[(13)C]Methionine breath test as a marker for hepatic mitochondrial function in HIV-infected patients.

Metabolic disturbances such as dyslipidemia, lipodystrophy syndrome, visceral obesity, hyperlactatemia, diabetes mellitus, and hepatic steatosis have been recognized as serious complications in long-term antiretroviral-treated HIV-infected patients. The oxidative capacity of liver mitochondria plays a central role in their pathogenesis and can be analyzed using the [(13)C]methionine breath test. We analyzed hepatic mitochondrial function using the [(13)C]methionine breath test in antiretrovirally treated and untreated HIV-infected patients as well as HIV-negative controls.

Treatment of relapsing Mycobacterium avium infection with interferon-gamma and interleukin-2 in an HIV-negative patient with low CD4 syndrome.

A patient with idiopathic CD4 T-lymphopenia was diagnosed with a recurrent disseminated Mycobacterium avium infection. Because of progressive disease, treatment with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) was started. The patient was successfully treated with IFN-γ-1b and IL-2 in addition to anti-mycobacterial combination therapy.

Acute measles infection triggering an episode of liver transplant rejection.

We report the case of a 31-year-old immunosuppressed, liver transplanted man, with acute measles infection. The vaccinated patient had been exposed to measles during a known measles epidemic in public schools in Austria between January and April 2008. Measles infection triggered an episode of acute liver transplant rejection.

Mitochondrial membrane potential and apoptosis of blood mononuclear cells in untreated HIV-1 infected patients.

Objectives: Infection with HIV leads to progressive CD4 T-cell loss, resulting in AIDS. Apoptosis is the main mechanism for the loss of infected and bystander cells, but the complex interacting factors inducing and inhibiting apoptosis are not fully understood. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a pivotal step of the apoptotic cascade and can result in reduced mitochondrial membrane potential.

Increased red cell corpuscular volume and hepatic mitochondrial function in NRTI-treated HIV infected patients.

An increase of the mean corpuscular volume of the red blood cells has been repeatedly described in antiretroviral treated patients. Most commonly macrocytosis was associated with the use of certain nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The aim of this study was to analyse if macrocytosis might be a marker of mitochondrial toxicity in antiretrovirally treated HIV-infected patients.