Presentation and outcome of suspected sepsis in a high-HIV burden, high antiretroviral coverage setting.

Objective: To define sepsis syndromes in high-HIV burden settings in the antiretroviral therapy (ART) era.

Methods: We characterized a prospective cohort of adults presenting to a tertiary emergency department in Harare, Zimbabwe with suspected community-acquired sepsis using blood and urine cultures, urine tuberculosis lipoarabinomannan (TB LAM), and serum cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) testing. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality.

Sepsis in cancer patients residing in Zimbabwe: spectrum of bacterial and fungal aetiologies and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.

Background: Cancer and sepsis comorbidity is a major public health problem in most parts of the world including Zimbabwe. The microbial aetiologies of sepsis and their antibiograms vary with time and locations. Knowledge on local microbial aetiologies of sepsis and their susceptibility patterns is critical in guiding empirical antimicrobial treatment choices.

Target peptide sequence within infectious human immunodeficiency virus type 1 does not ensure envelope-specific T-helper cell reactivation: influences of cysteine protease and gamma interferon-induced thiol reductase activities.

Recent clinical trials have shown that the presence of a robust human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific T-cell response may not be sufficient to prevent or control HIV-1 infection. Studies of antigen processing in the context of infectious HIV-1 are therefore warranted. Envelope-specific, major histocompatibility complex class II-restricted murine T-cell hybridomas were tested for responsiveness to splenic antigen-presenting cells exposed to HIV-1-infected GHOST cells.

Intrathecal production and secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor during Cryptococcal Meningitis.

Background: Patients with cryptococcal meningitis (CM) show elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in most cases. Elevated ICP is an important contributor to mortality. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) might be the mediator of BBB disruption during CM.