Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0019693 (HIV)
 170,526 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The retrovirus responsible for AIDS began circulating in Africa during the 1970s. Seroepidemiologic studies in Zaire and elsewhere in Central Africa show infection rates of 6-10%, with urban rates even higher and most rural rates close to zero. The modes of transmission are analogous to those of hepatitis B. Homosexual transmission has probably played a small role in Africa. Most epidemiological studies in Central Africa show that almost all seropositive persons are young sexually active adults, with the most affected age groups 20-30 for women and 30-40 for men. The risk of male to female sexual transmission appears to be about 20%, but increases with prolonged relationships. Sperm is able to induce a chronic immunological stimulation and immune perturbations favoring clinical expression of the infection, especially if the sperm comes in contact with the partner's blood because of erosion of the vaginal or anal mucus. Infection of men by women is harder to demonstrate but it cannot yet be confirmed that there are significant differences related to sex. The virus is present in cervicovaginal secretions during the entire menstrual cycle. Seroprevalence rates among prostitutes in Central Africa have increased steadily and are correlated to the time spent as a prostitute and the annual number of clients. Sexually transmitted diseases that disturb the genital mucus appear to favor infection during heterosexual intercourse. In Zaire, 61% of women and 36% of men with AIDS are unmarried. For both sexes, numerous partners appear to increase the risk of infection. Frequent use of prostitutes increases the risk for men. Transmission from mothers to infants can occur during delivery or transplacentally during any trimester of pregnancy. The risk of transmission from an infected mother appears to be about 50%. HIV infection does not appear to have any specific clinical manifestation in the female genital tract. Some studies suggest that the likelihood of 1st trimester spontaneous abortion or of postnatal mortality is increased in infants of seropositive mothers. The clinical characteristics of AIDS in children are not specific and a positive serological test in necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Prevention of HIV infection in the foreseeable future will require health education and the use of condoms, which gained little acceptance in most of Africa.
 ...
PMID:[Problems posed by HIV infection in women in tropical zones]. 331 23

The population of women, HIV positive, and susceptible to become pregnant, increases with time. Pregnancy must be contra-indicated in seropositive women. A termination of pregnancy must be performed in the first trimester and a therapeutic abortion may be offered but left to the mother's decision. Delivery must be carried out via natural passages in the absence of obstetrical dystocia. Nursing is contra-indicated. A number of precautions must be taken by the medical and para-medical personnel during obstetrical procedures.
 ...
PMID:[AIDS and pregnancy. Management of the seropositive pregnant female]. 331 62

Public health problems associated with epidemics of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are briefly reviewed with special emphasis on the role of maternal health services and family planning clinics in the prevention and control of this disease. According to WHO recommendations, maternal health services should actively participate in research on etiology, transmission and possible prophylaxis of AIDS; provide health education among general public and especially among teenagers; provide information on the correct use of barrier methods of contraception; and to try to reduce the risk of AIDS transmission via blood transfusions. Effectiveness of condoms in prevention of AIDS was shown in vitro and in US epidemiological studies of sexual partners of persons infected with HIV. Since condoms remain an unpopular method of protection, the main goal of maternal health services is to distribute condoms and to provide information on correct use of condoms and various vaginal spermicides. Special attention should be given to women infected with HIV who can become pregnant an transmit AIDS to the fetus and the newborn baby. It is recommended to include AIDS on list of conditions requiring therapeutic abortion.
 ...
PMID:[Basic lines in the prevention of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) morbidity using the means and potentials of maternal health care services]. 332 89

This editorial traces the recommendations of the Food and Drug Administration with respect to reducing transmission of AIDS by transfusions of blood. Next the findings of a research study which appears in the same issue of this journal are reviewed. In this study, the authors describe 7 persons with negative HIV-antibody tests who donated blood but later had detectable HIV antibodies. The authors estimate the number of blood components that test negative but carry infection that are collected annually in the US. Their estimate of the current risk may be overly pessimistic. Newer, more accurate tests should be implemented as soon as clinical trials have established their efficacy and practicality. While tests are being validated, the education of donors must be intensified and focused. Although continued vigilance over the safety of the blood supply is essential, the risks of HIV transmission by transfusion should be kept in perspective. The risk of acquiring HIV infection through transfusion is low compared with the odds of death from influenza, abortion after the 14th week, and car accidents. The measures instituted to protect patients from acquiring HIV infection through blood transfusions have greatly improved the safety of the nation's blood supply. It is safer than it has ever been, but the slight risks that still remain can be reduced at this time only by intensified and appropriately focused education of blood donors and by more circumspect ordering of blood components by physicians.
 ...
PMID:Transfusion-transmitted AIDS reassessed. 334 Jan 31

In 1986, Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 3808 children either had an illegitimate child, had an induced abortion, or had AIDS or another sexually transmitted disease (STD). Using spermicidal latex condoms can effectively prevent all of the above. The favorable cost/benefit ratio for these condoms should reveal to Kansas physicians that they should promote increased public health education on these condoms. Latex condoms prelubricated with the spermicide nonoxynol 9 provide primary prevention of HIV transmission by catching ejaculated sperm, prohibiting passage of HIV and large lymphocytes, immediately decreasing the number of active sperm, quickly inactivating HIV, and destroying lymphocytes. A study revealed that the percentage of active sperm in semen 30 seconds after ejaculation was 10.3% when a nonoxynol 9 latex condom was used as opposed to 55.9% in a nonspermicidal condom. After 120 seconds, the percentage decreased remarkably to 1.5% when a nonoxynol 9 latex condom was used and decreased marginally to 50.2% with a nonspermicidal condom. Another study demonstrated that only a .05% concentration of nonoxynol 9 ( 100 times more dilute than the 5 or more % concentration in spermicidal condoms' lubricant) rapidly inactivated HIV and decreased the viability of HIV infected lymphocytes. Other studies indicated that these condoms also protected against other STDs. In 1 study, the contraceptive user failure rate of spermicidal condoms was .83% which is much lower than user failure rates of 10% for nonspermicidal condoms and 2% for commonly used oral contraceptives (OCs). Nonoxynol 9 increased protection in the event the condom leaks or slips off. Condoms and spermicides have lower mortality risks than do illegal and legal abortions, IUDs, and OCs.
 ...
PMID:Spermicidal condoms. 338 23

Researchers tested the sera of 10,277 pregnant women who visited 9 prenatal clinics in Paris, France or its environs between February 17, 1987 - August, 17, 1987. The women also completed a questionnaire about risk factors. Laboratory personnel tested for HIV using and ELISA technique, and referred positive sera for further screening to a virology laboratory in Tours. Researchers already knew that 43 cases were HIV positive, 26 of whom had an induced abortion and 17 chose to continue the pregnancy. 30 patients tested positive who did not know they carried HIV: 8 in the abortion group; 19 in the pregnancy group; 1 in the miscarriage group; and 1 in the ectopic pregnancy group. The overall HIV prevalence rate was 7.1/1000. The researchers further defined the prevalence rate by taking only into account the discovered HIV positive patients, since the others were already known and included in HIV statistics. In the induced abortion group, the prevalence rate was 6.42% and in the pregnancy group 2.18%. The leading mode of transmission for the 73 HIV positive women was intravenous (IV) drug use, followed by being from an endemic country. By comparing HIV testing results and the questionnaires of the discovered HIV positive women, researchers would have selected 93% of these women. On the other hand, 35.8% of all the patients responded positively to at least 1 item. This shows that it is difficult to develop an adequate questionnaire and select an appropriate sample size. The researchers hope to improve the specificity of the questionnaire, in order to reduce the number of patients to be screened for HIV.
 ...
PMID:Paris cooperative study on HIV sero-positivity in pregnancy: preliminary results. 340 53

56 cases of pregnant women with a positive HIV serology were reported in 20 months at the Maternity of the Nice Hospital Center. In 10 cases, there were clinical signs of the disease (9 ARC-Syndrome, one case of AIDS). The predisposing factor was most of the time drug addiction, 53 cases (94.5%) and one case occurred after a blood transfusion. In the majority of the cases (52%) the pregnancy was pursued because of the late term or the patient's decision. A therapeutic abortion was performed in 12 instances (25%) and an interruption before 12 weeks of amenorrhea in 15 cases. 24 women delivered. The obstetrical complications were frequent with especially a fetal death in utero, five premature deliveries and fifteen hypotrophies. A severe infectious complication (septicemia, pneumopathy secondary to Pneumocystis carinii) was observed in 9 cases, a marked thrombopenia causing profuse post-partum haemorrhages in one case. Finally, one woman died 35 days after delivery. The study of the consequences on the child is incomplete because of insufficient follow-up: all children were sero-positive at birth and among thirteen children aged between 12 to 20 months, there were one death, one AIDS syndrome, 4 ARC-syndrome, 4 sero-positive and 3 sero-negative. The notion of HIV sero-positivity in a pregnant woman presents serious problems for the obstetrician. Decompensation of the disease during the pregnancy is uncertain but it is now confirmed that the child is affected, and this is a well established fact. These important consequences lead to propose, at this time a therapeutic interruption of pregnancy when possible, depending on the term, and when accepted by the patient.
 ...
PMID:[Positive HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) serology in the pregnant woman: current data on its management. Apropos of a continuous series of 56 cases]. 347 87

We describe the gynaecological and obstetrical management of 48 HIV seropositive, pregnant women and review the literature. We did not find that pregnancy aggravated the development of the condition from the asymptomatic anti-HIV related complex (ARC) and AIDS. It seemed that fetal malformations, especially of the face, occurred most frequently in babies born to HIV seropositive mothers. Materno-fetal transmission of HIV was found in the uterus in 50% of our cases. In conclusion, we recommend safe contraception to prevent pregnancies in anti HIV seropositive women. If that fails, induced first trimester abortion is medically indicated and should be carried out if possible, as should strict medical control post-partum of both mother and child if the pregnancy is carried to term.
 ...
PMID:[HIV seropositivity and pregnancy. Apropos of 48 cases (how should they be managed at the present time?)]. 364 65

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of Herpes simplex virus (HSV) endometritis in spontaneous abortions in HIV-positive women using non-isotopic in situ hybridization (NISH). Post-abortal endometrial curettings from 18 HIV-positive women were investigated for the presence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 DNA with NISH. In addition, 18 unselected post-abortal endometrial curettings in HIV-negative women were used as controls, together with samples of normal proliferative and secretory endometrium. Thirteen of the 18 specimens (72 per cent) from the HIV-positive study group demonstrated the presence of HSV DNA, while 2 of the 18 HIV-negative group (11 per cent) showed a positive signal. Although the prevalence of HSV endometritis in the HIV-positive group was significantly higher than in the HIV-negative group (P < 0.05), a causal role for the virus in inducing the abortion remains to be determined. In addition, the significance of HSV endometritis with regard to the clinical management of HIV-positive patients is as yet uncertain.
 ...
PMID:Detection of herpes simplex virus DNA in spontaneous abortions from HIV-positive women using non-isotopic in situ hybridization. 869 37

Premature sexual activity among adolescents leads to such complications as unwanted pregnancy, abortion, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The increasing adolescent sexual intercourse worldwide will likely result in increasing rates of adolescent pregnancy, although a recent study has shown that these rates will vary from country to country. Rates of pregnancy for girls younger than 14 are very low worldwide, and the cesarean rate is also lower than that found among older women. The most frequent complications of adolescent pregnancy are toxemia and anemia, both of which are exacerbated by incomplete follow-up in pregnant teenagers. Abortion rates are high in some European countries and lower in others, reflecting differences in legislation and attitudes. Increased incidence of STDs is due to inadequate sex education and poor hygiene. Human papillomavirus is becoming a common infection among adolescents, and rates of cervical cancer are greater among women who begin intercourse at an early age. Because there is no contraindication for the use of oral contraceptives in teenagers, the proper method of protection should be decided on an individual basis. Condom use should also be promoted to provide simultaneous protection from STDs/HIV and pregnancy. The creation of separate clinics where adolescents can receive medical and psychosocial support as well as counseling will help reduce the unwanted consequences of early sexual activity.
 ...
PMID:Sequelae of premature sexual life. 756 6


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>