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Biomedical subjects

A Cargnel

Publications and source records attributed to A Cargnel.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
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Serum procollagen type III peptide levels in patients with acute viral hepatitis.

Serum levels of procollagen type III peptide were measured by radioimmunoassay in 76 consecutive patients with acute viral hepatitis, in order to see if this index of hepatic fibrogenesis is also predictive for the development of chronic active hepatitis in high-risk patients. Serum procollagen levels were high (from 14.2 to 109.2 ng/ml, median 33.7 ng/ml) in 74 (97%) patients and normal (from 4 to 14 ng/ml, median 9.1 ng/ml) in 2 (3%) patients. The baseline serum procollagen levels were similar in all the subgroups of patients independently of the type of hepatitis. In the 59 patients with resolving hepatitis, serum procollagen levels returned to normal values from 2 to 48 weeks (mean 15). In the 17 patients with unresolved hepatitis, procollagen levels remained within the normal limits in 6 of 7 patients with non-progressive chronic disease, while were elevated (from 17.4 to 22.2 ng/ml) in 4 of 5 patients with chronic active hepatitis. Unlike transaminase activity, which could not discriminate between benign and progressive liver disease, serum levels of procollagen helped in identifying patients with unresolved hepatitis, who were developing chronic active disease.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Anti-LAV/HTLV-III antibodies in groups of individuals at high risk for infection in Italy.

We have studied anti-LAV/HTLV-III antibody prevalence in individuals at high risk for infection, such as intravenous drug addicts, hemophiliacs and homosexual men. Among intravenous drug addicts, LAV/HTLV-III infection was first recognized in 1981 and positive serum reactions for anti-LAV/HTLV-III antibody rose in successive years to 53%. Anti-LAV/HTLV-III antibody prevalence was 13.5% in the group of homosexual men, while in hemophiliacs treated with commercial concentrates it was 37% in 1984 and had increased to 45% in 1985. There was a significant correlation between antibody status and concentrate consumption in these patients. Results of studies of anti-LAV/HTLV-III antibody patterns with the Western blot technique suggest that antibodies against core proteins (mainly p25 and p18) and the envelope protein gp40 are always present in asymptomatic individuals and in patients with the lymphadenopathy syndrome, but usually not in patients with full-blown AIDS. These last patients have typical positive reactions only against the envelope proteins gp110 and gp40.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Biomolecular techniques to detect Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. hominis pneumonia in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To verify the clinical value of two different polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) for noninvasive diagnosis and follow-up during Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. hominis pneumonia (PCP) and to analyze the P. carinii f. sp. hominis genotypes involved. METHODS: Internal transcribed spacers (ITSs) nested PCR was applied to 630 samples (bronchoalveolar lavage, sera, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and oropharyngeal samples) from 122 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and pneumonia and 40 control samples from 20 subjects seronegative for human immunodeficiency virus. One hundred and eighty samples also were examined by mt-rRNA PCR. Bronchoalveolar lavage samples and 33 sera were analyzed by type-specific oligonucleotide hybridization. RESULTS: On bronchoalveolar lavage samples, the two PCRs consistently confirmed the morphologic diagnosis of PCP. The sensitivity of ITSs nested PCR versus mt-rRNA PCR was 57.3% versus 14.3% on sera, 32.3% versus 22. 8% on peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and 69.1% versus 48.6% on oropharyngeal samples (garglings). Both PCRs had 100% specificity. Type-specific oligonucleotide hybridization revealed in 72.2% of bronchoalveolar lavage samples a single P. carinii f. sp. hominis genotype, whereas in 27.8% co-infection with more than one strain was detected. CONCLUSION: On noninvasive samples, ITSs nested PCR was more sensitive than mt-rRNA PCR, and it confirmed the diagnosis in all patients with PCP. For each patient with PCP at least one noninvasive sample was positive for P. carinii f. sp. hominis DNA.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Diagnosis of PCP by ITSs nested PCR on notinvasive oropharingeal samples.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is an opportunistic disease usually affecting immunocompromised hosts. Diagnosis is based on the microscopical detection of microrganism on BAL, an invasive sample which requires pt compliance for collection and skilled health care personnel for examination. In order to verify the possible diagnostic utility of noninvasive specimens collected in the upper respiratory tract we examined by the Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITSs) nested PCR, 39 oropharingeal samples (garglings) collected from 20 HIVAb positive pts and from 15 healthy controls.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMedDate not supplied

P.carinii DNA detected by ITSs nested PCR in serum and PBMC of AIDS patients with PCP.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is usually diagnosed by examination of BAL, a sample often unpleasant to be collected from immunocompromised host affected by acute respiratory disease. We studied by the Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITSs) nested PCR the presence of P.carinii DNA in serum and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) during acute episodes of PCP to test blood as a possible noninvasive diagnostic tool.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMedDate not supplied

ITSs typing of P.carinii samples from Italy, The Netherlands and Tanzania.

P.carinii molecular epidemiology appears a new interesting investigational field to understand distribution and incidence of isolates from different geographical locations. Recently a typing system, the Type Specific Oligoblotting (TSO) based on 6 different sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITSs) of P.carinii rRNA has been developed [1]. By using P.carinii ITSs nested PCR followed by TSO hybridization we have typed 55 lung derived specimens collected in Italy, The Netherlands and sub-Saharian Africa from pts with microscopically detected P.carinii pneumonia.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMedDate not supplied

ITSs genotypes and blood dissemination during acute PCP.

The presence of P. carinii DNA in serum and in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) during acute phase of PCP in AIDS patients was previously demonstrated by several authors using different specific primers. Amplification by ITSs nested PCR followed by TSO hybridization of P. carinii isolates derived from BAL and blood samples allows to compare genotypes involved in the disease and genotype-related dynamics of Pc-DNA clearance from blood during therapy. Different virulence characteristics among P. carinii genotypes could explain the various spectrum of clinical presentation (pulmonary and extrapulmonary) and susceptibility to classic antipneumocystic drugs during PCP.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Algorithmic analysis of in vitro chemotherapy against Pneumocystis carinii.

The development of in vitro experimental chemotherapy against P.carinii has been hindered by the lack of efficient methods for continuous cultivation of the microorganism. Various short-term systems, allowing the production of infectious forms of Pneumocystis, can be employed for in vitro experimental chemotherapy. The purpose of the present study is to describe a statistically relevant algorithmic model for the evaluation of P.carinii in short-term in vitro culture and drug screening.

Algorithms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Implementation of an Italian multicentric care network for early HIV infection diagnosis: 1999-2001 report.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of a new HIV infection during the primary phase (PHI) is sometimes misleading in a primary care setting. Since 1999 the Italian network for the study of acute HIV infection (ISAI) has been operative. At the time of PHI diagnosis the case is reported to the coordinating centre and enrolled in the National Register which records all epidemiological, demographic and clinical information. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1999 to September 2001, 51 symptomatic or asymptomatic patients with diagnosis of primary HIV infection were signalled to the coordinating centre. At screening, assessments were: interview to collect demographic and epidemiological data, clinical history (regarding PHI signs and symptoms) and, if available, relevant index case information; physical examination; routine hematology and chemistry; lymphocyte count; plasma HIV-RNA. In a subset of patients PBMC HIV-DNA, HIV-RNA, resistance genotyping and HIV subtype characterization were assessed. RESULTS: 74.5% of patients were males and all but four were Italian. Hetero and homosexual contacts were the prevalent route of HIV transmission. Forty-five patients (89%) were symptomatic and the most frequent signs and symptoms were: fever, lymphadenopathy, malaise and pharyngodinia. Baseline reverse-transcriptase (RT) and protease (PR) genotyping analysis was available for 29 patients. Only one of 29 patients harbored a virus with a resistance-associated mutation in the RT region (215Y); NNRTI mutations were identified in 3 of 29 patients. In the remaining 20 (69%) patients no mutations were found in the RT region. Sequence data from PR region were successfully obtained in 21 patients. Only one of these had a high-level resistance mutation (46L); in an additional 10 cases 1 or more secondary mutations were identified. The remaining 10 patients harbored a PR region wild type virus. One patient presenting two secondary mutations in the PR region, even if highly adherent and tolerant to drug regimen, showed a slow viral load decrease. CONCLUSIONS: Our cohort confirms the uptrend of new infections through unsafe sexual contacts involving both homosexual and heterosexual couples. Genotype sequencing for antiretroviral resistant viral variants describes a low prevalence of RT resistance-associated mutations, as well as primary mutations in the PR region. On the contrary, a higher prevalence of PR gene polymorphisms and mutations is not known with any certainty to confer resistance to NRTI and NNRTI. The identification of antiretroviral drug resistant HIV strains is strategic for clinical and therapeutical intervention, even though from a public health point of view cost-efficacy must be considered.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗