Poor agreement between interferon-gamma release assays and the tuberculin skin test among HIV-infected individuals in the country of Georgia.

Background: Improved tests to diagnose latent TB infection (LTBI) are needed. We sought to evaluate the performance of two commercially available interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) compared to the tuberculin skin test (TST) for the diagnosis of LTBI and to identify risk factors for LTBI among HIV-infected individuals in Georgia, a country with high rates of TB.

Methods: HIV-patients were enrolled from the National AIDS Center in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Expansion of CD3/CD16/CD56 positive NKT cells in HIV/AIDS: the pilot study.

Unlabelled: NKT cells are a subset of lymphocytes possessing features of NK cells and T cells; they play a key role in the formation of innate immune response. Upon stimulation, rapid production of large quantities of both T(h1) and T(h2) type cytokines permits them to bridge the innate and adaptive immune responses by activating NK cells, T cells, B cells and dendritic cells. Scientific knowledge has been collecting up to date toward the definition of the role of NKT lymphocytes in HIV/AIDS setting.

Relationship of neurological manifestations, CD4+ lymphocyte count and plasma viral load in HIV infected patients.

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the neurological manifestations of HIV infection, CD4+ lymphocyte count and the levels of HIV-1 RNA (viral load) in plasma. A total of 62 adult antiretroviral naïve HIV infected patients were enrolled in the study. Among them 26 had neurological complications of HIV infection (1st group), 16 patients had symptomatic disease without neurological involvements (2nd group) and 20 were asymptomatic patients (control group).