Inhibitory function of secretory leukocyte proteinase inhibitor (SLPI) in human saliva is HIV-1 specific and varies with virus tropism.

Objective: Secretory leukocyte proteinase inhibitor (SLPI) is an endogenous mucosa associated protein that has been proposed to possess anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological function of SLPI in salivary mediated inhibition of HIV infection and in addition the inhibitory effect of SLPI using isolates of varied virus tropism.

Material And Methods: The inhibitory effect of HIV-1 infection in vitro, mediated by 60 different saliva samples was analyzed with respect to levels of SLPI.

Salivary sIgA response in HIV-1 infection.

Local and systemic production of total and HIV-1 specific IgA was determined in whole saliva and serum from 45 HIV-1-infected individuals and 15 healthy controls. The antigenic domains important for sIgA and IgG binding, respectively, was investigated with epitope mapping using synthetic peptides of HIV-1 proteins. Decreased levels of total sIgA in saliva were found among patients with low CD4+ cell counts in advanced stages of acquired immunodeficiency.

DNA-plasmids of HIV-1 induce systemic and mucosal immune responses.

DNA-based immunization has been shown to induce protective immunity against several microbial pathogens including HIV-1. Several routes of DNA vaccination have been exploited. However, the properties of the immune responses seem to differ with the different routes used for DNA delivery, ultimately affecting the outcome of experimental challenge.

Induction of mucosal IgA by a novel jet delivery technique for HIV-1 DNA.

Novel ways of delivering plasmid DNA to elicit humoral IgA, IgG and cell-mediated immune responses in mice were investigated. Intraoral administration of DNA in the cheek, using a jet immunization technique, elicited the highest IgA mucosal responses. Intranasal immunization gave strong mucosal IgA responses and persistent systemic IgG.

Entamoeba gingivalis in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected patients with periodontal disease.

Necrotic periodontal disease is a progressive painful oral lesion in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients, and the etiology is unknown. Earlier studies of HIV-1-infected patients have shown significant changes in the viral and fungal oral microflora. The aim of this study was to relate the occurrence of protozoa to clinical symptoms and immunosuppression.

Shedding of cytomegalovirus and herpesviruses 6, 7, and 8 in saliva of human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected patients and healthy controls.

We used the polymerase chain reaction to study the presence of DNA from cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human herpesvirus (HHV)-6, HHV-7, and HHV-8 in saliva from 44 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1-infected patients at different stages of disease and in 15 healthy HIV-seronegative controls. CMV DNA, HHV-6 DNA, and HHV-7 DNA were found in all groups, but HHV-8 DNA was found only in symptomatic HIV-1-infected patients (5 [17%] of 29). One of the patients with HHV-8 DNA in saliva had oral Kaposi's sarcoma at the time of sampling, and another later developed the tumor.

Immunoglobulin G abnormalities in HIV-1 infected individuals with lymphoma.

Background: Polyclonal B-cell activation precedes the occurrence of malignant B-cell clones. Several recent reports suggest a perturbed cytokine regulation in HIV-related lymphomagenesis and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) involvement in approximately half of the cases with generalized lymphoma.

Objectives: We investigated whether altered immunoglobulin properties would be detected by fine analysis of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass patterns against HIV and EBV epitopes.

Direct identification by PCR of EBV types and variants in clinical samples.

Both Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) type A and type B, and variants of type A, were identified simultaneously by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of a DNA region coding for a 13 amino acid repeat in the Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA) 6. Whereas this region varies extensively in type A isolates, no variation was seen in type B isolates. When a repetitive region in the LMP1-coding region was amplified by PCR, it was possible to distinguish individual variants of type B isolates from each other.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA in saliva and EBV serology of HIV-1-infected persons with and without hairy leukoplakia.

Secretion of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in saliva, as well as serum antibody titres against various EBV antigens, were analyzed in respect of (1) 15 HIV-1-infected patients with oral hairy leukoplakia proven to contain EBV by in situ hybridization, (2) 45 HIV-1 infected patients without hairy leukoplakia, (3) 10 HIV-1 infected patients treated with acyclovir or foscarnet and (4) 21 healthy controls. The numbers of CD4+ cells in the peripheral blood were also recorded. The HIV-1 infected patients were at various stages of HIV-1-associated disease.

Presence of autologous neutralizing antibodies against cytomegalovirus (CMV) in serum of human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected patients shedding CMV in saliva.

This study evaluated whether cytomegalovirus (CMV) neutralizing capacity affected shedding of CMV in saliva in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients and mapped specific epitope reactivity of CMV IgG antibodies. Total CMV IgG titers were significantly higher in symptomatic than in asymptomatic HIV-1-infected patients or controls. All CMV-seropositive patients had neutralizing antibodies to CMV.

Detection of BK virus DNA in nasopharyngeal aspirates from children with respiratory infections but not in saliva from immunodeficient and immunocompetent adult patients.

Our understanding of important stages in the pathogenesis of the human polyomavirus BK virus (BKV) and JC virus (JCV) infections is limited. In this context, nasopharyngeal aspirates from 201 children with respiratory diseases and saliva from 60 human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected adults and 10 healthy adult controls were collected and analyzed for the presence of BKV and JCV DNA by PCR. Neither BKV nor JCV DNA was detected in the saliva specimens.

Oral hairy leukoplakia: pathogenetic aspects and significance of the lesion.

Oral hairy leukoplakia in HIV-seropositive persons is considered as a highly serious sign and places the patient in the AIDS-related complex group according to the classification recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is thought to be the cause. Based on the investigation of 14 of our own cases and a review of the literature, we conclude that so called hairy leukoplakia does not have a specific histopathologic pattern.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and cytomegalovirus in saliva.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether HIV-1 or cytomegalovirus (CMV) may contribute to oral lesions frequently found in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Saliva samples from 63 HIV-1 positive patients and 21 healthy controls were tested for the presence of HIV-1 and CMV using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virus isolation. CMV IgG titres in serum were also compared in the different groups.

Periodontal disease in HIV-infected patients in relation to lymphocyte subsets and specific micro-organisms.

Visible plaque index (VPI), gingival bleeding index (GBI) and pocket depth (PD) were analyzed in relation to potential periodontal pathogenic microorganisms and peripheral numbers of T4+ and T8+ lymphocyte subsets in 10 patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, 10 patients with AIDS related complex (ARC) and 10 patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). 10 healthy persons served as controls. Periodontal disease in patients with more advanced stages of HIV infection were related to the severity of the systemic disease, and to decreasing numbers of T4+ lymphocytes in peripheral blood, but not to VPI or the occurrence of periodontal pathogenic micro-organisms.