Immunophenotype of skin lymphocytic infiltrate in patients co-infected with Mycobacterium leprae and human immunodeficiency virus: a scenario dependent on CD8+ and/or CD20+ cells.

BACKGROUND: Leprosy occurs rarely in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients. In contrast to tuberculosis, there has been no report to date of an increase in HIV prevalence among patients with leprosy or of differences in leprosy's clinical spectrum. While several studies describe the systemic immune response profile in patients co-infected with HIV and leprosy, the local immune skin response has been evaluated in only a small number of case reports and limited series of patients. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the interaction between Mycobacterium leprae and HIV infection in the skin. METHODS: We investigated the presence and frequency of cells positive for CD4, CD8, CD20, TIA-1, FOXP3 and CD123 in lymphocytic infiltrates from 16 skin biopsies taken from 15 patients with HIV-leprosy co-infection. RESULTS: CD4+ cells were absent in infiltrates from 6 (38%) skin biopsies and present in 10 (62%) cases at low levels (<1·16%) of the lymphocytic infiltrate. CD8+ was the predominant phenotype in the infiltrate (99·4%), followed by TIA-1, expressed by >75% of CD8+ cells. FOXP3+ cells were also present, representing 3·4% of the lymphocytic infiltrate. CD20+ cells were detected in 75% of the cases; however, in two cases (12%) these cells represented 25-50% of the infiltrate, while in the other 10 cases (62%) they were present only focally (<25% of the infiltrate). CD123+ cells were not observed in any of the studied specimens. CONCLUSIONS: Data presented here suggest that cell-mediated immune responses to M. leprae are preserved at the site of disease and that in the absence of CD4+ cells, CD8+FOXP3+ and CD20+ cells may be involved in granuloma formation.

[The lipodystrophy syndrome and protease inhibitor therapy in HIV infection]. / Lipodistroficki sindrom i terapija inhibitorima proteaza kod HIV infekcije.

The accumulation of adipose tissue in the dorsocervical region is a typical finding in patients with intensive glycocorticoid function. This finding was described in numerous HIV infected patients. Combined antiretroviral therapy that included a protease inhibitor implied the suggestion that dorsocervical fat pad could be a consequence of protease inhibitor therapy. This is a case report of a patient who developed a similar changes a year after the beginning of protease inhibitor therapy.

[Significance of determination of certain clinical and laboratory parameters in the evaluation of severity and outcome in sepsis]. / Znacaj odredjivanja pojedinih klinicko-laboratorijskih parametara u proceni tezine i ishoda sepse.

Sepsis and its complications are severe clinical syndrome that is caused by systemic inflammatory response of the host to infection. Despite the use of common and numerous new therapeutic protocols, mortality from this severe disease is still very high. In the study are presented 155 patients (111 males, 44 females) of average age 49.6 years with mean septic score 12.9 (2-40). Mortality in our patients was 20.6%, septic shock developed in 31.6%, ARF in 20.0%, DIC in 12.9%, and MODS in 25.8% of patients. Positive correlation existed between initial sepsis score and mortality. Older age and the presence of primary diseases (34.2% of patients) were associated with significantly higher septic score and were good prognostic factor for the poor outcome of sepsis. Between mean arterial pressure in the first 24 h after the admission and mortality existed negative correlation (p < 0.05). Positive hemocultures were found in 69.7%, and bacterial infection in 78.7% of patients. GP bacteremia was found in 55.6% of patients and GN in 45.4% of all positive hemocultures. Confirmed bacteremia and bacteremia caused by GPB were associated with the higher mortality rate compared to the patients with negative hemocultures and GN bacteremia (p < 0.05). Concentrations of fibrinogen and urea in the blood at the admission in the patients with sepsis were very good prognostic factors of the disease outcome, and leukopenia, leukocytosis and neutropenia were associated with the increased mortality. Negative correlation existed between fibrinogen concentration and mortality (p < 0.001), while positive correlation (p < 0.001) existed between urea concentration and mortality. In the absence of more efficacious therapeutic protocols, fast recognition of the sepsis, evaluation of its severity, knowledge of the risk factors for its poor outcome and aggressive use of antibiotic and existing supportive therapy can significantly decrease high mortality of this too severe clinical syndrome.