Resistance to fluoroquinolones and second-line injectable drugs: impact on multidrug-resistant TB outcomes.

A meta-analysis for response to treatment was undertaken using individual data of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) (resistance to isoniazid and rifampicin) patients from 26 centres. The analysis assessed the impact of additional resistance to fluoroquinolones and/or second-line injectable drugs on treatment outcome. Compared with treatment failure, relapse and death, treatment success was higher in MDR-TB patients infected with strains without additional resistance (n=4763; 64%, 95% CI 57-72%) or with resistance to second-line injectable drugs only (n=1130; 56%, 95% CI 45-66%), than in those having resistance to fluoroquinolones alone (n=426; 48%, 95% CI 36-60%) or to fluoroquinolones plus second-line injectable drugs (extensively drug resistant (XDR)-TB) (n=405; 40%, 95% CI 27-53%). In XDR-TB patients, treatment success was highest if at least six drugs were used in the intensive phase (adjusted OR 4.9, 95% CI 1.4-16.6; reference fewer than three drugs) and four in the continuation phase (OR 6.1, 95% CI 1.4-26.3). The odds of success in XDR-TB patients was maximised when the intensive phase reached 6.6-9.0 months duration and the total duration of treatment 20.1-25.0 months. In XDR-TB patients, regimens containing more drugs than those recommended in MDR-TB but given for a similar duration were associated with the highest odds of success. All data were from observational studies and methodologies varied between centres, therefore, the bias may be substantial. Better quality evidence is needed to optimise regimens.

In vitro naïve T cell proliferation failure predicts poor post-immunization responses to neoantigen, but not recall antigens, in HIV-infection.

Immune reconstitution after HAART is incomplete, but no widely accepted method to quantify subclinical immune deficiency is available. We immunized 9 HIV-negative subjects and 29 HIV-infected patients with CD4>/=450 cells/microL and undetectable HIV RNA levels with 2 doses of diphtheria/tetanus toxoid (TT) and KLH, a presumed neoantigen. We quantified the response by lymphoproliferative assay, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), and antibody titers up to 59days after enrollment. We assessed T cell proliferative capacity using anti-Vbeta3 and anti-Vbeta5 antibody stimulation, which we herein show induced predominant proliferation of naïve T cells. Subjects with detectable responses to KLH tended to exhibit greater proliferative responses to anti-Vbeta3/Vbeta5 stimulation; no such pattern was seen with response to TT. Several measures of in vitro T cell proliferative capacity correlated significantly with DTH and antibody responses to KLH, but not with TT responses; this association was independent of naïve T cell numbers. Our results indicate that naïve T cell proliferation predicts response to neo-, but not recall antigens, and suggest that it may be a meaningful reflection of in vivo immune competence in HIV-infected persons.

Proliferation responses to HIVp24 during antiretroviral therapy do not reflect improved immune phenotype or function.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain whether lymphoproliferation (LP) responses to HIVp24 in chronically infected patients treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) predict an improved cytolytic T-cell phenotype or better in vivo immune function as measured by immunization responses. METHODS: HIV-infected patients who started ART during chronic infection and who achieved viral suppression (HIV-RNA < 400 copies/ml for > 12 months) were grouped by the presence of strong [stimulation index (SI) > 10; n = 21] or absent (SI < 3; n = 18) LP to HIV-core antigen. The two groups were compared for functional immune responses to vaccination with diphtheria-toxoid, tetanus-toxoid and keyhole-limpet-hemocyanin, frequency of circulating naive and memory CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, maturation phenotype and expression of cytolytic molecules on total and HIV-specific CD8+ T cells, and frequency of memory CD4+ T cells with intracellular HIV-mRNA. Group comparisons were analyzed by non-parametric Mann-Whitney tests. Proportions were estimated by Pearson's chi analysis. RESULTS: There were no differences between the groups in immune responses to vaccination or in the numbers or phenotype of circulating T cells. In a subgroup of HLA-A2+ or B8+ patients, HIV-reactive CD8+ T cells in both groups had similar expression of perforin, granzyme A and T-cell maturation markers (CD27, CD28, CCR7, CD62L). However, patients with SI > 10 in response to HIVp24 tended to more often have high levels of circulating CD4+ T cells with intracellular HIV-1 mRNA than did patients with SI < 3. CONCLUSION: Following long-standing suppression of viral replication on ART, the presence of HIV-1 specific T-helper proliferation responses does not correlate with improved indices of immune phenotype or function but may reflect relatively higher levels of HIV-expression.

Disseminated mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) infection in the era of effective antiretroviral therapy: is prophylaxis still indicated?

Before highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART) were available for the treatment of persons with HIV infection, disseminated Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) infection was one of the most common opportunistic infections that affected people living with AIDS. Routine use of chemoprophylaxis with a macrolide has been advocated in guidelines for the treatment of HIV-infected individuals if they have a circulating CD4+ cell count of < or =50 cells/microL. In addition, lifelong prophylaxis for disease recurrence has been recommended for those with a history of disseminated MAC infection. The introduction of HAART has resulted in a remarkable decline in the incidence of opportunistic infections and death among persons living with AIDS. Considerable reconstitution of functional immune responses against opportunistic infections can be achieved with HAART. In the case of infection with MAC, there has been a substantial reduction in the incidence of disseminated infections in the HAART era, even in countries where the use of MAC prophylaxis was never widely accepted. Moreover, the clinical picture of MAC infections in patients treated with potent antiretroviral therapies has shifted from a disseminated disease with bacteraemia to a localised infection, presenting most often with lymphadenopathy and osteomyelitis. Data from several recently conducted randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials led to the current practice of discontinuing primary and secondary prophylaxis against disseminated MAC infections at stable CD4+ cell counts >100 cells/microL. These recommendations are still conservative as primary or secondary disseminated MAC infections are only rarely seen in patients who respond to HAART, despite treatment initiation at very low CD4+ cell counts. Potential adverse effects of macrolide therapy and drug interactions with antiretrovirals also metabolised via the cytochrome P450 enzyme system must be critically weighed against the marginal benefit that MAC prophylaxis may provide in addition to treatment with HAART. These authors feel that, unless patients who initiate HAART at low CD4+ cell counts do not respond to HIV-treatment, routine MAC prophylaxis should not be recommended. Nevertheless, the patient population for whom MAC prophylaxis may still be indicated in the era of HAART needs to be identified in prospectively designed clinical trials.

Nadir CD4+ T-cell count and numbers of CD28+ CD4+ T-cells predict functional responses to immunizations in chronic HIV-1 infection.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain whether delaying the initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) compromises functional immune reconstitution in HIV-1 infection in persons who regain 'normal' CD4 T-cell counts after suppressive antiretroviral therapies. DESIGN: Prospective open-label study carried out at two University-affiliated HIV-outpatient clinics in the USA. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Response to immunization was used as a model for in vivo functional immune competence in 29 HIV-1 infected patients with CD4 T-cell counts > 450 x 106 cells/l and HIV-RNA < 400 copies/ml for > 12 months after HAART and nine HIV-1 seronegative controls. After immunization with tetanus toxoid, diphtheria-toxoid, and keyhole limpet hemocyanin, immune response scores (IRS) were calculated using postimmunization antibody concentrations, lymphocyte proliferation, and delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to vaccine antigens. RESULTS: Despite normal numbers of circulating CD4 T-cells, the CD4 T-cell nadir before HAART initiation predicted the immune response to immunization (rho = 0.5; P < 0.005) while current CD4 T-cell count did not. Likewise, CD4 T-lymphocyte expression of the co-stimulatory molecule CD28 was also an independent predictor of response to immunization (rho = 0.5; P < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Even among persons who controlled HIV replication and normalized CD4 T-cell counts with HAART, pretreatment CD4 T-cell count and numbers of circulating CD4+CD28+ T-cells at immunization, but not current CD4 T-cell count, predict the ability to respond to vaccination. Delaying the initiation of HAART in chronic HIV-1 infection results in impaired functional immune restoration despite normalization of circulating CD4 T-cell numbers.

Impact of suppression of viral replication by highly active antiretroviral therapy on immune function and phenotype in chronic HIV-1 infection.

We compared immune phenotypes, lymphocyte proliferation (LP), and delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses in 28 male antiretroviral treatment-naive and experienced HIV-1-infected patients, matched pair-wise according to age and CD4+ T-lymphocyte count. Median CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts were 441 cells/microL and 483 cells/microL and median CD4+ T-lymphocyte nadirs were 435 cells/microL and 150 cells/microL in both groups, respectively. Absolute numbers of circulating T-lymphocyte subpopulations and proportions of naive and memory T-lymphocytes were comparable in the two groups. Untreated patients had greater proportions of activated CD4+ (p <.05) and CD8+ (p <.01) T-cells expressing human leukocyte antigen (HLA)DR and CD38 and fewer CD8+ cells expressing CD28 (p <.05). DTH and LP responses were comparable in both groups except for HIVp24, LP responses, and mumps DTH responses, which were of greater magnitude in the group treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) (p <.05). Thus, HIV-1-infected patients who experienced substantial increases in CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts after suppression of viral replication on HAART had fewer activated lymphocytes and similar immune function when compared with findings in untreated patients with similar CD4+ T-cell counts. HIV replication has minimal real-time effect on CD4+ T-cell function in response to non-HIV antigens but helper T-cell responses to HIV-gag antigen are impaired during ongoing viral replication and may be restored by antiretroviral therapy.

CD4+ T-lymphocyte nadir and the effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy on phenotypic and functional immune restoration in HIV-1 infection.

To evaluate the effects of the timing of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on immune reconstitution, we compared lymphocyte subpopulations and lymphocyte proliferation (LP) in response to Candida albicans, cytomegalovirus, HIV p24, Mycobacterium avium complex, pokeweed mitogen, streptokinase, and tetanus toxoid in 43 patients with pretherapy advanced, moderately advanced, and early chronic HIV-1 infection. All patients had recent CD4+ T-cell counts >450/microl and HIV RNA <400 copies/ml for >12 months. CD4+ nadirs were positively correlated with recent numbers of CD4+ T-cells (P < 0.001), memory cells (P < 0.001), and naïve CD4+ T-cells (P < 0.05) and CD4+ CD28+ T-lymphocytes (P < 0.05) and were negatively correlated with recent CD8+ T-lymphocyte counts (P < 0.05). Only CD4+ naïve T-cells normalized when HAART was initiated at lower CD4+ T-cell levels. Fifty-three percent of patients had LP responses to HIV p24 antigen. While LP responses to prevalent antigens were usually present, responses to tetanus toxoid were more common with higher CD4+ T-lymphocyte nadirs (P < 0.05). Delaying HAART may limit phenotypic and functional immune restoration in HIV-1 infection.

[Manifestation of hyper-IgE syndrome in advanced HIV-1 infection]. / Manifestation eines Hyper-IgE-Syndroms bei fortgeschrittener HIV-1-Infektion.

BACKGROUND: The classical triad of Job's syndrome (Hyper-IgE syndrome), a congenital immunodeficiency disorder, includes recurrent "cold" abscesses, pneumonias and extreme elevations of the serum IgE concentration. CASE REPORT: A 49-year-old HIV-1 infected patient with a viral load of 268,852 copies/ml plasma and a CD4+ T lymphocyte concentration of 2 cells/microliter blood was admitted to our clinic for antibiotic therapy and incision and drainage of several large abscesses. The patient suffered for approximately 5 years from recurrent pneumonias, abscesses and multiple allergies. The serum IgE level was over 100-fold elevated and, after analysis of archived serum samples, had not been influenced by fluctuations in the plasma viral load or changes in the CD4+ T lymphocyte concentration in previous years. No stigmata of Job's syndrome were present prior to the patient's HIV-1 infection. Observations on other patients with AIDS and recurrent abscesses suggest that in these patients hyperimmunoglobulinemia E is related to a cytokine class switch from a TH1 to a TH2 profile as CD4+ T lymphocytes are depleted. CONCLUSIONS: Following CD4+ T lymphocyte depletion, it has been rarely documented that HIV-1 infected patients may develop clinical symptoms and a hyperimmunoglobulinemia E, similar to patients with the congenital immunodeficency of Job's syndrome.