Patients In Clinical Categories Research Articles

Association between mannose-binding lectin and HIV infection and progression in a Chinese population

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a circulating pattern recognition molecule involved in the innate immune system that mediates phagocytosis and activates complement by binding to a carbohydrate extremity. Some MBL genetic polymorphisms result in deficient protein levels and increased susceptibility to infection. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between MBL2 exon 1 polymorphisms, serum levels of normal MBL, and HIV-1 infection and progression in a Chinese population. A total of 1075 adult patients infected with HIV-1 (532 male and 543 female) were recruited. The genotype of 145 patients was determined and the genotype frequencies compared with healthy population controls. The disease status of patients was evaluated for different MBL2 genotypes and normal MBL serum levels. MBL2 exon 1 polymorphisms (A/O or O/O) were significantly more common in HIV-1-infected patients than in the healthy controls. Patients in clinical categories B/C with severe diseases were significantly more likely to have one variant allele. There was a statistical relationship between MBL2 genotypes and MBL serum levels. In addition, higher CD4+ T cell counts and ratios of CD4+ T cells:CD8+ T cells were observed in patients with medium MBL levels than with low or high MBL levels. Patients with mild diseases were also more likely to have medium MBL levels than high levels. Analysis of MBL levels with respect to sex yielded differences. Median MBL levels were substantially higher in males than in females in HIV-1-infected patients. Lower CD4+ T cell counts were detected in males with low MBL levels, but the opposite was observed in females. Our results suggest that genetic polymorphisms resulting in MBL deficiency are associated with increased susceptibility to HIV-1 infection and disease progression in the studied population. Moreover, serum circulating levels of normal MBL in HIV-1-infected patients could be an important auxiliary biological marker in association with CD4+ T cell counts in the evaluation of HIV-1 disease progression. The sex differences in the regulation of MBL serum levels during infection merit further exploration.

Early Modification of Initial HAART Regimen Associated with Poor Clinical Outcome in HIV Patients

Although the importance of the initial regimen in highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has been emphasized, the effect on clinical outcome of early modification of the initial HAART regimen has not been well-defined. The analysis included antiretroviral-naive HIV patients who started HAART between 1999 and 2005 at a university hospital. Early modification was defined as any drug change within 2 months of starting HAART. The effect of early regimen modification on the occurrence of new AIDS-defining illness or death was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival estimates, and hazard ratios were estimated using Cox's proportional hazards regression model. Of 398 patients beginning HAART, 21% experienced early modification of their regimen, the most common reason being gastrointestinal toxicity (49%). After adjusting for risk factors for occurrence of a new AIDS event or death, identified by univariate analysis, the hazards ratio contrasting early modification with maintenance of initial HAART regimen was 3.06 (95% confidence interval, 1.36-6.90; p = 0.007). There were significant differences between the AIDS event-free survival curves of patients in clinical categories B or C with or without early modification of initial HAART regimen (p = 0.0002), but no significant difference in patients in clinical category A (p = 0.706). A considerable proportion of patients who started HAART changed treatment regimen mainly due to intolerance early after start of HAART. Early modification of an initial HAART regimen was associated with poor clinical outcome in HIV patients in the advanced clinical categories.

Assay of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes by a convenient precipitation and inhibition methodology.

By combining the theophylline inhibition assay for placential isoenzyme analysis with the lectin precipitation procedure for bone isoenzyme detection, a new more complete method for alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme analysis was devised. Moreover, the method employs common clinical laboratory instruments and is easy to perform.After an examination of the method and its verification by electrophoretic methods with commercial control samples and clinical samples, a careful study was performed to determine the normal ranges. These results were then used as guidelines for placing patients in clinical categories. Verification of these categories by other clinical data on the patients confirmed the validity of the method.