miRNA Expression Profiling in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Monozygotic Twins Discordant for HIV Infection: Validation of Differentially Expressed miRNA and Bioinformatic Analysis.

Combined AntiRetroviral Treatments (cARTs) used for HIV infection may result in varied metabolic complications, which in some cases, may be related to patient genetic factors, particularly microRNAs. The use of monozygotic twins, differing only for HIV infection, presents a unique and powerful model for the controlled analysis of potential alterations of miRNAs regulation consequent to cART treatment. Profiling of 2578 mature miRNA in the subcutaneous (SC) adipose tissue and plasma of monozygotic twins was investigated by the GeneChip® miRNA 4.

CD4 cell count and the risk of infective and non-infective serious non-AIDS events in HIV-positive persons seen for care in Italy.

Introduction: Serious non-AIDS events (SNAE) are frequent in HIV patients receiving cART. Current CD4 count was shown to be more strongly associated with infective compared to not-infective SNAE and unable to predict cardiovascular events. We investigated the relationship between baseline and current CD4 count and the risk of both infective and non-infective SNAE in HIV-positive patients according to current ART use.

Is real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) more useful than a conventional PCR for the clinical management of leishmaniasis?

It is currently unknown if the use of a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) adds value to the diagnosis and follow-up prognosis of patients affected by leishmaniasis. We performed a study using a real-time PCR directed against the alpha-polymerase gene and a semiquantitative PCR that target the SSU ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene as control for the diagnosis and quantification of parasites in patients with visceral (VL) and cutaneous (CL) leishmaniasis. Our single copy real-time PCR missed one diagnosis of VL compared with the conventional PCR, whereas both PCR methods were able to detect Leishmania parasites in CL.

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis as an immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in a patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a complication of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) observed mainly in Sudan and India where it follows treated VL in 50% and 10% of cases, respectively. We report a 46-year-old patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome who, 7 months after diagnosis of VL, developed PKDL and uveal leishmaniasis following HAART-induced immune recovery. In southern Europe PKDL seems to be an emerging clinical presentation among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients experiencing HAART-induced immune recovery after a previous diagnosis of VL.

Human parvovirus 4 in the bone marrow of Italian patients with AIDS.

Human parvovirus 4 (PARV4) is a recently discovered member of the Parvoviridae. We investigated the presence of this virus in bone-marrow aspirates of 35 Italian patients with AIDS. Viral DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction in over 40% of patients (16/35).