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The Italian national tuberculosis project.

This paper considers the global impact of tuberculosis (TB; one third of the world's population is infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and 30,000,000 TB deaths are estimated to occur in the next ten years) to specifically examine the situation in Italy and the reasons for the resurgence of the disease in our country. These considerations led to the proposal of a nation-wide research project on tuberculosis, coordinated by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) (The National Institute of Health), in order to meet public health needs in this field. The project consists of subprojects focussing on the main research areas (i.e., epidemiology, diagnosis, pathogenesis and immunity, therapy, prevention, and patient care). Specific objectives for each area have been indicated and applications for research and intervention proposals have been called for. The project design and the methods adopted for a peer-review evaluation of research proposals, and the expected results, are outlined. The initial findings from the various research units are briefly mentioned.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Decreased DTH response to recall antigens in mice injected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected U937 cells and infected with Candida albicans.

In previous studies, we have reported that the intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of HIV-1 infected human U937 cells into normal mice resulted in long-term persistence of anti-HIV antibodies and in a small percentage (10-20%) of HIV-1 infected animals at 6-12 months after the injection. The study reported here was undertaken to detect T immune defects in U937-HIV-1-injected mice. Eight months after the initial injection, a marked decrease in DTH response against U937 cells was detected in HIV injected animals. In addition, a consistent decrease in DTH response against a soluble mannoprotein antigen of Candida albicans cell wall (MP-F2) was also observed in U937-HIV-1-injected mice, chronically infected with low-virulent strain of the fungus. No decreases in DTH response was observed in control-injected animals. These data indicate that U937-HIV-1-injected mice become unable to mount a normal antigen-specific immune response. Although the mechanisms involved in the generation of these T cell defects remain unclear, these events appear to be somehow related to the HIV-1 infection and should be considered in the current studies of HIV-1 infection with transgenic mice.

Animals↗