A sign of superspreading in tuberculosis: highly skewed distribution of genotypic cluster sizes.

Background: Molecular typing is a valuable tool for gaining insight into spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Typing allows for clustering of cases whose isolates share an identical genotype, revealing epidemiologic relatedness. Observed distributions of genotypic cluster sizes of tuberculosis (TB) are highly skewed.

Targeted BCG vaccination against severe tuberculosis in low-prevalence settings: epidemiologic and economic assessment.

Background: BCG vaccine protects against the severe forms of tuberculosis (TB) in children. Several low-prevalence countries are reviewing their policy, usually shifting from universal vaccination to vaccination of infants in high-risk groups only. We combined an epidemiologic analysis with a cost-effectiveness analysis to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of targeted strategies.

Contrasting B cell- and T cell-based protective vaccines.

A substantial research effort is devoted to the development of vaccines based on T cells. Such a vaccine would provide a means to protect against infection with HIV and stop the current pandemic. Here we investigate the possibility to develop a protective T cell-based vaccine.

IL-2 therapy and thymic production of naive CD4 T cells in HIV-infected patients with severe CD4 lymphopenia.

Objectives: IL-2 therapy increases memory and naive CD4 T cells in HIV-infected patients, but its effect on thymopoiesis is unknown. To investigate this effect, we quantified T-cell receptor rearrangement excision circles (TREC) in CD4 T cells from lymphopenic AIDS patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy and IL-2.

Methods: CD4 cell subsets were evaluated by flow cytometry using anti-CD45RO/RA, CD62L, Ki67 and CD95 monoclonal antibodies.