HLA antigens as predictors of disease progression in HIV-infected haemophilia patients (a 22 years' follow up).

Our objective was to assess the influence of genetic factors such as HLA classes I and II antigens and other clinical and laboratory variables on the progression of HIV disease in a cohort of 118 HIV infected haemophilic subjects of Greek origin who had been typed for HLA antigens and were followed up prospectively for 22 years since seroconversion. At the end of the follow up we compared two groups of patients: 22 patients who had a fast progression to AIDS (median 6 years since seroconversion) vs. 33 patients who remained asymptomatic in stage A2 for up to 22 years (median 15 years).

The relevance of peripheral blood T-helper 1 and 2 cytokine pattern in the evaluation of patients with mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome.

Background: There is evidence that a T-helper (Th) 2 cytokine pattern dominates in the peripheral blood as well as in tissue of patients with Sézary syndrome (SS), and that the malignant clone is of Th2 phenotype. However, there are conflicting studies on the cytokine pattern in the peripheral blood in different stages of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

Objectives: To examine, by means of flow cytometry (FC), the Th1/Th2 cytokine profile [cytoplasmic interferon (IFN)-gamma/interleukin (IL)-4] in peripheral blood T cells from patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) and SS, the most common forms of CTCL, and to correlate their expression with clinical stage, clonality and T-cell immunophenotype changes in order to evaluate their relevance in CTCL progression.

Prevention of infection in multiple trauma patients by high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins.

Objective: To investigate the activity of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) as a prophylactic agent against infection in trauma victims.

Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Setting: A 20-bed university intensive care unit.

Effects of cyclosporin A on immune activation markers in patients with active psoriasis.

Background: Psoriasis is a T-cell mediated autoimmune disease. The objective of this work was to investigate the presence of cellular and soluble activation molecules in the blood of patients with psoriasis, not responding to local treatment and to study the effect of cyclosporin A (CsA) on these markers.

Methods: Twenty-seven patients and 30 healthy controls were included in the study.

Standardisation and quality assurance of lymphocyte proliferation assays for use in the assessment of immune function. European Concerted Action on Immunological and Virological Markers of HIV Disease Progression.

Lymphocyte proliferation is a widely used technique to assess immune competence. However, the technique is subject to a large degree of variation, some biological and some technical. In this study, the components of variation in whole blood proliferation assays were analysed over time, using both antibody and mitogenic stimulants.

HLA phenotypes in healthy aged subjects.

One hundred and seventy-one unrelated elderly healthy subjects selected according to the Senieur protocol (57 men and 114 women), aged 75-104 years, and 405 healthy individuals (238 men and 167 women), aged 18-65 years, were typed for HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-DR antigens. The purpose of the study was to investigate a possible association between HLA antigens and longevity. In the total group of elderly, an increased frequency of HLA-B16 (11.

Effects of homo-aza-steroids on acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia cell proliferation in vitro.

Homo-aza-steroids (modified steroid molecules) in their esterified forms have been used extensively as carrier molecules of alkylating agents against several neoplastic malignancies in vivo and in vitro. We studied the effects of two homo-aza-steroid carrier molecules alone, namely 3 beta-hydroxy-13 alpha-amino-13,17-seco-5 alpha-androstan-17-oic-13, 17-lactam (compound 1) and 13 alpha-amino-13,17-seco-1,3,5-estratrien-17-oic- 13,17-lactam (compound 2), on human acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia cell proliferation in vitro. We used peripheral blood samples from 27 untreated ANLL patients (eight M1, four M2, two M3, six M4, three M5a, two M5b and two M6, according to FAB criteria).

HLA in familial and nonfamilial Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma in Greece.

Fifty-four (54) unrelated patients with Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma (MKS) and 8 patients members of 4 unrelated families with familial MKS were serotyped for HLA-A,B and DR antigens. The diagnosis was histologically confirmed and all patients were negative for anti-HIV antibodies. An increased frequency of HLA-B18 (44.

Association between HLA antigens and progression of HIV infection in Greek haemophiliacs.

The frequencies of HLA antigens in 33 HIV seronegative and in 88 HIV seropositive haemophiliacs, who have been followed for at least 6 years since seroconversion or first HIV positive test, were evaluated in relation to disease susceptibility and disease progression. A high frequency of HLA-A2 and -DR2 antigens and a low frequency of HLA-A9 were found to characterize HIV seropositive patients (p < 0.05).

Monoclonal gammopathy in chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

The incidence of monoclonal gammopathy in 61 patients with chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD) was studied. The distribution of patients among the CMPD subgroups was: chronic myelocytic leukemia, 24 patients; myelofibrosis, 11; polycythemia vera, 15; essential thrombocythemia, 7; unclassified MPD, 4 patients. Monoclonal gammopathy was found in 5 patients (8.

Cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Application of multi-test.

In this study the Multi-Test was applied in 48 patients with inflammatory bowel disease and in 25 normal controls. A significant difference between normal controls and patients with Crohn's disease but not between normal controls and patients with ulcerative colitis was found with regard to anergic status, frequency of positive skin reactions, and size of skin infiltration. The authors conclude that in patients with Crohn's disease a defect exists in the cellular immunity.

Immune status of Greek patients with beta-thalassemia major negative for anti-HIV.

Patients with thalassemia who receive multiple blood transfusions are at risk for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations were studied in 22 multitransfused thalassemic patients; 10 patients were without splenectomy and 12 were studied after splenectomy. Both groups were negative for anti-HIV.

Malabsorption associated with nonmalignant immunoproliferative small intestinal disease.

Two cases of nonmalignant immunoproliferative small intestinal disease (IPSID) presenting with severe malabsorption are described. The first patient had a lymphocytic infiltrate of the lamina propria and lymphoid hyperplasia of the mesenteric lymph nodes and responded to oral tetracycline. The second patient had a polyclonal plasmacytic infiltration of the lamina propria and of the mesenteric nodes and responded only to cytotoxic treatment with cyclophosphamide.

Lymphocyte markers and clinical expression of lymphoproliferative disorders with moderate lymphocytosis.

Lymphoproliferative syndrome with well differentiated lymphocytes and moderate lymphocytosis in the peripheral blood includes a heterogeneous group of disorders, that present often difficulties in classification. We have studied the lymphocyte markers (ER, EMR, sIg and T3, T4, T8 antigens) in 36 cases who had lymphocytic infiltration in the bone marrow and peripheral lymphocyte counts less than 15 X 10(9) l-1. Four cases (11.

Mycosis fungoides: evaluation of immunohistochemical criteria for the early diagnosis of the disease and differentiation between stages.

Lesional skin specimens from twenty-eight patients with mycosis fungoides were studied by evaluating immunohistochemical criteria, primarily with monoclonal antibodies. It was demonstrated that significant differences exist between the control and the premycotic-stage group in regard to the monoclonal antibodies BE1, BE2, and OKT9. The detection of specific antigenic determinants on the surface of cell populations early in the course of the disease seems to be of considerable value for the early diagnosis of the disease.

High frequency of HLA-DR5 in Greek patients with haemophilia A and haemophilia B.

Sixty unrelated Greek patients with haemophilia (46 with haemophilia A and 14 with haemophilia B) were typed for HLA-A, B and DR antigens. A highly significant increase in the frequency of HLA-DR5 was observed in both groups of patients (58.6% vs 30.

HLA-A,-B, and -DR antigens in relation to gold and D-penicillamine toxicity in Greek patients with RA.

Ninety-five rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with aurothiomalate and/or D-penicillamine have been studied for possible associations between HLA-A, -B, -DR antigens and various toxic reactions to the above drugs. HLA-DR3 and -DRw6 had a higher frequency in patients with toxic reactions (all types) than in patients without toxic reactions (28.5 per cent vs 13.

Histocompatibility antigens (HLA-A, B) and ulcerative colitis in a Greek population.

Histocompatibility antigens (HLA-A, B) have been studied in 70 patients with ulcerative colitis of Greek origin. An increased frequency of HLA-A11, B7 and B13 (RR 2.1, 2.

Abnormalities of lymphocyte subsets and anti-LAV/HTLV-III status in Greek hemophiliacs.

Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and the incidence of LAV/HTLV-III antibodies were studied in 63 patients with hemophilia A who had been transfused with a low dose regimen of commercial (U.S.A.

Human lymphocyte antigens A, B, and C in Greek patients with psoriasis: relation to age and clinical expression of the disease.

The frequencies of human lymphocyte antigens (HLAs) A, B, and Cw6 were studied in a group of 212 Greek patients with psoriasis and 202 control subjects. An increased frequency of B13, B16, and Cw6 antigens and a low frequency of B14 were noted in the group of all patients. However, there were striking differences in HLA phenotypes according to the age at onset of the disease.

Immune abnormalities in myelodysplastic syndromes.

The immune states of 52 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes classified according to the FAB criteria were studied. Serum electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis, direct Coombs test, and tests for organ and non-organ specific antibodies were performed. Twenty six patients had immunoglobulin abnormalities: six (11.

Blood lymphocyte subpopulations studied with monoclonal antibodies in aleukaemic stages of mycosis fungoides.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 21 patients with aleukaemic stages of mycosis fungoides were studied with monoclonal T cell antibodies. Patients with erythematous eruptions or infiltrated plaques (group I) had a higher percentage of OKT4+ cells than patients with a tumorous stage (group II) or normal subjects (p = 0.05).