Serological evidence of typhus group rickettsia in a homeless population in Houston, Texas.

We tested sera from 176 homeless people in Houston for antibodies against typhus group rickettsiae (TGR). Sera from 19 homeless people were reactive to TGR antigens by ELISA and IFA. Two people had antibodies against Rickettsia prowazekii (epidemic typhus) and the remaining 17 had antibodies against Rickettsia typhi (murine typhus).

West Nile virus infection among the homeless, Houston, Texas.

Among 397 homeless participants studied, the overall West Nile virus (WNV) seroprevalence was 6.8%. Risk factors for WNV infection included being homeless >1 year, spending >6 hours outside daily, regularly taking mosquito precautions, and current marijuana use.

A nonneutralizing anti-HIV Type 1 antibody turns into a broad neutralizing antibody when expressed on the surface of HIV type 1-susceptible cells. II. Inhibition of HIV type 1 captured and transferred by DC-SIGN.

Previously, we demonstrated that the expression of a nonneutralizing human anti-HIV-1 gp41 scFv on the surface of HIV-1-susceptible cells markedly inhibits HIV-1 replication and HIV-1 envelope-mediated cell-cell fusion. The inhibition is at the level of viral entry, specific for the HIV-1 envelope, and independent of virus tropism. In the previous studies, cell-free viruses of laboratory-adapted HIV-1 strains from subtype B were used to infect human CD4 T cell lines.

Integration of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in untreated infection occurs preferentially within genes.

Previous analyses of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integration sites generated in infections in vitro or in patients in whom viral replication was repressed by antiviral therapy have demonstrated a preference for integration within protein-coding genes. We analyzed integration sites in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), spleen, lymph node, and cerebral cortex from patients with untreated HIV-1 infections. The great majority of integration sites in each tissue were within genes.