57 research outputs found
High levels of T lymphocyte activation in Leishmania-HIV-1 co-infected individuals despite low HIV viral load
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Concomitant infections may influence HIV progression by causing chronic activation leading to decline in T-cell function. In the Americas, visceral (AVL) and tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) have emerged as important opportunistic infections in HIV-AIDS patients and both of those diseases have been implicated as potentially important co-factors in disease progression. We investigated whether leishmaniasis increases lymphocyte activation in HIV-1 co-infected patients. This might contribute to impaired cellular immune function.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To address this issue we analyzed CD4<sup>+ </sup>T absolute counts and the proportion of CD8<sup>+ </sup>T cells expressing CD38 in <it>Leishmania</it>/HIV co-infected patients that recovered after anti-leishmanial therapy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that, despite clinical remission of leishmaniasis, AVL co-infected patients presented a more severe immunossupression as suggested by CD4<sup>+ </sup>T cell counts under 200 cells/mm<sup>3</sup>, differing from ATL/HIV-AIDS cases that tends to show higher lymphocytes levels (over 350 cells/mm<sup>3</sup>). Furthermore, five out of nine, AVL/HIV-AIDS presented low CD4<sup>+ </sup>T cell counts in spite of low or undetectable viral load. Expression of CD38 on CD8<sup>+ </sup>T lymphocytes was significantly higher in AVL or ATL/HIV-AIDS cases compared to HIV/AIDS patients without leishmaniasis or healthy subjects.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>Leishmania </it>infection can increase the degree of immune system activation in individuals concomitantly infected with HIV. In addition, AVL/HIV-AIDS patients can present low CD4<sup>+ </sup>T cell counts and higher proportion of activated T lymphocytes even when HIV viral load is suppressed under HAART. This fact can cause a misinterpretation of these laboratorial markers in co-infected patients.</p
Relationship between antibiotic consumption, oropharyngeal colonization, and ventilator-associated pneumonia by Staphylococcus aureus in an intensive care unit of a Brazilian teaching hospital
Addressing the challenges to skin health of refugees and migrants in the WHO European region
Ingrandimento delle ghiandole salivari da mezzo di contrasto iodato endovenoso. Descrizione di un caso
Geological and mechanical rock mass conditions for TBM performance prediction. The case of “La Maddalena” exploratory tunnel, Chiomonte (Italy)
Radioanalytical Techniques in Studies of Trace Metals in Renal Insufficiency and Dialytic Treatment
Abstract not availableNA-NOT AVAILABL
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