Mycoplasmas infection in male HIV/AIDS patients in Jiangsu, China.

Mycoplasmas are widely distributed among animals, plants, and human. The four species namely, Mycoplasmas genitalium(Mg), Mycoplasmas fermentans(Mf), Mycoplasmas pentrans(Mpe), Mycoplasmas pirum(Mpi) are also called AIDS-associated mycoplasmas due to their involvement in the development and outcome of AIDS. To investigate the infection prevalence of Mg, Mf, Mpe and Mpi among male HIV/AIDS patients in Jiangsu Province and to analyze the relationship between pathogenic mycoplasmas and cellular immune function of them. First void urine and venous blood samples were collected and epidemiology questionnaires were administered after informed consent. Nested PCR was performed to determine the infection of Mg, Mf, Mpe and Mpi while ELISA assay was applied to detect interleukin-2(IL-2), interferon-γ(IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α). SAS 9.0 software was applied to analyze the data. A total of 713 HIV/AIDS patients were recruited in this study. The overall infection rates of Mg, Mf, Mpe and Mpi are 27.9%, 9.7%, 1.0% and 18.4% respectively. Generally, the infection rates of Mg(χ(2) = 10.311, P = 0.006) and Mpi were declined as the CD4+ cell counts increased, while Mf infection was higher in CD4+ T cell>350/µl group. The levels of cytokines are different with the variance of mycoplasmas infection. Mycoplasma infection among male HIV/AIDS patients is associated with changes in cellular immune response (cytokines). However, the affect of mycoplasmas on the immune function is complex, further studies are still required to elucidate whether mycoplasmas interact with HIV by interfering host immune system.

IFN-λ inhibits HIV-1 integration and post-transcriptional events in vitro, but there is only limited in vivo repression of viral production.

The lambda interferons (IL-28a, 28b, and IL-29) inhibit the replication of many viruses, but their role in the inhibition of HIV-1 infection remains unclear. During this study, we monitored IL-29 production in HIV-1 infected individuals and analyzed the in vitro and in vivo inhibition of HIV-1 production. Prior treatment with IL-28a or IL-29 induced an antiviral state in cultured primary T-cells, which suppressed HIV-1 integration and post-transcriptional events. The antiviral factors MxA, OAS, and PKR were up-regulated. In HIV-1 infected patients, IL-29 level was increased along with the depletion of CD4⁺ T-cells in peripheral blood, while the elevated IL-29 did not show a significantly negative correlation with viral load. Further analysis of HIV-1 infected individuals showed that IL-29 was positively correlated with IFN-ß and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, and was negatively correlated with IFN-γ, which might suggest that IFN-λ participates in modulating antiviral immune responses during HIV-1 infection in vivo. Together, although IFN-λ impeded HIV-1 infection of T-cells in vitro, IFN-λ showed only limited in vivo repression of viral production. The modulation of IFN-λ on inflammatory factors might be worthy for further concentrating on for better understanding the host immune response during HIV-1 infection.

Immunoproteomic analysis of human serological antibody responses to vaccination with whole-cell pertussis vaccine (WCV).

BACKGROUND: Pertussis (whooping cough) caused by Bordetella pertussis (B.p), continues to be a serious public health threat. Vaccination is the most economical and effective strategy for preventing and controlling pertussis. However, few systematic investigations of actual human immune responses to pertussis vaccines have been performed. Therefore, we utilized a combination of two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), immunoblotting, and mass spectrometry to reveal the entire antigenic proteome of whole-cell pertussis vaccine (WCV) targeted by the human immune system as a first step toward evaluating the repertoire of human humoral immune responses against WCV. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Immunoproteomic profiling of total membrane enriched proteins and extracellular proteins of Chinese WCV strain 58003 identified a total of 30 immunoreactive proteins. Seven are known pertussis antigens including Pertactin, Serum resistance protein, chaperonin GroEL and two OMP porins. Sixteen have been documented to be immunogenic in other pathogens but not in B.p, and the immunogenicity of the last seven proteins was found for the first time. Furthermore, by comparison of the human and murine immunoproteomes of B.p, with the exception of four human immunoreactive proteins that were also reactive with mouse immune sera, a unique group of antigens including more than 20 novel immunoreactive proteins that uniquely reacted with human immune serum was confirmed. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study is the first time that the repertoire of human serum antibody responses against WCV was comprehensively investigated, and a small number of previously unidentified antigens of WCV were also found by means of the classic immunoproteomic strategy. Further research on these newly identified predominant antigens of B.p exclusively against humans will not only remarkably accelerate the development of diagnostic biomarkers and subunit vaccines but also provide detailed insight into human immunity mechanisms against WCV. In particular, this work highlights the heterogeneity of the B.p immunoreactivity patterns of the mouse model and the human host.

The sensitivity of artesunate against Schistosoma japonicum decreased after 10 years of use in China.

Schistosomiasis due to Schistosoma japonicum is a major public health problem in China. Since 1995, artesunate has been used to treat and prevent schistosome infections in China. Artesunate previously showed a high prophylactic efficacy against schistosome infection, with a protection rate of 100%. However, recent clinical trials and animal experiments have found that the sensitivity of many schistosomes to artesunate, including Schistosoma mekongi and Schistosoma mansoni, decreased. Whether the prophylactic efficacy of artesunate on Schistosomiasis japonica decreased after being used over 10-year period was still unknown. In the current study, we conducted a double-blind trial and found that the protection rate of artesunate was only 13.5% in the Administration I group, whose dosage schedule was identical to schedules used in previous studies. Therefore, the sensitivity of S. japonicum to artesunate was confirmed to have decreased after being using for over 10 years. Moreover, when we increased the concentration of artesunate during the first week and third week, the protection reached 74.8%.

Changes in NK cell counts and receptor expressions and emergence of CD3(dim)/CD56+ cells in HIV-1 infected patients in China.

Natural killer (NK) cells are believed to play a role in human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) disease progression, and NK cell levels are reduced in individuals with chronic HIV-1 infection. In the present study, we compared the frequency and phenotype of peripheral blood CD3-CD56+ NK cells in HIV-1 infected patients in China who were infected through different routes of transmission, including heterosexual and homosexual sexual contact, and blood transmission through injection drug use or importation of blood or blood products. The results showed significantly reduced numbers of CD3-CD56+ NK cells with no association with route of transmission. The expression of CD16 on CD3-CD56+ NK cells in HIV-1 infected patients was similar to that in healthy controls. Among the examined receptor (KIR3DL1, NKp80, NKp44, CD244, NKG2D, and NTBA) expressions, only KIR3DL1 and NKp80 expressions on CD3-CD56+ NK cells were suppressed in HIV-1-infected patients compared to healthy controls, and no significant difference was observed between patients upon comparison of different routes of transmission. A subset of CD3(dim)/CD56+ cells was dramatically increased in HIV-1-infected patients. This study suggests that changes in NK cell count and receptors are not related to the route of HIV-1 transmission. A new subset of CD3(dim)/CD56+ cells emerged only in HIV-1-infected patients, and may play a role in limiting viral spread, eliminating infected cells, and slowing the progression from HIV-1 infection to AIDS.