospital between January 2004 and June 2009. The prognostic features were determined for HIV patients with cancer. Results The average age of HIV positive and HIV negative group who suffered with malignant neoplasm were 42.5±8.8 years and 55.1±13.7 years respectively (P ＜0.05), mean CD4 counts were (220.9±142.3)/μl and (554.4±174.3)/μl, respectively (P ＜0.05), the types of common cancer were NHL, cervical cancer, liver cancer and lung cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, respectively. Anticancer and/or ART treatment were the important positive prognostic factors. Additional factors such as age and CD4 count were associated with survival of cancer patients with HIV infection. Conclusion Mean age of HIV positive cancer patients is about 42 years old. NHL, cervical cancer and liver cancer are HIV associated malignant tumor. ART and anticancer can effectively prolong the survival of HIV infected patients with cancer. Key words: Human deficiency virus(HIV); Neoplasm; Antineoplastic protocols; Survival

Knowledge, attitudes and sources of information regarding HIV/AIDS in Iranian adolescents

The World Health Organization recently reported an ‘alarming trend’ of increasing Human Deficiency Virus (HIV) infection in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Adolescents form a particularly important target group for primary prevention. An anonymous questionnaire, derived from standard surveys such as the Safer Choices questionnaire and the 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, was distributed to 1227 Iranian students attending 19 randomly selected high schools in Hashtgerd in 2002. Students reported that television (84%) and school teachers (66%) were the best sources of HIV/AIDS information, while parents (27%) and school books (15%) were least informative. Most students knew that heterosexual intercourse (90%) and shared intravenous needles (94%) can cause HIV infection; however, salient misconceptions were revealed. Only 53% were aware that condoms protect against infection through sexual intercourse. More effective school-based HIV/AIDS education is needed in Iran.

Evaluation of an expanded two-ELISA approach for confirmation of reactive serum samples in an HIV-screening programme for pregnant women

Serum specimens were collected from 31,232 pregnant women in Amsterdam between 1988 and 1995 in a screening programme for human deficiency virus (HIV) infection. The sera of 56 (0.179%) women tested were confirmed as positive for HIV. A total of 67 sera reacted positive or borderline by the screening enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indeterminate or negative by HIV-1 Western blot; 42 of these specimens were available for evaluation of the strategy for diagnosis of HIV infection. A two-ELISA approach with the second ELISA based on a principle different from that of the screening ELISA, expanded with the use of a membrane immunoassay based on two synthetic peptides specific for HIV-1 gp41 and HIV-2 gp36 envelope proteins, was compared with the Western blot analysis. Indeterminate results were resolved with a nucleic acid sequence-based amplification assay (NASBA) for HIV-1 RNA and a strip immunoassay (SIA) for the simultaneous detection of antibodies to HIV-1 or HIV-2 and HIV-1 p24 antigen. Eleven samples were weakly or borderline positive by the screening test and gave indeterminate results by Western blot. The expanded two-ELISA approach designated these sera as HIV-negative, and confirmed negative by NASBA and the SIA. Twenty-one samples showed borderline or positive results on the screening test and negative results by Western blot. Again, these sera were characterised as HIV-negative by the expanded two-ELISA procedure, and this characterisation was confirmed by both NASBA and the SIA. Five HIV-2-positive serum samples were recognised by the expanded two-ELISA approach and the SIA; these sera were negative by NASBA. Finally, another five serum samples were weakly or borderline positive by both ELISAs and positive by the membrane immunoassay; of these five, two sera generated positive patterns and the other three indeterminate patterns on Western blots, and four were positive by the NASBA assay. Follow-up serum specimens from these five women were negative and the reactivity of the initial specimens was thus likely to have been the result of cross-contamination. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of a simple confirmation approach of two HIV ELISAs expanded with a membrane spot assay to discriminate between infection with HIV-1 or HIV-2. The data also indicate the importance of retesting individuals with indeterminate or positive confirmational results to exclude the possibility of contamination as the cause of reactivity of the original specimen.

Evaluation of an expanded two‐ELISA approach for confirmation of reactive serum samples in an HIV‐screening programme for pregnant women

Serum specimens were collected from 31,232 pregnant women in Amsterdam between 1988 and 1995 in a screening programme for human deficiency virus (HIV) infection. The sera of 56 (0.179%) women tested were confirmed as positive for HIV. A total of 67 sera reacted positive or borderline by the screening enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indeterminate or negative by HIV-1 Western blot; 42 of these specimens were available for evaluation of the strategy for diagnosis of HIV infection. A two-ELISA approach with the second ELISA based on a principle different from that of the screening ELISA, expanded with the use of a membrane immunoassay based on two synthetic peptides specific for HIV-1 gp41 and HIV-2 gp36 envelope proteins, was compared with the Western blot analysis. Indeterminate results were resolved with a nucleic acid sequence-based amplification assay (NASBA) for HIV-1 RNA and a strip immunoassay (SIA) for the simultaneous detection of antibodies to HIV-1 or HIV-2 and HIV-1 p24 antigen. Eleven samples were weakly or borderline positive by the screening test and gave indeterminate results by Western blot. The expanded two-ELISA approach designated these sera as HIV-negative, and confirmed negative by NASBA and the SIA. Twenty-one samples showed borderline or positive results on the screening test and negative results by Western blot. Again, these sera were characterised as HIV-negative by the expanded two-ELISA procedure, and this characterisation was confirmed by both NASBA and the SIA. Five HIV-2-positive serum samples were recognised by the expanded two-ELISA approach and the SIA; these sera were negative by NASBA. Finally, another five serum samples were weakly or borderline positive by both ELISAs and positive by the membrane immunoassay; of these five, two sera generated positive patterns and the other three indeterminate patterns on Western blots, and four were positive by the NASBA assay. Follow-up serum specimens from these five women were negative and the reactivity of the initial specimens was thus likely to have been the result of cross-contamination. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of a simple confirmation approach of two HIV ELISAs expanded with a membrane spot assay to discriminate between infection with HIV-1 or HIV-2. The data also indicate the importance of retesting individuals with indeterminate or positive confirmational results to exclude the possibility of contamination as the cause of reactivity of the original specimen. J. Med. Virol. 54:285–290, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.