Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0021051 (immunodeficiency)
 71,517 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In 1988, the Institute for Epidemiological Research on Drug Dependence conducted an ethnographic study designed to assess the results of liberalization of the sale of syringes. In that study, drug addicts were found to have gradually altered their customary practices by limiting the sharing of syringes. Two years later, a second study was conducted to further assess the behavioural changes under way. The whole survey covered 359 subjects--165 in Paris, 110 at Marseille and 93 at Metz. Almost all the subjects stated that they knew about the risks of transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by needle and during unprotected sexual intercourse. Almost all of them (98 per cent) knew that syringes were freely sold at pharmacies. Most of them (84 per cent) felt that they were generally well informed on the subject of AIDS and the ways in which the virus was transmitted. Prostitutes accounted for 17 per cent of the sample, with more women (32 per cent) than men (13 per cent) included in that category. The overwhelming majority of the subjects bought their syringes at pharmacies, and the trend towards the non-sharing of syringes was confirmed, a change in behaviour that has emerged mainly since 1987. Among the "new generation" of drug addicts, namely those who began to inject after 1987, the changes are reflected in a much lower rate of infection--2 per cent instead of 28 per cent of the total. About a third of the subjects, however, continued to engage in practices involving a certain level of risk. In a global context, including subjects who do not know how to properly clean a syringe, a variety of usually ineffective practices are followed, for example rinsing with water, lemon juice, or scent. The use of bleach remained limited, and few people considered cleaning with it. Liberalization of the sale of syringes seems to be essential to the prevention of AIDS among drug addicts. But this measure is not enough in itself. Apart from the overall problems of looking after the health of drug addicts and ensuring access to medical care, certain specific measures remain highly desirable. Of particular importance is the dissemination of information clearly describing effective methods of sterilizing syringes (including the use of bleach).
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PMID:Transmission of HIV among drug addicts in three French cities: implications for prevention. 830 2

Frequency and risk of tuberculosis were studied among a large group of HIV-infected patients (n = 2556), 869 of whom had AIDS, over a period of ten years (February 1982 through February 1992) at the University Hospital Frankfurt. A total of 148 (5.8%) out of 2.556 patients had tuberculosis. With increasing immunodeficiency, the frequency of tuberculosis rose. The rate of tuberculosis in post-mortem was even higher, i.e. 17.3%. I.v. drug-addict AIDS patients were inflicted with 18.5% considerably more often than homo-/bisexual patients with 12.3%. The same holds true with 25% of tuberculosis infections for AIDS patients from endemic areas as compared with 13% for patients from countries with lower tuberculosis incidence. 18% of patients contracted tuberculosis already at > 200 CD4-positive cells/microliters before AIDS manifestation. Coming from endemic areas, drug addiction and lower number of T-cells signify a high risk for HIV-infected patients to acquire a post-primary or primary tuberculosis, respectively. HIV-infected patients represent a relevant danger of infection for partners and health-care personnel. In contrast to the United States, no increase in the tuberculosis incidence, except for some areas like Frankfurt, has been noted. Preventive measures, which include the IHN prophylaxis for patients with T-cell counts < 150/microliters, should be discussed.
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PMID:[Epidemiology of tuberculosis in patients with HIV infection of the Frankfurt University Clinic]. 832 14

The epidemological and clinical features of hepatitis C virus infection have been evaluated in a cohort of 227 intravenous drug users enrolled at a drug dependence treatment center in the Veneto area in 1992-1993 and followed periodically. Hepatitis C virus infection was detected using second-generation anti-HCV ELISA in 171 (75%) subjects at enrollment. Anti-HCV seropositivity correlated with: a) the duration of drug abuse: 91% of intravenous drug users injecting for more than 8 years were seropositive as compared to 40% of those with a history of abuse lasting 4 years or less, p < 0.001; b) sharing of injection equipment: 85% anti-HCV positive intravenous drug users had shared at some time as compared to 64% seronegative subjects, p < 0.001; c) seropositivity for immunodeficiency virus infection: 25% anti-HCV positive intravenous drug users were coinfected as compared to 3.5% anti-HCV negative, p < 0.001; d) markers of ongoing (two cases) or previous hepatitis B virus infection were detected in 62% of anti-HCV positive but in 21% of anti-HCV negative cases, p < 0.01. Two initially anti-HCV negative intravenous drug users seroconverted during follow up giving an incidence rate of hepatitis C virus infection of 6.2 per 100 person-years. During the survey abnormal alanine aminotransferase levels were detected in 75% anti-HCV positive but in 24% anti-HCV negative cases (p < 0.001), with significantly higher levels in the former. These findings suggest that the circulation of hepatitis C virus among intravenous drug users has been decreasing in recent years, although new infections still occur.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Hepatitis C virus infection in Italian intravenous drug users: epidemiological and clinical aspects. 854 44

Over 850 Leishmania-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection cases have been recorded, the majority in Europe, where 7 to 17% of HIV-positive individuals with fever have amastigotes, suggesting that Leishmania-infected individuals without symptoms will express symptoms of leishmaniasis if they become immunosuppressed. However, there are indirect reasons and statistical data demonstrating that intravenous drug addiction plays a specific role in Leishmania infantum transmission: an anthroponotic cycle complementary to the zoonotic one has been suggested. Due to anergy in patients with coinfection, L. infantum dermotropic zymodemes are isolated from patient viscera and a higher L. infantum phenotypic variability is seen. Moreover, insect trypanosomatids that are currently considered nonpathogenic have been isolated from coinfected patients. HIV infection and Leishmania infection each induce important analogous immunological changes whose effects are multiplied if they occur concomitantly, such as a Th1-to-Th2 response switch; however, the consequences of the viral infection predominate. In fact, a large proportion of coinfected patients have no detectable anti-Leishmania antibodies. The microorganisms share target cells, and it has been demonstrated in vitro how L. infantum induces the expression of latent HIV-1. Bone marrow culture is the most useful diagnostic technique, but it is invasive. Blood smears and culture are good alternatives. PCR, xenodiagnosis, and circulating-antigen detection are available only in specialized laboratories. The relationship with low levels of CD4+ cells conditions the clinical presentation and evolution of disease. Most patients have visceral leishmaniasis, but asymptomatic, cutaneous, mucocutaneous, diffuse cutaneous, and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis can be produced by L. infantum. The digestive and respiratory tracts are frequently parasitized. The course of coinfection is marked by a high relapse rate. There is a lack of randomized prospective treatment trials; therefore, coinfected patients are treated by conventional regimens. Prophylactic therapy is suggested to be helpful in preventing relapses.
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PMID:Leishmania and human immunodeficiency virus coinfection: the first 10 years. 910 56

Children of substance abuse mothers have an increased risk of severe pathological disorders such as perinatal diseases (prematurity, intrauterine growth retardation, infections) with their neurological and respiratory complications and sequelae, and transmission of drug addiction related infections, ie human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and C virus, syphilis. Many of these children present a drug withdrawal syndrome characterized by restlessness and jetteriness during the neonatal period. This is frequently followed by a post withdrawal period of several weeks duration with crying, excitement, sleep and feeding difficulties. Although these drug withdrawal manifestations have no incidence on the vital prognosis, it severely impairs the mother-infant interaction. Despite these disorders it appears that the outcome of these children is mainly related to their familial environment which is exposed to many risk factors: mother-child separation, violence, delinquency, precariousness, unhealthy housing, prostitution, drug dependency, parental death or imprisonment... Early medico-psycho-social intervention starting during pregnancy and a prolonged support for several years are the only way to improve their spontaneously poor outcome.
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PMID:[Management of drug addict pregnant women and their children]. 918 Oct 22

To clarify the interrelations among drug abuse, malnutrition, and immunosuppression, the effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on the nutritional status of 17 noninfected and 19 HIV-infected asymptomatic female drug addicts undergoing detoxification were evaluated by measuring anthropometric and immunologic indexes. Anthropometric measurements were normal in both groups as a result of weight gain (approximately 10 kg) in every patient after the detoxification period. Leukocyte and lymphocyte values and CD2 lymphocyte subset counts were also similar in both groups. CD4 counts (P = 0.04) and the ratio of CD4 to CD8 cells (P = 0.6 x 10(-4)) were lower whereas CD8 counts (P = 0.003) were higher in the HIV-infected than in the noninfected group. Responses to a delayed-hypersensitivity skin test were below normal in both groups but significantly more so in the HIV-positive group (P = 0.05). CD19 counts were lower (P = 0.02) and values for serum immunoglobulins G and M were higher (51% and 37%, respectively) in the HIV-infected females than in the noninfected women. These results may suggest that despite anthropometric recovery, the HIV-infected women had depleted immune function, resulting not only from HIV infection but also from the subclinical malnutrition triggered by previous drug addiction.
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PMID:Human immunodeficiency virus infection and nutritional status in female drug addicts undergoing detoxification: anthropometric and immunologic assessments. 925 Jan 39

A new virus named hepatitis G virus (HGV) has been detected recently. Until now, no assays for the detection of antibodies against different HGV proteins have been commercially available. Therefore, a strip immunoblot assay has been established to investigate seroreactivity against recombinant structural (core) and nonstructural proteins (NS3 and NS4) of HGV produced in Escherichia coli. Seropositivity for HGV was evaluated and concordanced with HGV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results in 709 subjects. These individuals were classified into a nonrisk or a risk group, on the basis of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) or frequent parenteral exposure, including hemophilia, intravenous drug addiction, receipt of blood transfusion, or hemodialysis. The nonrisk group consisted of 257 healthy blood donors with normal alanine transaminase (ALT) levels (ALT < 30 U/L) and 154 patients with suspected non-A-E hepatitis (ALT > 45 U/L). In the group of healthy blood donors, 1.9% (5 of 257) had detectable HGV viremia and 15.9% (41 of 257) showed antibody response to HGV. In the collective of patients with suspected non-A-E hepatitis, results from 1.9% of patients (3 of 154) were positive by HGV PCR, and 15.6% of patients (24 of 154) showed seropositivity against the recombinant HGV proteins. In six groups of patients (n = 298) with different risk factors, the prevalence of both HGV viremia (V) and serological reactivity (SR) was higher compared with that of the nonrisk group: V, 6.80%-35.2%; serological reactivity (SR), 25.4%-52.9%. The following conclusions can be derived from our data. HGV infection is widespread in the general population. The prevalence of antibodies against HGV or detectable HGV viremia is higher in patients with risk factors for parenteral viral transmission than in those without risk factors. The majority of HGV infections (70.2%) is self-limiting and not persistent in our collective of patients. We found no correlation between HGV viremia and clinical or biochemical signs of hepatitis in individuals without risk factors for acquiring parenterally transmitted agents.
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PMID:Distribution of hepatitis G viremia and antibody response to recombinant proteins with special regard to risk factors in 709 patients. 925 64

A case of right-sided endocarditis due to Salmonella typhi is described involving a native tricuspid valve in a child who was human immunodeficiency virus negative with no evidence of intravenous drug addiction. The patient had classic features of typhoid and tricuspid regurgitation without clinical evidence of bacterial endocarditis. Transthoracic echocardiography confirmed the tricuspid regurgitation. However, transesophageal echocardiography was necessary to demonstrate the vegetations affecting the tricuspid valve leaflets that made possible the diagnosis of endocarditis. The infection was cured with intravenous ceftriaxone and oral amoxicillin.
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PMID:Right-sided endocarditis due to Salmonella typhi. 932 94

Airway resistance was measured by the interrupter technique in 54 children [aged 63.8 months (range: 9.1-131.6 months)], with perinatal human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) infection and in a control group of 315 gender, height, and race-matched healthy children. In addition, 14 HIV-infected children, aged 75-131 months, had spirometry performed. Resistance was significantly higher in infected children than in controls (0.84 +/- 0.3 vs 0.64 +/- 0.08 kPa x l(-1) x s; t = 9.991; P < 0.0001). Resistance decreased with age in controls (r = -0.95; P < 0.001), but not in infected children (r= -0.22; P = 0.105). Resistance did not correlate with mothers' intravenous drug addiction, perinatal data, T-cell subset numbers, treatment, clinical course, or presence of respiratory complications. Resistance was higher (t = 3.103; P < 0.003) in p24 antigen-positive than in negative children. Thirty-nine children underwent a second evaluation 12.3 months (range 11.1-14 months) after the first. Resistance was higher (t = 3.960; P < 0.0001) at the second evaluation compared to the first. Eight of 14 children had abnormal spirometric measurements. We conclude that perinatal HIV-1 infection is associated with increased airway resistance and often abnormal spirometry. The degree of abnormalities in resistance depends on the duration of the infection rather than on HIV-1-related respiratory complications.
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PMID:Airway resistance and spirometry in children with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 infection. 944 32

The Maryland Dentist's Well-Being Committee was formed in 1980 as a standing committee of the Maryland State Dental Association. The committee has assisted many dentists over the years with problems such as stress, alcoholism, drug dependence, psychiatric disorders, medical problems, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) disease, neurological disorders, and other illnesses that cause impairment. Key elements of the committee include confidentiality, a good working relationship with the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners, advocacy efforts, and a paid clinical coordinator with special expertise in mental health and addiction treatment.
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PMID:The Dentists' Well-Being Committee of Maryland. 956 76


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