Primary syphilitic chancre on the upper arm in an HIV-1-infected patient.

A 32-year-old HIV-infected man presented with an ulcerating skin lesion with indurated borders on the upper right arm. Both dark-field microscopy and syphilis serology confirmed the diagnosis of primary syphilis. Extragenital syphilitic chancres are uncommon but nevertheless have to be kept in mind as they often delay diagnosis.

Decreased erythrocyte NA+,K+-ATPase activity and increased plasma TBARS in prehypertensive patients.

The essential hypertension has been associated with membrane cell damage. The aim of the present study is investigate the relationship between erythrocyte Na(+),K(+)-ATPase and lipoperoxidation in prehypertensive patients compared to normotensive status. The present study involved the prehypertensive patients (systolic: 136 ± 7 mmHg; diastolic: 86.

Switching to tenofovir/emtricitabine from abacavir/lamivudine in HIV-infected adults with raised cholesterol: effect on lipid profiles.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect on fasting lipid parameters of switching to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) plus emtricitabine (FTC) from abacavir (ABC) plus lamivudine (3TC; both fixed-dose combinations), while maintaining ritonavir-boosted lopinavir (LPV/r).

Methods: This was an open-label randomized two-arm 12-week controlled study in virologically suppressed HIV-infected patients with elevated cholesterol (≥5.2 mmol/l).

Biomonitoring genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of Microcystis aeruginosa (Chroococcales, cyanobacteria) using the Allium cepa test.

Water pollution caused by toxic cyanobacteria is a problem worldwide, increasing with eutrophication. Due to its biological significance, genotoxicity should be a focus for biomonitoring pollution owing to the increasing complexity of the toxicological environment in which organisms are exposed. Cyanobacteria produce a large number of bioactive compounds, most of which lack toxicological data.

Immunogenicity and tolerability after two doses of non-adjuvanted, whole-virion pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccine in HIV-infected individuals.

Background: During the influenza pandemic of 2009/10, the whole-virion, Vero-cell-derived, inactivated, pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccine Celvapan® (Baxter) was used in Austria. Celvapan® is adjuvant-free and was the only such vaccine at that time in Europe. The objective of this observational, non-interventional, prospective single-center study was to evaluate the immunogenicity and tolerability of two intramuscular doses of this novel vaccine in HIV-positive individuals.

Prognostic value of indeterminate IFN-γ release assay results in HIV-1 infection.

In this prospective, longitudinal study on 948 HIV-1-infected patients, subjects with an indeterminate IFN-γ (gamma interferon) release assay (IGRA) result at baseline were at significantly higher risk of developing AIDS-defining manifestations other than tuberculosis (TB) irrespective of CD4(+) T cell count. Thus, in HIV-1-infected patients with advanced quantitative CD4(+) T cell depletion, an indeterminate IGRA might indicate an additional loss of global T cell function, warranting detailed clinical evaluation and careful follow-up.

Stress and fitness monitoring embedded on a modern telematics platform.

Lack of regular physical activity and high stress levels are the leading causes of several illnesses. There is thus a real need for a personal low-cost and mobile monitoring solution over extended periods to prevent health risks. Based on the above fact, this article presents a system capable of estimating and monitoring both stress and fitness levels without a physical consultation of a medical specialist.

The risk of infections in HIV-HCV coinfected patients during antiviral therapy with pegIFN+RBV.

Objectives: Antiviral treatment with pegIFN/RBV decreases ANC and CD4+ cell count. An association between neutropenia, a low CD4+ cell count and infections has not been demonstrated so far in HIV-HCV coinfected patients.

Methods: The incidence, type, and severity of infections were recorded in 85 HIV-HCV coinfected and 164 monoinfected patients receiving pegIFN/RBV for 48 weeks.

Lipid profiles for etravirine versus efavirenz in treatment-naive patients in the randomized, double-blind SENSE trial.

Background: Etravirine is approved for use in treatment-experienced patients at a dose of 200 mg twice daily. Efavirenz has been associated with greater increases in serum lipids compared with other non-nucleosides in randomized trials of first-line treatment.

Methods: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 157 treatment-naive patients with HIV RNA >5000 copies/mL were randomized 1:1 to either 400 mg of etravirine once daily (n=79) or 600 mg of efavirenz once daily (n=78) plus two nucleoside analogues (either abacavir/lamivudine, zidovudine/lamivudine or tenofovir/emtricitabine) for 48 weeks.

Design of a Physical Activity Program to Prevent Functional Decline in Onco-Geriatric Patients (CAPADOGE): A Randomized Multicenter Trial.

Background: Cancer in older patient favours the development of frailty: feeling of exhaustion, loss of weight, decreased muscle strength, slow gait speed, and low physical activity.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of adapted physical activity phone advices in limiting the cancer-induced loss of autonomy and frailty phenotype development.

Design: Multicenter randomized controlled trial.

IL28B and interferon-gamma inducible protein 10 for prediction of rapid virologic response and sustained virologic response in HIV-HCV-coinfected patients.

Background: A polymorphism near the IL28B gene has been shown to be associated with virologic response to antiviral treatment in HCV-infected patients. The predictive value of interferon-gamma inducible protein 10 (IP10) on treatment outcome has been described in HCV patients. Data on combining these predictors in HIV-HCV-coinfected patients are not available.

Pivotal advance: peritoneal cavity B-1 B cells have phagocytic and microbicidal capacities and present phagocytosed antigen to CD4+ T cells.

Breaking the long-held paradigm that primary B cells are not phagocytic, several studies have demonstrated recently that B cells from fish, amphibians, and reptilians have a significant phagocytic capacity. Whether such capacity has remained conserved in certain mammalian B cell subsets is presently an enigma. Here, we report a previously unrecognized ability of PerC B-1a and B-1b lymphocytes to phagocytose latex beads and bacteria.

First Experiences with Navigated Radio-Guided Surgery Using Freehand SPECT.

Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in melanoma using one-dimensional gamma probes is a standard of care worldwide. Reports on the performance are claimed by most groups to successfully detect the SLNs during the surgical procedure in almost 100% of the patients. In clinical practice, however, several issues remain which are usually not addressed: the difficulty of intraoperative detection of deeply located nodes, SLN detection in obese patients or in the groin and the impossibility to make a scan of the entire wound after SLN resection to avoid false negative testing for eventually remaining SLNs.

Considerable under-treatment of chronic HCV infection in HIV patients despite acceptable sustained virological response rates in a real-life setting.

Background: According to guidelines, treatment of HCV infection should be considered a priority in HIV-HCV-coinfected patients.

Methods: This multicentre study includes HIV-HCV-coinfected patients diagnosed since 2001 in 14 participating centres in Austria and Germany. Demographic and virological data were recorded.

Raltegravir in pregnancy: a case series presentation.

Adequate antiretroviral therapy is essential for HIV-positive pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child transmission. We report a small case series of five women receiving raltegravir as part of their antiretroviral regimen during pregnancy.

Cutting edge: reactive oxygen species inhibitors block priming, but not activation, of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

A common denominator among the multiple damage-inducing agents that ultimately lead to activation of NLRP3 has not yet been identified. Recently, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been suggested to act as a common event upstream of the NLRP3 inflammasome machinery. Because de novo translation of NLRP3 is an essential step in the activation of NLRP3, we investigated the role of substances that inhibit either ROS production or its oxidative activity.

96 week results from the MONET trial: a randomized comparison of darunavir/ritonavir with versus without nucleoside analogues, for patients with HIV RNA <50 copies/mL at baseline.

Background: In virologically suppressed patients, switching to darunavir/ritonavir monotherapy could avoid resistance and adverse events from continuing nucleoside analogues.

Methods: Two hundred and fifty-six patients with HIV RNA <50 copies/mL on current antiretrovirals were switched to darunavir/ritonavir 800/100 mg once daily, either as monotherapy (n = 127) or with two nucleoside analogues (n = 129). Treatment failure was defined as two consecutive HIV RNA levels at least 50 copies/mL by week 96, or discontinuation of study drugs.

Concomitant highly active antiretroviral therapy leads to smaller decline and faster recovery of CD4+ cell counts during and after pegylated interferon plus ribavirin therapy in HIV-hepatitis C virus coinfected patients.

Introduction: The impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on CD4+ cell course during treatment with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin (PegIFN-RBV) in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) is unknown.

Methods: We determined CD4(+) cell count in 94 HIV-HCV coinfected patients undergoing treatment with pegylated interferon plus RBV at baseline, treatment weeks 4-48 (W4-W48), and months 1, 3, and 6 of follow-up. Of the 94 patients, 70 underwent concomitant HAART (group A) and 24 did not (group B).

Modified annexin V/propidium iodide apoptosis assay for accurate assessment of cell death.

Studies of cellular apoptosis have been significantly impacted since the introduction of flow cytometry-based methods. Propidium iodide (PI) is widely used in conjunction with Annexin V to determine if cells are viable, apoptotic, or necrotic through differences in plasma membrane integrity and permeability. The Annexin V/PI protocol is a commonly used approach for studying apoptotic cells.

Antimicrobial mechanisms of fish leukocytes.

Early activation and coordination of innate defenses are critical for effective responses against infiltrating pathogens. Rapid engagement of immune cells provides a critical first line of defense soon after pathogen infiltration. Activation leads to a well-orchestrated set of events that sees the induction and regulation of intracellular and extracellular antimicrobial defenses.

Identification of PD-1 as a unique marker for failing immune reconstitution in HIV-1-infected patients on treatment.

PD-1 expression on T cells correlates with T-cell exhaustion and disease progression in HIV-infected patients. Previous studies have shown that combinational antiretroviral therapy induced viral suppression results in immune restoration and reduced PD-1 expression. However, a significant number of patients fail to restore CD4 T cells despite suppression of HIV replication below limit of quantification.