IL-7 receptor is expressed on adult pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and other B-cell derived neoplasms and correlates with expression of proliferation and survival markers.

The interleukin (IL)-7 receptor (IL-7R) is expressed on human pre-B but not mature B-cells. We hypothesised that aberrant expression of IL-7R contributes to B-cell oncogenesis. Surface expression of IL-7R components CD127 and CD132, and intracellular Ki-67 and Bcl-2 were examined by flow cytometry on peripheral blood or bone marrow mononuclear cells (PBMC; BMMC) from patients with B-cell derived neoplasms, chronic human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection alone, or healthy volunteers.

Proliferation of weakly suppressive regulatory CD4+ T cells is associated with over-active CD4+ T-cell responses in HIV-positive patients with mycobacterial immune restoration disease.

The role of Treg in patients with late-stage HIV disease, who commence combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and develop pathogen-specific immunopathology manifesting as immune restoration disease (IRD) remains unclear. We hypothesised that Treg could be defective in either numbers and/or function and therefore unable to ensure the physiological equilibrium of the immune system in patients with IRD. Phenotypic and functional CD4(+) T-cell subsets of eight late-stage HIV patients with nadir CD4 count <50 cells/microL, who developed mycobacterial IRD upon commencing cART were compared with six therapy naive HIV(+) patients (nadir CD4 count <50 cells/microL), who did not develop an IRD after cART.

Sexual behaviour and human herpesvirus 8 infection in homosexual men in Australia.

Background: Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is a common sexually transmitted agent among homosexual men, but there are few Australian data. We aimed to describe the prevalence and risk factors for seropositivity to HHV-8 in Australian homosexual men.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 179 homosexual men in Sydney Australia in 1992-1998.