Prevalence of lipoatrophy and mitochondrial DNA content of blood and subcutaneous fat in HIV-1-infected patients randomly allocated to zidovudine- or stavudine-based therapy.

Introduction: Mitochondrial toxicity resulting from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion is suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of lipodystrophy.

Methods: We cross-sectionally assessed lipodystrophy both clinically and radiographically in patients who, 4 years before, had been enrolled in a randomized comparative trial of stavudine- or zidovudine-based therapy. mtDNA content was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and subcutaneous adipose tissue from the thigh and back.

Botryomycosis in an HIV-positive subject.

A 28-year-old male AIDS patient with generalized painful skin ulcers, fever and malaise presented to us. The differential diagnosis included varicella zoster infection, herpes simplex infection, actinomycosis, sporotrichosis and botryomycosis. Histopathology revealed clusters of gram-positive coccoid bacteria in the deep dermis, surrounded by a mixed dense inflammatory infiltrate.