RESUMO
The primary replication site of Inï¬uenza A virus (IAV) is type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECII), which are central to normal lung function and present important immune functions. Surfactant components are synthesized primarily by AECII, which play a crucial role in host defense against infection. The aim of this study was to analyze if the impact of influenza infection is differential between A(H1N1)pdm09 and A/Victoria/3/75 (H3N2) on costimulatory molecules and ProSP-C expression in AECII from BALB/c mice infected and A549 cell line infected with both strains. Pandemic A(H1N1)pdm09 and A/Victoria/3/75 (H3N2) were used to infect BALB/c mice and the A549 cell line. We evaluated the surface expression of co-stimulatory molecules (CD45/CD31/CD74/ProSP-C) in AECII and A549 cell lines. Our results showed a significant decrease in ProSP-C+ CD31- CD45- and CD74+ CD31- CD45- expression in AECII and A549 cell line with the virus strain A(H1N1)pdm09 versus A/Victoria/3/75 (H3N2) and controls (non-infection conditions). Our findings indicate that changes in the expression of ProSP-C in AECII and A549 cell lines in infection conditions could result in dysfunction leading to decreased lung compliance, increased work of breathing and increased susceptibility to injury.
Assuntos
Alphainfluenzavirus , Vírus da Influenza A Subtipo H1N1 , Influenza Humana , Animais , Humanos , Camundongos , Células Epiteliais Alveolares , Vírus da Influenza A Subtipo H3N2 , TensoativosRESUMO
The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-Trypanosoma cruzi co-infection in a Buenos Aires health center. A retrospective analysis of the clinical charts of 602 HIV-infected patients was performed. Only 51.3% of the patients were evaluated against T. cruzi. The global co-infection prevalence was 4.2%, being more frequent among injectable drug users (IDU) (8.9% vs. 2.6%, < 0.05). The indication of T. cruzi testing should be stressed for HIV-infected patients, especially in those centers where IDU are assisted.
Assuntos
Doença de Chagas/complicações , Doença de Chagas/epidemiologia , Infecções por HIV/complicações , Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa/complicações , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa/epidemiologia , Argentina , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Prevalência , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
A cross-sectional anonymous study of 261 STD (sexually transmitted diseases) outpatients and 288 outpatients from other hospital departments was conducted at four major city hospitals in Buenos Aires. High prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (14.5%) and syphilis (30.2%) was noted. Fifty-two persons were diagnosed with both HIV and syphilis. Of the 87 HIV cases observed, 52 (59.7%) were co-infected with syphilis. Stratified analysis by gender showed that the prevalence of HIV, syphilis and HIV/syphilis co-infection was significantly (p < 0.001) higher in men than women (HIV: 20.1% vs. 4.6%; syphilis: 39.3% vs. 17.4%; co-infection: 13.6% vs. 1.7%). Integrated HIV/STD intervention programs and more effective surveillance are required in Argentina.
Assuntos
Infecções por HIV/complicações , Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Sífilis/complicações , Sífilis/epidemiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Argentina , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Hospitais , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Prevalência , População UrbanaRESUMO
In order to study the lesions produced by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) adult guinea-pigs were inoculated intraperitoneally with 1000 PFU of the WE or the Armstrong strain of LCMV. The animals were sacrificed at 3, 7, 10 and 14 days p.i. and samples were taken for hematological, histopathological and virological studies. In the guinea-pigs infected with the WE strain there was destruction of the splenic red pulp with high titers of virus and different degrees of pneumonitis. The hematological studies showed lymphopenia from day 7 p.i. onwards and focal bone marrow necrosis. In the animals infected with the Armstrong strain there was a very moderate neutropenia and virus multiplication was less than 2 logs, comparing with WE, in every case. The presence of large numbers of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) in the splenic red pulp and in the lung infiltrate previous to the mentioned lesions, encourage the interpretation that the damage is somehow mediated by these cells. The guinea-pigs infected with the WE strain could represent a very convenient model to study the role of PMN in viral diseases, as well as the non-immune pathogenetic mechanisms for LCMV.
Assuntos
Exame de Medula Óssea , Coriomeningite Linfocítica/patologia , Baço/patologia , Animais , Cobaias , Coriomeningite Linfocítica/imunologia , Coriomeningite Linfocítica/microbiologia , Neutrófilos/microbiologia , Ratos , Baço/química , Baço/imunologia , Baço/microbiologia , Linfócitos T/microbiologiaRESUMO
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) may be vertically transmitted during the pre, peri or postpartum period. Postnatal transmission as well as an increased risk of vertical transmission with breastfeeding has been shown for HIV-1 in several reports. Breastfeeding was here analyzed as a risk of HIV-1 transmission in a group of infants born to HIV-1 infected mothers. Among the 215 children studied in our population a significant difference was detected between those who were breastfed vs those who were bottle fed and finally became infected (p < 0.000000, R.R. = 4.29). We also report the case of a postnatal infection in a baby born to an HIV-1 seropositive father and a seronegative mother. Due to the risk of infection of the mother she had been thoroughly controlled when pregnant and after delivery. Mother and child were negative when retested at delivery, and at 10 months post-partum. At the age of 32 months the child attended the outpatient clinic with generalized lymphadenopathy and right parotitis. HIV-1 infection was then confirmed in both mother and child. At that time it was discovered that the baby had been breastfed up to the age of 24 months. This is the first reported child in Argentina whose infection may undoubtedly be attributed to breastfeeding.
Assuntos
Aleitamento Materno/efeitos adversos , Infecções por HIV/transmissão , HIV-1 , Transmissão Vertical de Doenças Infecciosas , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Transmissão Vertical de Doenças Infecciosas/estatística & dados numéricos , Masculino , Leite Humano , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
In order to be used as an alternative or complementary test to confirm HIV-1 infection, the efficiency of indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was compared with Western blot (WB) in 362 samples from persons with high and low risk behaviour. A panel of sera with 220 WB positive, 122 WB negative and 20 WB indeterminate sera were tested by an "in house" IFA. The sensitivity of IFA was found to be 98.63% and the specificity 98.36%. Therefore, IFA appeared to be an efficient alternative method to WB, since the cost of testing by IFA is less than 10% of WB testing. We observed a direct relationship between WB protein reactivity and IFA results. In 15 samples with coincident indeterminate results for WB and IFA, antibody reactivity to p24 and gp160 presented the highest frequency. On the other hand, antibodies to viral glycoproteins were always present in IFA weak positive samples, showing their high predictive value.
Assuntos
Sorodiagnóstico da AIDS/métodos , Técnica Indireta de Fluorescência para Anticorpo , Anticorpos Anti-HIV/análise , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , HIV-1/imunologia , Adulto , Doadores de Sangue , Western Blotting , Linhagem Celular , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática , Estudos de Avaliação como Assunto , Feminino , Antígenos HIV/imunologia , Humanos , Masculino , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Gravidez , Complicações Infecciosas na Gravidez/diagnóstico , Kit de Reagentes para Diagnóstico , Assunção de Riscos , Sensibilidade e EspecificidadeRESUMO
In order to assess early HIV infection vertically transmitted in children it is necessary to use techniques that directly detect HIV. Positive results were found in some rare cases who later seemed to have cleared the infection. We communicate two cases of children with troublesome diagnosis. Two girls born to HIV-1 infected mothers were followed-up since birth up to 40 months old, with viral culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), p24 antigen detection and serologic techniques. PCRs were positive in three opportunities at 2, 8 and 30 months of age in the first child and confirmatory tests for specific antibodies remained indeterminate up to the age of 34 months. Positive viral DNAs were detected in two opportunities in the second child at 2 and 4 months of age. Western Blots were negative since 25 months. No virus was recovered nor was p24 antigen detected during the whole period of study in either child. Sequestration of the virus in lymphatic tissue, low replicative ability of the virus and/or immunological tolerance can be postulated in the first case. In patient 2, it could be hypothesized that infection, if any, had cleared up.
Assuntos
Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , Infecções por HIV/transmissão , HIV-1 , Adulto , Pré-Escolar , DNA Viral/análise , Feminino , Proteína do Núcleo p24 do HIV/análise , HIV-1/genética , Humanos , Transmissão Vertical de Doenças Infecciosas , Reação em Cadeia da PolimeraseRESUMO
Techniques to quantify plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load (VL) are commercially available, and they are adequate for monitoring adults infected by HIV and treated with antiretroviral drugs. Little experience on HIV VL has been reported in pediatric cases. In Argentina, the evaluation of several assays for VL in pediatrics are now being considered. To evaluate the pediatric protocol for bDNA assay in HIV-infected children, 25 samples from HIV-infected children (according to CDC criteria for pediatric AIDS) were analyzed by using Quantiplex HIV RNA 2.0 Assay (Chiron Corporation) following the manufacturer's recommendations in a protocol that uses 50 microliters of patient's plasma (sensitivity: 10,000 copies/ml). When HIV-RNA was not detected, samples were run with the 1 ml standard bDNA protocol (sensitivity: 500 HIV-RNA c/ml). Nine samples belonged to infants under 12 months of age (group A) and 16 were over 12 months (group B). All infants under one year of age had high HIV-RNA copies in plasma. VL ranged from 30,800 to 2,560,000 RNA copies/ml (median = 362,000 c/ml) for group A and < 10,000 to 554,600 c/ml (median = < 10,000) for group B. Only 25% of children in group B had detectable HIV-RNA. By using the standard test of quantification, none of the patients had non detectable HIV-RNA, ranging between 950 and 226,200 c/ml for group B (median = 23,300 RNA c/ml). The suggested pediatric protocol could be useful in children under 12 months of age, but 1 ml standard protocol must be used for older children. Samples with undetectable results from children under one year of age should be repeated using the standard protocol.
Assuntos
DNA Viral/análise , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , HIV-1/genética , Adulto , Argentina , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Masculino , RNA Viral/análise , Carga ViralRESUMO
AIM: To investigate the factors associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among non-injecting cocaine users (NICUs) and to compare practices associated with HCV and HIV infection. DESIGN: An intercountry cross-sectional study. Setting Buenos Aires and Montevideo metropolitan areas. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 871 NICUs. MEASUREMENTS: NICUs were interviewed and their blood was drawn and used for HCV, HIV, HBV surface antigen (HbsAg), HB-anticore and Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VRDL) antibody assays. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses included comparisons of HCV and HIV mono-infected participants with HCV-HIV seronegatives. FINDINGS: Prevalence rates were 8.8 [95% confidence interval (CI): 6.9-10.8) for HCV and 7.9 (95% CI: 6.1-9.7) for HIV. HCV-infected NICUs were twice as likely as HCV-HIV seronegatives to have shared straws for cocaine snorting or sniffing, even when adjusted for other variables. HCV prevalence rates ranged from 3.6% among NICUs who denied sharing straws and having had an injection drug user (IDU) or an HIV-positive sexual partner to 12.6% among participants who reported ever having shared straws or having had either an IDU- or HIV-positive sexual partner (χ(2) (trend) = 6.56, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Non-injecting cocaine users from South America are vulnerable to multiple infections and HCV infection appears to occur through the sharing of straws. HCV infection is associated with intimate relationships with IDUs or HIV-seropositive partners, supporting the hypothesis that HCV risk may be due primarily to risk-taking behaviour associated with drugs in this population.
Assuntos
Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Cocaína/epidemiologia , Cocaína/administração & dosagem , Hepatite C/epidemiologia , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa/epidemiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Argentina/epidemiologia , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Cocaína/complicações , Comorbidade , Métodos Epidemiológicos , Feminino , Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Hepatite B/epidemiologia , Hepatite C/transmissão , Humanos , Masculino , Assunção de Riscos , Comportamento Sexual , Parceiros Sexuais , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa/complicações , População Urbana/estatística & dados numéricos , Uruguai/epidemiologiaAssuntos
Arenaviridae , Arenavirus do Novo Mundo , Doenças dos Roedores/microbiologia , Animais , Antígenos Virais/análise , Arenaviridae/imunologia , Arenaviridae/patogenicidade , Arenavirus do Novo Mundo/imunologia , Arenavirus do Novo Mundo/isolamento & purificação , Arenavirus do Novo Mundo/patogenicidade , Efeito Citopatogênico Viral , Reservatórios de Doenças , Feminino , Imunofluorescência , Febre Hemorrágica Americana/imunologia , Febre Hemorrágica Americana/patologia , Microscopia Eletrônica , Doenças dos Roedores/imunologia , Doenças dos Roedores/patologia , Roedores/microbiologiaRESUMO
Since the appearance of resistance to antiretroviral treatment is unavoidable, the host cell's transcription factor NF-kappaB is a novel HIV target. The goal of this study was to characterize the effect of two immunomodulators, curcumin (Cur) and sulfasalazine (Sul), with a protease inhibitor, indinavir (IDV), on HIV-1 persistently infected CD4+ T-cells. Viral p24 antigen production, viral infectivity (tested on MAGI cells) and viral relative infectivity (viral infectivity/p24) were analysed. When used alone, both immunomodulators were able to reduce viral infectivity. When in combination, both 10 microM IDV plus 10 microM Cur and 10 microM IDV plus 250 microM Sul showed a significant reduction in viral infectivity and viral relative infectivity when compared to the reduction produced by IDV alone. Thus, the use of immunomodulators with IDV could help to reduce HIV-1 production in persistently infected cells.
Assuntos
Fármacos Anti-HIV/farmacologia , Linfócitos T CD4-Positivos/virologia , Curcumina/farmacologia , HIV-1/efeitos dos fármacos , Indinavir/farmacologia , Sulfassalazina/farmacologia , Linhagem Celular , Sobrevivência Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Sinergismo Farmacológico , Inibidores Enzimáticos/farmacologia , Proteína do Núcleo p24 do HIV/metabolismo , Inibidores da Protease de HIV/farmacologia , HIV-1/fisiologia , Humanos , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinases/metabolismo , Quinase Induzida por NF-kappaBRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In liver cirrhosis, disruption of the intestinal barrier facilitates bacterial translocation and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is an anabolic hormone synthesised by hepatocytes that displays hepatoprotective activities and trophic effects on the intestine. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of IGF-I on intestinal barrier function in cirrhotic rats. METHODS: In rats with carbon tetrachloride induced cirrhosis, we investigated the effect of IGF-I therapy on: (a) portal pressure; (b) intestinal histology and permeability to endotoxin and bacteria; (c) intestinal expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), two factors that influence in a positive and negative manner, respectively, the integrity of the intestinal barrier; (d) intestinal permeability to 3H-mannitol in rats with bile duct ligation (BDL); and (e) transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) of polarised monolayers of rat small intestine epithelial cells. RESULTS: IGF-I therapy reduced liver collagen expression and portal pressure in cirrhotic rats, induced improvement in intestinal histology, and caused a reduction in bacterial translocation and endotoxaemia. These changes were associated with diminished TNF-alpha expression and elevated COX-2 levels in the intestine. IGF-I reduced intestinal permeability in BDL rats and enhanced barrier function of the monolayers of epithelial intestinal cells where lipopolysaccharide (LPS) caused a decrease in TER that was reversed by IGF-I. This effect of IGF-I was associated with upregulation of COX-2 in LPS treated enterocytes. CONCLUSIONS: IGF-I enhances intestinal barrier function and reduces endotoxaemia and bacterial translocation in cirrhotic rats. IGF-I therapy might be useful in the prevention of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in liver cirrhosis.
Assuntos
Fator de Crescimento Insulin-Like I/uso terapêutico , Absorção Intestinal/efeitos dos fármacos , Cirrose Hepática Experimental/tratamento farmacológico , Animais , Translocação Bacteriana/efeitos dos fármacos , Tetracloreto de Carbono , Células Cultivadas , Ciclo-Oxigenase 2/metabolismo , Impedância Elétrica , Endotoxinas/sangue , Enterócitos/enzimologia , Íleo/patologia , Fator de Crescimento Insulin-Like I/metabolismo , Lipopolissacarídeos/farmacologia , Cirrose Hepática Experimental/microbiologia , Cirrose Hepática Experimental/patologia , Cirrose Hepática Experimental/fisiopatologia , Masculino , Permeabilidade , Pressão na Veia Porta , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa/métodos , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/metabolismoRESUMO
Viral production and variability of HIV-1 is normally high in vivo causing the necessary conditions for cellular superinfection. In order to evaluate the superinfection dynamics in vitro, H9HTLVIIIB cell line was superinfected with HIVMN. Superinfected cells showed nearly 50% cell mortality at day 1 post-superinfection (ps), which increased significantly up to day 4 ps. Superinfecting genome was detectable until day 10 ps. The superinfecting strain was found in the supernatant only on day 1 ps, but was recovered up to day 4 ps by coculture with non-infected cells. The existing strain (HIVHXB2) was recovered throughout the studied period. Pseudotype formation by the HIVHXB2 genome and envelope proteins of the superinfecting strain (HIVMN) was observed from day 1 to 6 ps. Viral production was increased by 1.7 LOG in superinfected cells from day 1 ps. Both viral production increase and pseudotype formation could be relevant for HIV pathogenesis in vivo.
Assuntos
Genoma Viral , Infecções por HIV/virologia , HIV-1/fisiologia , Superinfecção/virologia , Ativação Viral , Linhagem Celular , Técnicas de Cocultura , Efeito Citopatogênico Viral , Anticorpos Anti-HIV/imunologia , HIV-1/genética , HIV-1/imunologia , Humanos , Testes de Neutralização , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCM virus) interfering particles (IP) were generated in cultivated cells and their properties determined. Unlike true defective interfering (DI) particles, LCM virus IP did not show the phenomenon of enrichment and, consequently, passaging the virus undiluted did not result in their accumulation; in fact, more IP were produced during dilute passages. Furthermore, the progeny of each of 20 plaques contained high numbers of IP. On the basis of these and previous observations, we consider LCM virus IP not deletion mutants but by-products of virus synthesis.
Assuntos
Vírus da Coriomeningite Linfocítica/fisiologia , Interferência Viral , Vírion/fisiologia , Animais , Células L/microbiologia , Camundongos , Fatores de Tempo , Ensaio de Placa Viral , Cultura de Vírus , Replicação ViralRESUMO
Analysis of radioactively labelled and highly purified infectious lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) revealed 12 components which, according to their apparent molecular weight and glycosylation status, were designated as p19, p25, p26, gp35, p38, gp44, gp60, p63, p77, gp85, gp130, and p200. As shown by immunoprecipitation, they all bound to rabbit anti-LCM virus antibodies. Three proteins, namely gp35 (= 'GP-2'), gp44 (= 'GP-1') and p63 (= 'NP'), had previously been described by others as major constituents of the virion. Our results confirm this and suggest that gp60, p77, gp85, and p200 are further distinct structural proteins. In contrast, p25 and p38 appear to be cleavage or degradation products of p63; p19 and p26 seem to belong to gp60, which could be the monomeric form of a dimer, gp130. Peptide mapping by limited proteolysis revealed considerable overlapping of amino acid sequences among the major glycoproteins with one peptide being common to all. From the results of PAGE performed after external labelling of intact virions, we conclude that gp44, gp60, and gp85 (but not gp35) form the surface of the virus envelope. Analytical isoelectric focusing under non-reducing conditions has shown that the major glycoproteins appeared to consist of several components with different isoelectric points.
Assuntos
Vírus da Coriomeningite Linfocítica/análise , Proteínas Virais/análise , Eletroforese em Gel de Poliacrilamida , Focalização Isoelétrica , Fragmentos de Peptídeos/análise , Proteínas do Envelope Viral , Proteínas Estruturais ViraisRESUMO
L cells were infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCM virus). They were subcultivated and infectious virus and interfering virus were quantified at intervals. Both entities fluctuated in perfect parallelism. Superinfection with LCM virus revealed a pattern of interference that bore no simple relationship with the quantity of interfering virus present. We explain the oscillating pattern of virus replication, which characterizes this type of LCM virus carrier cultures, as being due to spontaneous shutdown of virus synthesis in conjunction with the action of a resistance factor produced by cells coinfected with infectious virus and interfering virus.
Assuntos
Vírus da Coriomeningite Linfocítica/fisiologia , Interferência Viral , Replicação Viral , Animais , Células L , Camundongos , Fatores de Tempo , Ensaio de Placa ViralRESUMO
The structure of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCM virus) was investigated by a variety of conventional as well as novel electron microscopic procedures. Thin sections of infected cells revealed the characteristic arenavirus entities whose interiors contain ribosome-like granules but look otherwise empty. In contrast, most thin-sectioned virus particles from infectious cell culture fluid, both untreated and highly purified with little loss of initial infectivity, appeared to be filled with rather homogeneous cores. Cores rather than granules were also found in positively contrasted whole and thin-sectioned virus particles. We favor the explanation that the sandy grains, which have given this group of viruses its name, are altered cores that happen to look like ribosomes. However, the alternative cannot yet be excluded, namely, that LCM virus-infected cells produce two types of particles, of which only the core-containing ones represent virions.
Assuntos
Vírus da Coriomeningite Linfocítica/ultraestrutura , Vírion/ultraestrutura , Vírus da Coriomeningite Linfocítica/imunologia , Microscopia EletrônicaRESUMO
The clinical utility of the detection of anti-HIV-1 IgA antibodies using a modified commercial ELISA (EIA) test for the early diagnosis of perinatally acquired HIV-1 infection was evaluated. One hundred and seventeen sera were obtained from 86 infants born to HIV-1-infected mothers and tested for HIV IgA antibodies by an ELISA test (third generation) after removal of IgG with recombinant protein G. Infants were classified according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) classification system after 15 months of age; 46 were classified as HIV-infected children and 40 as uninfected. HIV-IgA antibodies were detected in 53 of 64 serum samples from all infected children. No significant differences were observed in IgA detection among symptomatic or asymptomatic infected children. However, when analyzed by age a significant difference was observed in IgA detection when children who were over 6 months of age were compared with the younger group (Fisher exact test, p = 0.0000053). All 53 samples from 40 noninfected children were IgA-negative. Statistical analysis was assessed comparing IgA results with HIV infection status as the gold standard. Sensitivity (95%) and specificity (100%), positive predictive value (100%), and negative predictive value (94%) of IgA antibody determination were analyzed taking into account only one sample per child and only children older than 6 months. Positive likelihood ratio was 95.9% and negative likelihood ratio was 94%. Test efficiency was 97%. The detection of IgA HIV antibodies using EIA is an effective method for early diagnosis of HIV-infected infants in comparison with conventional IgG HIV antibody tests. It is a simple and inexpensive method that could be used in both developed and developing countries.