Publications by authors named "L Sernicola"
Article Synopsis
- The influenza A(H1N1) pdm09 virus, first identified in 2009, has been studied over a 14-year period (2009-2023) to analyze its genetic changes, particularly focusing on surface proteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) in Italian strains compared to global versions.
- Phylogenetic analyses showed rapid changes and the emergence of new viral variants in the early pandemic, clustered mainly in clade 6B.1, while the 2023 strains displayed limited genetic variation likely due to genetic drift.
- Key sites were identified on both HA and NA proteins that affect the virus's ability to adapt to host immune responses; changes at these sites can serve
The growing emergence of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) HIV drug resistance in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) led to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommending, in 2018, a transition to dolutegravir (DTG) as a first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in SSA. The broad HIV-1 genetic diversity in SSA could shape DTG effectiveness and the pattern of drug resistance mutations (DRMs) in this region. This study evaluated HIV-1 integrase (IN) DRMs and conserved regions among published groups M, N, O, and P HIV-1 sequences spanning forty years of the HIV epidemic during the transition of DTG-based ART.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEach time the virus starts a new round of expression/replication, even under effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), the transactivator of viral transcription Tat is one of the first HIV-1 protein to be produced, as it is strictly required for HIV replication and spreading. At this stage, most of the Tat protein exits infected cells, accumulates in the extracellular matrix and exerts profound effects on both the virus and neighbor cells, mostly of the innate and adaptive immune systems. Through these effects, extracellular Tat contributes to the acquisition of infection, spreading and progression to AIDS in untreated patients, or to non-AIDS co-morbidities in ART-treated individuals, who experience inflammation and immune activation despite virus suppression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHBV/HCV co-infection is common in HIV-1-infected prisoners. To investigate the characteristics of HIV co-infections, and to evaluate the molecular heterogeneity of HIV, HBV and HCV in prisoners, we carried-out a multicenter cross-sectional study, including 65 HIV-1-infected inmates enrolled in 5 Italian detention centers during the period 2017-2019. HIV-1 subtyping showed that 77.
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- HIV-1 replication in the gastrointestinal tract leads to significant CD4+ T-cell loss and damages the intestinal barrier, resulting in inflammation and immune activation, even among those on antiretroviral therapy.
- The gut serves as a major reservoir for HIV, with higher viral DNA levels found there than in the blood, indicating its crucial role in the persistence of the virus.
- This review highlights the interactions between HIV-1 and specific CD4+ T-cell subsets in the gut, along with the influence of the gut microbiome on inflammation and immune responses related to HIV-related health issues.