DNA heterogeneity of Staphylococcus aureus strains evaluated by SmaI and SgrAI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis in patients with impetigo.

To our knowledge, no studies have previously been carried out on the heterogeneity and intrafamily colonization of impetigo Staphylococcus aureus strains obtained by powerful discriminating methods such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). To explore this topic, macrorestriction patterns of S. aureus strains were analyzed after SmaI and SgrAI digestion.

Risk factors for HTLV-I and II in individuals attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases.

Background: To date, few studies have provided information on risk factors for human t-lymphotropic viruses (HTLV) types I and II in European countries. In particular, few data are available from published studies conducted in STD centers.

Goals: To identify risk factors for HTLV-I and HTLV-II infection and to better distinguish the epidemiologic patterns of the two viruses in Italy.

Seroprevalence of anti-human parvovirus B19 antibodies in patients attending a centre for sexually transmitted diseases.

The aim of this study was to establish the serological prevalence of anti-human Parvovirus B19 (HP-B19) antibodies in a group of 321 patients attending a Centre for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and epidemiologically examine whether this virus may also be sexually transmitted. For this purpose, the serum prevalence of anti-HP-B19 evaluated in STD patients (39%) was compared with that of 164 healthy blood donors (10%, p < 0.001), using commercially available ELISA methods detecting the anti-VP1 reactivity of the sera.

Risk of human immunodeficiency virus infection and genital ulcer disease among persons attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Italy.

To assess the relative importance of ulcerative and non-ulcerative sexually transmitted disease in the transmission of HIV, a seroprevalence study was conducted on 2210 patients at the sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic of the S. Maria e S. Gallicano Hospital in Rome, between 1989 and 1994.

Prevalence and determinants of anti-lytic and anti-latent antibodies to human herpesvirus-8 among Italian individuals at risk of sexually and parenterally transmitted infections.

Three hundred seventy-nine individuals [137 non-injecting drug using (non-IDU) heterosexuals, 130 homosexual men and 112 IDU] attending the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing program of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic in Rome were studied to estimate the prevalence and to identify the modalities of transmission of human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) infection. Serological analysis was performed by using an immunofluorescence assay able to detect anti-latent and anti-lytic HHV-8 antibodies. Twelve acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) patients and 94 blood donors were tested as reference population groups.

Risk factors for hepatitis B virus infection among homosexual men attending a sexually transmitted diseases clinic in Italy.

Prevalence of and risk factors for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection were determined among 252 homosexual men with no history of intravenous drug use (median age 33 years, range 18-77) treated at a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic in Rome. The overall prevalence of antibodies to HBV core antigen (anti-HBc) was 50.8%, a rate nearly nine times as high as the 5.

Incidence and determinants of hepatitis C virus infection among individuals at risk of sexually transmitted diseases attending a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 testing program.

Background: The role of sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is still not completely understood, partly because of the lack of longitudinal studies among cohorts of HCV-negative individuals who engage in at-risk sexual behavior.

Goals: To evaluate the incidence of HCV infection in a population at risk for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and to identify factors associated with HCV seroconversion.

Study Design: A retrospective longitudinal study was carried out on a cohort of consecutive attendees of a voluntary HIV-1 testing and counseling program in a large STD center in Rome.

Detection of JC and BK viral genome in specimens of HIV-1 infected subjects.

Human polyomaviruses JC and BK are ubiquitous in healthy human adults, persist as latent viruses and can be reactivated in the immunodeficient host giving different pathologies. Due to the experimental evidence of their potential oncogenicity and neurotropism, as well as to the enhanced viral production induced by co-infection with HIV-1, a possible role of these polyomaviruses has been suggested in AIDS-associated progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy (PML) and Kaposi's sarcoma. JCV and BKV DNA was detected by PCR in urine and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using primers specific for structural (VP1) and regulatory (R) regions.

Risk factors for hepatitis B virus infection among heterosexuals attending a sexually transmitted diseases clinic in Italy: role of genital ulcerative diseases.

The seroprevalence and risk factors for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection were determined among 1,497 heterosexuals with no history of intravenous drug use (median age 32, range 15-78) treated at a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Rome. A total of 329 (22.0%) had antibodies to HBV core antigen (anti-HBc), a rate nearly four times as high as the 5.

Apoptosis in HIV infection: protective role of IL-2.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HIV-infected subjects have been demonstrated by different methods to die by apoptosis after short time in culture. In the present study the percentages of apoptotic cells have been measured by propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry in PBMC from healthy controls (15) and HIV-infected subjects with asymptomatic (10) or advanced (15) disease, with or without anti-viral treatment. The percentage of apoptosis significantly correlated with clinical stage (CDCII: 15.

Serum IL-10 levels in HIV-positive subjects: correlation with CDC stages.

HIV-1 infection and the HIV gp120 have been shown to induce an IL-10 increase in cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Furthermore, the expression of this cytokine has been reported to increase in lymphnodes of infected patients along the disease course, and a shift from the TH-1 towards the TH-0/TH-2 phenotypes (with subsequent IL-10 release) has been hypothesized to underly AIDS progression. In this study the serum IL-10 levels found in 30 HIV-negative controls and in 65 HIV-positive patients, untreated with AZT and negative for HBsAg and HCV-Ab have been compared, using a commercial, competitive ELISA method based on a polyclonal anti-IL-10 serum.

Autoreactive response in seronegative homosexual men at high risk for HIV infection.

Peripheral autoreactive T cell response was evaluated by limiting dilution analysis of autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction cultures in 15 subjects at high risk for HIV infection and in 20 normal individuals. The two groups did not show a quantitative difference of peripheral autoreactive T cells, but they showed different kinetics. While controls provided a straight line passing through the origin, the majority of high risk individuals showed a curve with a limited linear portion at high cell concentration, indicating that different mechanisms regulate the autoreactive response in the two groups studied.

In vitro adherence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to human epithelial cells.

Gonococcal adherence was studied in vitro using buccal epithelial cells (BEC). In smears stained with the Gram method, a progressive decrease in gonococcal adherence to the BEC after some culture passages was observed. There was a parallel decrease to almost total disappearance in the number of fimbriated bacteria.

A gp120 HIV peptide with high similarity to HLA class II beta chains enhances PPD-specific and autoreactive T cell activation.

The recent report that anti-gp120 antibodies can be induced by allogeneic stimuli in experimental animals in the absence of HIV, has focused attention on the structural similarities between gp120 and MHC. Here we report that some HIV+ individuals develop antibodies which similarly react with the gp120 HIV sequence (aa 254-263) and with the HLA-DR beta chains (aa 142-151). As these two peptides share a high level of similarity, we have investigated the role of this gp120 region on HLA class II mediated T cell recognition.

Detection of HIV-1 genome in leukocytes of human colostrum from anti-HIV-1 seropositive mothers.

In order to obtain more information about the presence of HIV-1 in mononuclear cells of colostrum, research was carried out on both the HIV-1 genome in the cellular fraction of colostrum and the viral antibody in cell-free colostrum of eight anti-HIV-1 seropositive asymptomatic mothers. In five cases cell fractions of the colostrum harbored HIV-1 genome by DNA-DNA and DNA-RNA in situ hybridization, whereas viral antibody were detected in all cell-free colostrum specimens. The data confirms the colostrum as a possible route of HIV-1 infection.

Prevalence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and condom use among outpatients at a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Rome.

To assess the prevalence of HIV-1 infection and study selected risk factors among patients attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases in Rome, 1442 outpatients seen consecutively between 20 February and 12 December 1989 were anonymously tested for anti-HIV-1. An evaluation of the trend of the HIV-1 infection was attempted by comparing the results of the present study with those obtained from a similar sample studied in 1986 in the same clinic. The overall estimated prevalence of anti-HIV-1 was 1.

Heterosexual and homosexual transmission of hepatitis C virus: relation with hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

A seroprevalence study was carried out on 1757 outpatients consecutively seen in a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic in order to evaluate the sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV). A total of 1442 consenting patients were tested for hepatitis C, hepatitis B and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HCV, HBV, HIV-1) antibodies. The relations between anti-HCV, anti-HBc and anti-HIV-1 were studied.

Seroprevalence of anti-Chlamydia trachomatis IgG in outpatients attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Italy.

Prevalence of anti-Chlamydia trachomatis specific IgG antibodies was evaluated in a sexually transmitted disease outpatient population composed of 741 heterosexuals, 470 males and 271 females, and of 147 homosexual-bisexual men. The prevalence rates were 60.0% in heterosexual males, 50.

[Anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in chronic erythema migrans, benign lymphadenosis cutis, scleroderma and scleroatrophic lichen].

Fiftyone patients with a diagnosis of erythema chronicum migrans (ECM), lymphadenosis cutis benigna (LABC), systemic progressive sclerosis, localized scleroderma and lichen sclerosus et atrophicans were investigated in order to obtain serological evaluation of Borrelia burgdorferi circulating antibodies. In addition sera from 9 patients with pellagroid erythema, prurigo and panniculitis were performed: in these dermatoses there was no evidence of a possible borrelia relationship. Indirect immunofluorescence assay was used for serologic testing.

Detection of HIV genome in HIV antibody negative men.

The presence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) genome was investigated by applying in situ hybridisation techniques to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Twenty asymptomatic anti-HIV seronegative homosexual men were the subjects of our study. The cells were hybridised with: (1) an SP 64 plasmid containing the nine-kilobase SstI-SstI viral insert from the lambda BH 10 recombinant clone; this can recognise both viral RNA and proviral DNA, and (2) with a pA01 plasmid containing HBV DNA genome.

[Seborrhea-like dermatitis in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Clinical, histological, and microbiological aspects and biochemical findings].

Seventy-six patients diagnosed as having seborrheic dermatitis (SD) were divided into two groups: group A (n = 22) otherwise healthy subjects (HIV negative) and group B (n = 54) HIV positive (ARC and AIDS cases). Thirty normal healthy subjects without SD were considered as control (group C). The three groups were subjected to the following analyses: A) skin surface lipids (SSL) and fatty acid pattern of cholesterol esters, wax esters, triglycerides and free fatty acids fractions in the affected areas; B) plasma levels of Vitamin E and fatty acids of phospholipids; C) erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (3 cases for each group); D) frequency of Pityrosporum species in the affected areas; E) skin biopsy in the affected areas (2 cases for each group).

High prevalence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus in heterosexual persons attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Italy.

The prevalence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV-1) was determined in 924 outpatients attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic. The overall prevalence of anti-HIV-1 was 9%. Six of 14 intravenous drug addicts and 4 of 34 patients of African origin were anti-HIV-1 positive.

Hepatitis B and Delta virus infection among heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexual men.

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis Delta virus (HDV) infection rates were estimated in patients attending a venereal disease outpatient clinic: 759 heterosexuals and 154 homosexual-bisexual men. The anti-HBc prevalence was higher in homo-bisexual men (68.8 per 100) than in heterosexuals (41.