Quantification of HTLV type I and HIV type I DNA load in coinfected patients: HIV type 1 infection does not alter HTLV type I proviral amount in the peripheral blood compartment.

Several reports suggest that HTLV-I/HIV coinfection may be associated with an increased risk of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). In HTLV-I-monoinfected patients, the occurrence of HAM/TSP is associated with high peripheral blood HTLV-I proviral load. Using a real-time quantitative PCR assay, we assessed the proviral DNA load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 15 asymptomatic HTLV-I-monoinfected patients, 15 HTLV-I-monoinfected patients with HAM/TSP, and 25 HTLV-I/HIV-1 coinfected patients, including 4 with HAM/TSP.

Occupational transmission of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus after a punch.

Although the simultaneous transmission of either human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus or HIV and hepatitis B virus from a single source has already been described, this is the first case of transmission to occur after a blow with the fist.

[Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis: two new cases in Blacks].

Introduction: Thyreotoxic hypokalemic periodic paralysis (THPP) has mainly been described in Asian people. It is rare in Caucasians, and only 12 cases were reported in Blacks.

Exegesis: We report two cases of THPP in black patients.

[Dengue or acute retroviral syndrome?].

Background: The diagnosis of primary HIV infection is a crucial element in the fight against the AIDS epidemic. Clinical manifestations associated with primary infection are nonspecific. Dengue is a possible differential diagnosis.

Drug resistance mutations among HIV-1 strains from antiretroviral-naive patients in Martinique, French West Indies.

We report on the frequency of genetic mutations associated with drug resistance in antiretroviral treatment-naive patients from Martinique (French West Indies), where zidovudine (ZDV) has been available since 1987 and where combination therapy developed simultaneously with its use in continental France. Genotypic resistance was studied in plasma HIV RNA from samples collected between 1988 and 1998 from 70 antiretroviral-naive study subjects, half presenting with either primary infection or documented seroconversion. A line probe assay (LIPA) was used to detect substitutions on the reverse transcriptase (RT) codons 41, 69, 70, 74, 184, and 215.

Epidemiology of histoplasmosis in the French West Indies (Martinique).

The Caribbean islands are presumed to be an endemic zone for Histoplasma capsulatum infection, but no epidemiological studies have been done in this area. Our purpose was to report the epidemiology of histoplasmosis from 1991 to 1997 in the French West Indies (Martinique). Cases identified from the register of the mycology laboratory were analysed retrospectively.

[Acute renal insufficiency and cerebral infarction during high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin therapy].

Introduction: Side-effects of immunoglobulins administered via the intravenous route are usually minor. However, acute renal failure and more rarely thrombotic events, including ischemic stroke, have been reported in association with immunoglobulin infusion. To our knowledge, no case of both acute failure and stroke following immunoglobulin has been described until now.

[Cerebral toxoplasmosis and AIDS in Martinique].

This study was carried out in 60 AIDS patients who presented toxoplasma encephalitis in Martinique (French West Indies). Diagnosis was based on a combination of fever, neurologic signs, and characteristic CT-scan images in patients with positive HIV serology. There were 46 males and 14 females with a mean age of 40 years.

[Epidemiological characteristics of HIV infection in Martinique].

The epidemiologic study of HIV infected patients in Martinique from 1985 to 1992 allowed to point out a stability of new cases by year, and confirm the heterosexual transmission in this area. The sexual comportment of Martinicans seems to be different of the continental French people and different between men and women. This constation is important to know for the preventive strategy of the infection.

Study of HLA antigens in systemic lupus erythematosus in the French West Indies.

As incidence of SLE is high in Blacks, we studied HLA and SLE associations in the French West Indies, whose population is racially mixed. Forty-seven coloured SLE patients have been typed in HLA A,B,C and DR. We observed B8 association in nearly all of the studies.