Influence of HCV genotype 1 subtypes on the virus response to PEG interferon alpha-2a plus ribavirin therapy.

New factors that influence the viral response in HCV non-genotype 2/3 patients must be identified in order to optimize anti-HCV treatment. This multicenter prospective study evaluates the influence of HCV variability and pharmacological parameters on the virological response of these patients to pegylated interferon α2a (peg-IFN-α2a: 180 µg/week) and ribavirin (RBV; 800-1,200 mg/day) for 48 weeks. HCV subtypes were identified by sequencing the NS5B region. Serum RBV and peg-IFN-α2a concentrations were measured at weeks 4 and 12. The 115 patients (67 men; median age = 49, range 31-76) included 64 who had never been treated and 27 co-infected with HIV. The mean baseline HCV RNA was 6.30 ± 0.06 log IU/ml and the HCV genotypes were: G1 (n = 93) with 1a (n = 37) and 1b (n = 50), G4 (n = 20) and G5 (n = 2). Most patients (79/108; 73%) had an early virological response. Independent predictors of an early virological response were interferon naive patients (OR= 2.98, 95% CI: 1.15-7.72) and RBV of >2,200 ng/ml at week 12 (OR = 3.41, 95% CI: 1.31-8.90). Forty of 104 patients (38%) had a sustained virological response. The only independent predictors of a sustained virological response were subtype 1b (OR = 6.82, 95% CI: 1.7-26.8), and HCV RNA <15 IU/ml at week 12 (OR = 25, 95% CI: 6.4-97.6). Thus a serum RBV concentration of >2,200 ng/ml was associated with an early virological response and patients infected with HCV subtype 1b had a better chance of a sustained virological response than did those infected with subtype 1a.

Increase in CD3+ CD4- T lymphocytes in patients with AIDS and disseminated Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex infection: a prospective study. GECSA. Groupe d'Epidemiologie Clinique du SIDA en Aquitaine.

In a retrospective study, an increase in double-negative (CD3+ CD4- CD8-) (DN) T lymphocytes has been shown to be an independent predictor of disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (D.MAC) infection in patients with less than 100 CD4+ T cells per mm3. To better characterize this cell expansion, a prospective study was designed. From July 1995 to April 1997, 206 HIV-infected patients with less than 100 CD4+ T cells per mm3 were prospectively followed up and immunophenotyped. The median followup was 1.1 year (+/-0.5 year), and 14 new D.MAC infections were diagnosed among 84 first AIDS-defining events. In univariate and multivariate analyses, D.MAC infections were the only opportunistic infection with a significant increase in DN T-cell percentage (median = 6.6; range = 1.7 to 24.5, P = 0.004) compared with patients without any opportunistic infection. This alteration in T-lymphocyte count could constitute a predictor for D.MAC infection in clinical practice.

Hemodynamic characterization of the CarboMedics mitral valve prosthesis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS OF THE STUDY: The hemodynamic function of the CarboMedics bileaflet mitral valve prosthesis was evaluated by Doppler echocardiography and by heart catheterization. The clinical state of the invasively examined patients was evaluated before and after surgery. METHODS: Doppler echocardiography was performed in 54 patients at six months after surgery. Further, combined right and left heart catheterization was performed in 22 of these patients before surgery and at six months thereafter. RESULTS: The Doppler mean gradients were small (3.6 +/- 1.2 mmHg), and corresponded well with Doppler mean gradients in the subgroup examined with both methods (3.5 +/- 1.1 mmHg) and with the invasive gradients (3.4 +/- 1.9 mmHg); there was also no difference between the different valve sizes. Clinically, pressure recovery distal to the valve is probably so small that no systematic difference between the two techniques of measurement is present. Only physiological regurgitation was found, and no case of valve dysfunction. The patients improved from functional NYHA class 3.1 +/- 0.4 to 1.4 +/- 0.6, regardless of preoperative diagnosis, with most pronounced improvement in those with mitral stenosis. Pulmonary artery pressure was normalized. Pulmonary vascular resistance and cardiac index improved slightly. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the valvular prostheses demonstrated excellent hemodynamic function. There was striking agreement between the small invasive and non-invasive gradients. Finally, the functional status of the patients improved considerably, most distinctly in those patients with prior mitral stenosis.

[Dilated cardiomyopathy and selenium deficiency in AIDS. Apropos of a case]. / Cardiomyopathie dilatée et déficit en sélénium au cours du SIDA. A propos d'un cas.

Cardiac-related death of HIV-positive patients is not rare. The etiology of AIDS-associated dilated cardiomyopathies often remains unknown, even at autopsy. We report an observation associated to a severe deficit in selenium. The patient had been diagnosed as HIV-positive 2 years before. He presented Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia then Cryptococcus meningitis. Two months later he was hospitalized for pancreatitis and cachexia. He presented global heart failure that lead to death. No microorganism was found in myocardium at autopsy but plasma selenium was dramatically decreased (24 micrograms/L). The deficit in selenium has been associated to a dilated cardiomyopathy in non-AIDS patients. HIV-positive patients have an early decrease in plasma selenium, this concentration is dramatically decreased in malnourished patients. Selenium deficit might be the cause of some of the AIDS-related dilated cardiomyopathies and selenium supplementation might be useful in these patients.

[Kikuchi-Fujimoto necrotizing histiocytic lymphadenitis: apropos of 2 cases and review of the literature]. / Adénite histiocytaire nécrosante de Kikuchi-Fujimoto: a propose de deux cas et revue de la littérature.

The Kikuchi-Fujimoto's syndrome is an histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis which is observed at any ages but preferentially among young adults. The sex ratio is about 4:1 in favour of women. It is clinically characterized by cervical lymph nodes in a context of fever and asthenia. Sometimes, there is transitory leucopenia and an increase of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The course of the disease is spontaneously favourable in 1 or 3 months but recurrence is possible. The histology of the lymph node could mimic a malignant lymphoma and the immunohistochemical findings are of a great importance (Ki-M1P or KP1 antibody). The etiology remains unknown but some infectious diseases have been suspected (toxoplamosis, Epstein-Barr virus). Its association with a systemic lupus erythematous had been described and this set the problem of its physiopathology. We report two new cases of Kikuchi-Fujimoto's syndrome which one was attributed to Epstein-Barr virus primo-infection and the other associated with a systemic lupus erythematous.

[Recurrent fever and skin eruption revealing chronic meningococcemia]. / Fièvre prolongée associée à une éruption cutanée diffuse révélant une méningococcémie chronique.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic meningococcemia is an unusual clinical presentation within the spectrum of infections due to Neisseria meningitidis. CASE REPORT: We report a 32-year-old man who presented with a 15-day history of fever and maculopapular skin rash, in the absence of meningeal irritation or severe sepsis manifestation. Blood culture identified N. meningitidis. Clinical course was uneventful after antibiotic treatment was initiated. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis of chronic meningococcemia is crucial for optimal management of the patient and his/her contacts. Such a diagnosis should be suspected in the presence of the characteristic clinical triad (recurrent fever, skin rash and arthralgia), and this clinical presentation should be distinguished from systemic vasculitis as inadequate prescription of corticosteroids may be deleterious.

Physical training and occupational rehabilitation after aortic valve replacement.

Forty-four patients were tested 2, 6 and 12 months after an isolated aortic valve implantation in order to evaluate the influence of training and vocational assistance on physical work capacity and the rate of reemployment. They were randomly allocated to a training group (A) or a control group (B). Training was carried out from the eighth to the twelfth week after operation and the socio-occupational status was evaluated. Training increased physical work capacity, expressed as cumulated work (CW), by 58 per cent (P less than 0.001), decreased the rate-pressure product (RPP) by 13 per cent (P less than 0.001) and the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) by 13 per cent (P less than 0.001) at the highest comparable work load. The CW was 38 per cent higher in the training than the control group after 6 (P less than 0.02) and 37 per cent after 12 months (P less than 0.025). After one year 81 per cent in group A and 65 per cent in group B were working (NS). Reemployment correlated significantly with the CW and inversely with the duration of sick leave prior to operation. Thus, physical training shortly after aortic valve operation rapidly and persistently improves physical work capacity while return to work is less influenced by training and socio vocational assistance.

Effects of intensive exercise training on lipid levels in high risk post-MI patients.

One hundred and two patients participated in a 4 week programme of intensive exercise training early after myocardial infarction. Lipid levels were measured before and after exercise training. The mean exercise capacity increased by 49% (P = 0.0001). Twenty-one patients who continued smoking and 25 non-beta-blocked patients were considered to have an increased risk of recurrent cardiac events, as were patients with high initial lipid levels. In the smokers and non-beta-blocked patients total cholesterol decreased by 0.30 mmol.l-1 (P = 0.031) and 0.37 mmol.l-1 (P = 0.042) respectively and triglycerides by 0.28 mmol.l-1 (P = 0.058) and 0.13 mmol.l-1 (P = 0.11). Patients with high initial cholesterol and triglyceride levels had the largest cholesterol and triglyceride decrease, r = 0.43 (P = 0.0001) and r = 0.38 (P = 0.001) respectively. After adjusting for initial lipid levels, cholesterol (P = 0.036) as well as triglycerides (P = 0.034) decreased in patients without beta-blocker treatment whereas smoking no longer had an independent effect on lipid level decrease. HDL-cholesterol did not change in any group. Thus, after 4 weeks of exercise training lipid profiles were improved in patients with an increased risk of recurrent cardiac events. Beta-blocker treatment, however, seemed to hinder the beneficial effects of exercise training on lipid levels.

Ivermectin-responsive Demodex infestation during human immunodeficiency virus infection. A case report and literature review.

We report the case of a 56-year-old HIV-seropositive man who presented a facial Demodex infection developed 2 months after initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy. The Demodex infection was confirmed by scrapings and histopathologic examination and by the dramatic response to antiparasitic treatment with oral ivermectin associated with 5% permethrin cream.

Hemodynamic response and valve performance during graded physical exercise in patients with Medtronic-Hall aortic valve prosthesis.

The Medtronic-Hall aortic valve prosthesis has been studied in order to evaluate its efficacy to respond to moderate (50 Watts) and heavy (100 Watts) physical exercise. A marked increase in cardiac index from 2.86 +/- 0.45 l/min/m2 BSA at rest to 6.80 +/- 0.51 l/min/m2 BSA at the heaviest work load was well-tolerated. Peak pressure gradient rose from 7.9 +/- 8.7 mmHg at rest to 23.0 +/- 16.3 mmHg during the heaviest physical exercise. Utilization of the available valve orifice area was acceptably good. The discharge coefficient, which is the ratio between the effective orifice area and the internal stent orifice area, was 0.69 +/- 0.17 at rest. The performance index, which is the ratio between the effective orifice area and the annulus area, was 0.44 +/- 0.11 at rest. Both indices tended to increase during maximal exercise, possibly due to a more favorable position of the valve in relation to flow pattern.

[Shunt quantification in adults with atrial septal defects using the radionuclide technique]. / Shuntberegning ved atrieseptumdefekt hos voksne ved bruk av radionuklidteknikk.

Quantification of left to right shunt was carried out in 15 adult patients, mean age 49 years, with a suspected ostium secundum atrial septal defect (ASD II). Radionuclide shunt quantitation correlated well with the results of right heart catheterization (r = 0.85). The radionuclide technique failed in two patients for technical reasons, but revealed no false negative or false positive results when technically satisfactory. The diagnosis was confirmed at operation. It is concluded that the radionuclide technique is a useful and reliable method which can also be used at follow-up after surgery in patients with atrial septal defects of secundum type.

Randomised training after myocardial infarction: short and long-term effects of exercise training after myocardial infarction in patients on beta-blocker treatment. A randomized, controlled study.

In this study we assessed the short- and long-term effects of 4-weeks of exercise training (MI) soon after myocardial infarction in patients on beta-blocker treatment. Thirty-seven male patients < or = 65 years of age were included in the study, 19 of them randomized to exercise training (ET) and 18 to a control group (Ctr). Cumulated work (CW), calculated in kiloJoules (kJ), was recorded before immediately after the intervention period and again six months after the MI. In the short term the mean (SD) CW increased by 22% (from 65(20) to 79(25) kJ) in the ET group, compared with no change in the Ctr patients (65(24) vs 65(21) kJ) (p = 0.009). At late follow-up CW was 14% above baseline in the ET patients (65(20) vs 74(20) kJ) p = 0.036, compared with only 6% in the 15 Ctr patients who were still available for follow-up (68(24) vs 72(29) kJ), but without a significant between-group difference. In post-MI patients on beta-blocker treatment, and with a high baseline exercise capacity, physical training improved exercise capacity in the short term, but there was no significant between-group difference at long-term follow-up.

Effect of intravenous digitoxin on inotropy, haemodynamics and P-Q interval in ischaemic heart disease.

The haemodynamic and electrophysiologic responses to rapid intravenous injection of digitoxin (0.6 mg over 5 min) were measured in 6 patients with chronic coronary heart disease without clinical heart failure. Two minutes after end of injection peripheral resistance increased and stroke volume fell, while peak dP/dt in the right ventricle showed minimal increase. AV nodal conduction velocity decreased markedly. Thereafter, the peripheral resistance remained unchanged, stroke volume and peak dP/dt in the right ventricle increased slightly, while AV conduction remained stable. In 2 control patients stable values were found during 60 min. We conclude that digitoxin given intravenously as a single bolus injection induces an abrupt slight increase in peripheral resistance. Thereafter, a gradual increase in inotropy is found. The effect on the AV node appears rapidly and remains stable.

Simple clinical data are useful in predicting effect of exercise training after myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to determine whether simple clinical variables can predict the effect of intensive exercise training in an unselected population early after myocardial infarction. METHODS: Starting 5 weeks after the qualifying myocardial infarction, 105 patients, 68 years old or younger, completed a 4 week period of intensive exercise training. The training effect was defined as an absolute increase in cumulative work at bicycle ergometry. Using univariate and multivariate analysis, 28 variables were tested against the training effect. RESULTS: The mean exercise capacity increased from 46.7 +/- 22.7 kJ to 69.5 +/- 31.1 kJ (P = 0.0001). Multivariate analysis identified five independent predictors of the training effect. Myocardial infarct size was associated with a better training effect (P = 0.0018), as was male gender (P = 0.0042) and ability to exercise to exhaustion at the baseline exercise test (P = 0.0124). Older age (P = 0.0017) and treatment with beta-adrenergic blocking agents (P = 0.0241) were associated with a lower effect from training. These five variables explained 33% of the variations in effect from training. Patients suffering in-hospital cardiac complications or congestive heart failure achieved a training effect at least as great as patients without cardiac complications. CONCLUSIONS: Five simple clinical variables, including infarct size, can assist in the selection of patients for exercise training after myocardial infarction.