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Query: UMLS:C0021311 (Infection)
 38,178 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in sub-Saharan Africa affects the whole population of reproductive age. Women are affected as frequently as men, and children born of HIV-positive women are at great risk of contracting AIDS or becoming orphans in early life. The risk of AIDS infection is higher in persons having other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), especially genital ulceration. Effective prevention and management of all STDs would contribute to fighting the HIV epidemic. The incidence of HIV-positive pregnant women reaches 30% in some communities. In view of a perinatal transmission rate of 1 in 3, infant mortality is estimated to increase by 10% on account of AIDS alone. However, perinatal transmission might be less effective and is estimated to be 39% in Europe. Pregnancy is an 'immunosuppressive disorder', and the number of T4-helper cells drops in normal pregnancy. In HIV-positive pregnancy these cells do not rise before birth. Perinatal transmission has been demonstrated to be much more efficient when the number of T4-cells drops below 400. Transfusion with HIV-positive blood is the most effective mode of transmitting AIDS. Autologous blood transfusion in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy is recommended when testing blood is impossible. Maternal mortality as a result of AIDS has not been frequent, but data from an obstetric service is Malawi confirmed that 31 maternal deaths out of a total of 73 in 1990 occurred in HIV-positive women. Theoretically, in female circumcision the genital scaring and dyspareunia may lead to genital ulceration and anal coition, which are co-factors in HIV transmission. High priority should be given to a comprehensive program to combat STDs including AIDS in view of the HIV epidemic.
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PMID:AIDS and women's health care in developing countries. 145 39

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is frequently accompanied by the AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) dementia complex. The role of specific HIV genetic elements in the pathogenesis of central nervous system (CNS) disease is not clear. Transgenic mice were constructed that contained the long terminal repeats (LTRs) of two CNS-derived strains and a T cell tropic strain of HIV-1. Only mice generated with CNS-derived LTRs directed expression in the CNS, particularly in neurons. Thus, some strains of HIV-1 have a selective advantage for gene expression in the brain, and neurons can supply the cellular factors necessary for their transcription.
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PMID:Expression directed from HIV long terminal repeats in the central nervous system of transgenic mice. 146 18

Maternal-to-infant transmission of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) has been demonstrated in the rhesus macaque following experimental infection of pregnant rhesus monkeys, either parenterally or by inoculation of virus into the amniotic fluid. Virus infection occurred in 3 of 12 (25%) rhesus infants born to mothers with SIV infection induced by parenteral inoculation of virus during gestation. However, these infants did not become seropositive or virus positive until they were 9-15 months old, suggesting that virus infection most likely occurred as the result of breast feeding. Infection has also been demonstrated in one rhesus infant following virus inoculation into the amniotic fluid during late gestation. These observations support the increasing evidence that intrapartum or postpartum infection may be important mechanisms for the maternal-infant transmission of HIV. The SIV-infected macaque should prove to be a useful model to evaluate the timing and mechanisms of lentivirus infection in infants, to determine maternal factors associated with transmission to the fetus or infant, and to evaluate therapeutic regimens for the prevention or treatment of pediatric AIDS.
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PMID:The simian immunodeficiency virus infected macaque: a model for pediatric AIDS. 148 Apr 4

Pneumococcal infection is frequent in children with sickle-cell disease (SCD) but is less common in adults. Infection due to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is also a risk factor for pneumococcal infection. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical course of HIV infection in adults with SCD. During a 6-year period, 283 adults suffering from SCD were screened for HIV type 1 and HIV type 2 infections. The clinical course of HIV infections in these patients was retrospectively analyzed at the term of the study. HIV type 1 infection was detected in eight patients. The mean follow-up period after diagnosis of HIV infection was 4.6 years. None of the patients had AIDS. Five episodes of severe pneumococcal infection were observed in four of these eight patients (septic shock in two patients and three episodes of meningitis in two patients); two patients died of meningitis. Only one severe pneumococcal infection (meningitis) was observed in the 275 non-HIV-infected patients with SCD (P = .000001). Our results show that pneumococcal infection appears to occur frequently and is often serious in HIV-infected adults with SCD.
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PMID:Severe pneumococcal sepsis and meningitis in human immunodeficiency virus-infected adults with sickle cell disease. 152 Jul 68

Dendritic cells (DC) have a potent antigen-presenting capacity for recruiting resting T cells into immune responses. They also promote expansion of already activated memory T cells. By contrast, macrophages (M phi) are only effective in stimulating memory responses. Infection and depletion of DC occur in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals and recruitment of T cells into primary responses is blocked. Here comparisons between DC and M phi in stimulating secondary T-cell responses in HIV infection were made. Adherent M phi, and DC isolated by a new method, were separated from peripheral blood of patients in different stages of HIV infection and from uninfected controls and added to allogeneic lymphocytes in mixed leucocyte reactions (MLR). Some were pulsed with influenza virus or tetanus toxoid and used to stimulate autologous T cells. Responses were measured from uptake of [3H]thymidine in 20 microliters hanging drop cultures. DC, but not M phi, from normal individuals stimulated MLR but both populations stimulated secondary responses to recall antigens. DC from all HIV seropositive individuals caused little or no stimulation of any lymphocyte responses. However, M phi from HIV seropositive asymptomatic individuals and those with persistent generalized lymphadenopathy stimulated responses to recall antigens. There was no stimulation using cells from acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. Blocked DC but not M phi function may underlie progressive immunological non-responsiveness in HIV infection. Without recruitment of resting T cells, loss of memory T cells may be cumulative; failure of secondary activation (e.g. by M phi) would lead to lost T-cell activity. Identification and circumvention of the defect in DC could offer new therapeutic approaches.
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PMID:Antigen-presentation by macrophages but not by dendritic cells in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. 153 9

A cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of Mycoplasma fermentans infection in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection using polymerase chain reaction methodology. Targeted M. fermentans DNA sequences could be amplified from the DNA extracted from the blood of 6 (11%) of 55 HIV-seropositive patients but from none of 26 HIV-seronegative subjects at low risk for HIV infection (P = .17). There was no correlation between M. fermentans infection and HIV clinical stage. There was a nonsignificant trend toward an association between M. fermentans infection and a history of syphilis. Infection with M. fermentans may occur more commonly in HIV-infected patients; however, a role as a copathogen or opportunistic infection was not established in this study.
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PMID:Association of mycoplasma and human immunodeficiency virus infection: detection of amplified Mycoplasma fermentans DNA in blood. 153 64

The Ad Hoc Committee on Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and Hepatitis of The Surgical Infection Society has outlined its policy regarding three deadly blood-borne viral infections. The risk of transmission of these microbes, the role of preoperative testing, the problem of the human immunodeficiency virus-infected surgeon, and conduct in the operating room are discussed.
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PMID:The Surgical Infection Society's policy on human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B and C infection. The Ad Hoc Committee on Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and Hepatitis. 154 Jan 1

Infection by human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) is associated with an increased incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) of B cell origin and of intermediate grade (diffuse large cell lymphomas according to the Working Formulation) or high grade (Kiel classification and Working Formulation). They may be either primary central nervous system lymphomas or systemic lymphomas and are considered as AIDS-defining events. Systemic lymphomas are usually disseminated with a high frequency of extranodal sites. Their overall prognosis is much worse than for NHL in the general population. Pathogenesis is still a matter of debate. An increased incidence of Hodgkin's diseases (HD) in HIV infection is being suspected but has not been proved yet. However, HIV-associated HD differ from usual HD by clinical presentation, histological type repartition, and evolution. Finally, low grade lymphomas have been described in HIV infection, the only peculiarity being the unusual age of occurrence.
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PMID:[Human immunodeficiency virus infection and malignant lymphoma]. 156 99

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become an increasingly important public health problem. Due to the profound increase in the incidence of the disease, testing has become an important tool in prevention efforts as well as treatment. In view of the dire prognosis associated with the diagnosis of HIV infection, there is a great deal of interest in mandatory HIV testing of special groups. Mandatory testing has been implemented for several groups such as the United States military. However, there are a number of issues to be considered before implementing a mandatory testing program. These include the predictive value and accuracy of the tests themselves, confidentiality and the social ramifications of breaches in confidentiality, the likelihood of forcing high risk persons underground to avoid testing, and the constitutionality of a mandatory testing policy. Since the discovery of the apparent transmission of HIV infection from a dentist to his patients, there has been increasing interest in a policy mandating the testing of health professionals. However, in view of the low risk of transmission to patients, it would be ill-advised to require HIV testing of health care workers. In general, the benefits of a mandatory testing policy do not outweigh the human and financial costs it would engender.
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PMID:The feasibility of mandatory HIV testing for health professionals and other special populations. 157 74

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) results in a variety of pathological changes culminating in the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). While most of these changes can readily be accounted for either by direct effects of HIV-1 on the immune system or by indirect effects of secondary infectious agents as a result of faulty immune surveillance, the direct cause for a number of disease states, including some neuropathies, myopathies, nephropathy, thrombocytopenia, wasting syndromes and increased incidence of cancers (primarily lymphoma) has remained an enigma. We have recently shown that the HIV-1 protease, a viral encoded enzyme necessary for virus maturation and infectivity, can cleave a variety of host cell cytoskeletal proteins in vitro. Potential substrates for the HIV-1 protease are found in all of the cell types affected in these unexplained diseases. Recent proposals suggest that elements of the cytoskeleton may play an important role in the regulation of large scale genetic regulation. We propose that some of the degenerative changes associated with infection by HIV-1 are a direct consequence of cleavage of host cell cytoskeletal proteins, which in turn may be responsible for the increased incidence of cancer in HIV-1 infected individuals as a result of the perturbation of the regulation of gene expression by cytoskeletal components.
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PMID:Potential role of the viral protease in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 associated pathogenesis. 158 3


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