BODY COMPOSITION CHANGES IN MEN WITH HIV/HCV COINFECTION, HIV MONOINFECTION, AND HCV MONOINFECTION.

Context: Both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represent systemic diseases that may develop metabolic complications, thus HIV/HCV coinfection metabolic changes need to be depicted. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the body composition changes in patients with either HIV and HCV monoinfections or HIV/HCV coinfection. Methods: 123 young men divided into three groups: 41 with HIV/HCV coinfection, 42 with HIV-monoinfection, and 40 with HCV-monoinfection were evaluated for total and regional bone and soft tissue body composition assessments using a Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and were compared with 40 healthy men with age and body mass index similar to the study groups. To detect sarcopenia, we calculated the appendicular limbs' lean mass index (ALMI), for obesity, we used the percent of body fat, and for lipodystrophy, we calculated the trunk/limbs index. Results: HIV/HCV coinfection is associated with a significant higher bone demineralization in all regions of interest compared to HCV or HIV monoinfections and to controls. The prevalence of bone demineralization in HIV/HCV patients was 31.7%, more frequently at lumbar spine. Fat mass and lean mass were significantly lower in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients than in controls. Lipodystrophy was found in similar percentages in all three evaluated groups (80.4% in HIV/HCV, 92.5% in HIV, and 95% in the HCV group). Sarcopenia was higher in HIV/HCV group (43.9%) and important in HCV-monoinfection group (30%). Conclusions: HIV/HCV-coinfected patients had the highest prevalence of bone demineralization, fat mass, and lean mass loss, compared to controls and to HIV and HCV monoinfections.

Lipodystrophy syndrome in HIV treatment-multiexperienced patients: implication of resistin.

BACKGROUND: Impaired production of adipocytokines is a major factor incriminated in the occurrence of lipodystrophy (LD). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate LD prevalence and subtypes in HIV treatment-multiexperienced patients, and to determine the correlations between adipocytokines and LD subtypes. METHODS: Cross-sectional study in a Romanian tertiary care hospital, between 2008 and 2010, in HIV-positive patients, undergoing cART for ≥6 months. LD diagnosis, based on clinical and anthropometric data, was classified into lipoatrophy (LA), lipohypertrophy (LH) and mixed fat redistribution (MFR). Blood samples were collected for leptin, adiponectin and resistin assessments. RESULTS: We included 100 patients, 44 % with LD, among which LA had 63 %. LA patients had sex ratio, median age, treatment duration and median number of ARV regimens of 1, 20, 93 and 3.5 compared to non-LD patients: 1.65, 31, 44 and 1. LH and MFR patients were older and had higher total and LDL cholesterol versus non-LD patients. For both overall group and female group, LA was associated in univariate and multivariate analysis with increased resistin (p = 0.02 and 0.04) and number of ARV regimens (p < 0.001). Determination coefficient (Nagelkerke R (2)) of increased resistin and the number of ARV combinations in the presence of LA was 33 % in overall group and 47 % in female patients. CONCLUSIONS: In our young HIV-positive population, LD had high prevalence with predominance of LA subtype. LA was associated with high resistin levels and greater number of ARV regimens in overall group and female subgroup. Resistin could be used as a marker of peripheral adipose tissue loss and might be used as a target for new anti-LD therapeutic strategies.

Rapid detection of human torque teno viruses using high-resolution melting analysis.

Torque teno viruses (TTVs) are recently discovered DNA viruses, with heterogeneous genomes, highly prevalent in populations worldwide. The species that infect humans are Torque teno virus (TTV), Torque teno midi virus (TTMDV) and Torque teno mini virus (TTMV). High-resolution melting analysis (HRMA) is a sensitive and effective method for genotyping and mutation scanning. Up to now, HRMA has not been utilized for detection of TTVs. The aim of this study was to asses if HRMA is suitable for detecting TTVs variants. DNA was extracted from the blood and saliva of 13 healthy subjects for method optimization. Additionally, saliva samples from 100 healthy individuals were collected for estimating the TTVs' prevalence. Viral DNA was amplified by heminested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Second round amplicons were used for the HRMA. The samples were analyzed using two fluorescent dyes, SYBR (®) Green I and EvaGreen®. The prevalence values for TTV, TTMDV and TTMV were 71.0, 31.0 and 54.0%, respectively. The three major melting curve patterns corresponding to TTV, TTMDV and TTMV on HRMA can be easily distinguished regardless of kit used. Our results showed that HRMA is a rapid and efficient method of detecting human TTVs.

Analysis of several BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in a hospital-based series of unselected breast cancer cases.

BACKGROUND: The distribution of BRCA mutations varies significantly between populations. The spectrum of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in breast cancers in the Romanian population is incompletely known. The aim of the present study is to investigate the presence of nine BRCA mutations in patients with breast cancer identified in a surgical clinic from Bucharest. METHODS: Unrelated women diagnosed with breast cancer from Coltea Hospital (n=114) and healthy controls (n = 150) were selected for this study. Seven mutations in BRCA1 (185delAG, 5382insC, 943ins10, E1250X, 1294del40, E1373X, R1443X) and two in BRCA2 (IVS16-2A4G and 6174delT) were tested using PCR based protocols. In addition, the presence of BRCA1 185delAG, BRCA1 5382insC, BRCA2 6174delT mutations were tested with a post amplification mutation detection system, based on the ELISA method. RESULTS: Two patients with sporadic breast cancer (2%) and one patient with family history of the disease (7.14%) have the BRCA1 5382insC mutation. No other mutation was detected in patient and control groups. The mutations were not present in the control lot. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that BRCA1 5382insC is a common mutation in Romanian women with breast cancer (3 114).

The human trigeminal ganglion: c-kit positive neurons and interstitial cells.

OBJECTIVES: The presence of c-kit positive neurons in sensory ganglia has been verified in various species but not in humans. Our aim has been to identify whether human primary trigeminal neurons label with c-kit/CD117 and thus, whether data gathered in animal studies can be extrapolated to humans. We also intended to establish whether, and which non-neuronal cells also label with c-kit in the trigeminal ganglion. METHODS: Human adult trigeminal ganglia from eight cadavers were processed for immunohistochemistry on paraffin embedded samples using monoclonal antibodies for CD117/c-kit, and three additional trigeminal ganglia were used for transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To evaluate which neuronal type (A or B) was labeled with c-kit, we evaluated the same neurons on adjacent sections labeled with antibodies for neurofilaments (NF). RESULTS: c-kit has labeled trigeminal neurons (TNs), mast cells and interstitial cells (ICs) within the trigeminal ganglion. c-kit+TNs were NF-and thus were strongly presumed to be nociceptive, as such neurons are known to be NF-poor. c-kit+ICs with long and moniliform processes intermingled with the satellite glial cells (SGCs) of the neuronal envelopes. TEM evaluations confirmed this mixed composition of the neuronal envelopes and demonstrated that the perineuronal ICs are in fact interstitial Cajal-like cells (ICLCs) and/or telocytes. CONCLUSIONS: c-kit+TNs were objectified in humans and strongly presumed to be nociceptive. TNs envelopes mostly consist of SGCs, but are also combined with ICLCs/telocytes.