Post-transplant liver graft schistosomiasis in a migrant from sub-saharan africa.

We report a case of post-transplant liver graft infection with Schistosoma spp in a migrant from sub-Saharan Africa transplanted for HBV-related cirrhosis and with undiagnosed schistosomiasis pre-transplantation. The occurrence of tropical diseases in non-endemic areas warrants screening protocols for organ donors and recipients with a history of exposure in endemic areas

Modelling and control of HIV dynamics

Various models of HIV infection and evolution have been considered in the literature. This paper considers a variant of the Wodarz and Nowak mathematical model, adding "aggressiveness" as a new state variable in order to quantify the strength of the virus and its response to drugs. Although the model proposed is relatively simple, simulation results suggest that it may be useful in predicting the impact of the effectiveness of therapy on HIV dynamics

Immunogenicity of influenza vaccine (1993-94 winter season) in HIV-seropositive and -seronegative ex-intravenous drug users

The humoral response (haemagglutination inhibiting antibodies) to trivalent split influenza vaccine for the 1993-94 winter season (A/Beijing/32/92(H3N2), A/Singaporel 6/86(H1N1) and B/Panama/45/90) was evaluated in a group of young HIV-seropositive ex-intravenous heroin users and compared with responses measured in HIV-seronegative individuals with a similar history. HIV-negative volunteers showed an overall positive response suggesting that previous heroin use did not influence their humoral response to influenza vaccine, Comparable results were obtained in HIV-positive subjects with CD4+ lymphocyte counts >500 mu l(-1), whereas impaired reactivity was found in HIV-positive volunteers with CD4+ counts <500 mu l(-1). Booster vaccination did not increase antibody levels in any of the groups studied, although the data did not exclude a positive influence of a second vaccine dose on persistence of antibody at 120 days after the first dose, No significant changes were observed in p24 antigenemia levels in HIV-positive individuals after vaccination. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd