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Biomedical subjects

A Mijch

Publications and source records attributed to A Mijch.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor augments phagocytosis of Mycobacterium avium complex by human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected monocytes/macrophages in vitro and in vivo.

The role of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection on the ability of human monocytes/macrophages to phagocytose Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) in vivo and in vitro and the effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) on this function were investigated. By use of a flow cytometric assay to quantify phagocytosis, HIV-1 infection was found to impair the ability of monocyte-derived macrophages to phagocytose MAC in vitro, whereas GM-CSF significantly improved this defect. Phagocytosis was not altered by exposure to a mutant form of GM-CSF (E21R) binding only to the alpha chain of the GM-CSF receptor, suggesting that signaling by GM-CSF that leads to augmentation of phagocytosis is via the beta chain of the receptor. In a patient with AIDS and disseminated multidrug-resistant MAC infection, GM-CSF treatment improved phagocytosis of MAC by peripheral blood monocytes and reduced bacteremia. These results imply that GM-CSF therapy may be useful in restoring antimycobacterial function by human monocytes/macrophages.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

The evaluation of depression in inpatients with HIV disease.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper is: to compare the utility of four approaches to the diagnosis of depression in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease; to examine the utility of four rating scales to assess the presence and severity of depression; and to devise a set of substitutive criteria that would be appropriate in patients with HIV disease. METHOD: A group of inpatients was assessed using standard clinical interview. Patients found to have major depression using DSM-III-R (aetiological) criteria were assessed using inclusive, substitutive and exclusive criteria for the diagnosis of depression. Severity was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Rating Scale (CES-D). A group of control patients were matched for age and severity of HIV illness. RESULTS: Seventeen patients met DSM-III-R (aetiological criteria) for major depression. All were male; they had a mean age of 40.6 years and one-third had acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Using alternative approaches to the diagnosis of depression, up to five additional 'depressed' patients were identified ('false positives'). All 17 patients meeting the DSM-III-R criteria also met the substitutive and exclusive criteria but only 15 exclusive criteria. Of the 17 controls (not meeting DSM-III-R criteria), two met substitutive, five inclusive and one exclusive criteria for depression. The mean (+/- SD) scores for the patients and controls were significantly different on all four rating scales. Analysis of individual items on the rating scales revealed that a number did not show significant differences between the depressed and nondepressed groups: on the MADRS the items lassitude and inner tension; on the HDRS the three items depicting anxiety symptoms, loss of libido, hypochondriasis, loss of weight, and maintenance of insight; on the BDI a sense of being punished, disappointed in self, being self-critical, a feeling of looking unattractive, fatigue, weight loss, worried about health and loss of libido; on the CES-D I felt just as good as others, hopeful, talk less, people unfriendly and felt people dislike me. CONCLUSIONS: The aetiological approach used by clinicians familiar with the features of HIV disease, was found to be useful. All four rating scales differentiated equally well between depressed and non-depressed groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Specificity of binding of HIV-1 anti-p24 antibodies to CD4+ lymphocytes from HIV-infected subjects.

The clinical utility of a flow cytometric assay (FCA) for intracellular HIV p24 antigen was evaluated in a group of HIV-1-infected subjects. A previously described method, p24-FCA (1), was modified to minimize nonspecific staining and to include irrelevant isotype-matched control antibodies. Blood mononuclear cells from 32 HIV-1 seropositive subjects and 14 HIV-1 seronegative controls were examined. In HIV-1 seropositive individuals, the proportion of CD4+ lymphocytes that bound the p24 monoclonal and the isotype control antibodies were not different. The frequency of cells binding p24 antibodies increased with declining CD4 counts and was highest in patients with low CD4+ lymphocyte counts. Although results of p24-FCA do reflect disease progression, the high nonspecific binding of monoclonal antibodies in infected subjects obscures specific p24 binding and precludes its use as an accurate measure of infection within single cells.

Antibody Specificity↗
PubMed1998

Campylobacter jejuni bacteremia in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and non-HIV-infected patients: comparison of clinical features and review.

Clinical and bacteriologic features and clinical outcomes of culture-confirmed campylobacter bacteremia in 21 patients (including nine human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]-infected subjects and 12 non-HIV-infected subjects) were retrospectively evaluated and compared. This study highlights differences between HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected individuals. Campylobacter jejuni bacteremia in HIV-infected patients was found to often be a severe, debilitating febrile illness requiring multiple and prolonged courses of antibiotic therapy. Extraintestinal features, particularly pulmonary involvement, were often observed. Cellulitis occurred in one patient. By contrast, in non-HIV-infected patients, the illness was generally an acute onset of fever associated with self-limiting enteritis, with fever resolving rapidly with antibiotic treatment. Travel history (42% of cases) appeared to be a common risk factor in the latter group. Two of these patients had cutaneous manifestations, thus suggesting that some strains may be more invasive. This study suggests that campylobacter bacteremia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected individuals; the overall mortality rate among HIV-infected patients with bacteremia in this study was 33%. This is not the case for immunocompetent patients, in whom death rarely occurs.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Fertility and reproductive choice in women with HIV-1 infection.

OBJECTIVE: To measure fertility and birth rates and to describe the reproductive histories of women diagnosed with HIV-1 infection in Australia. METHODS: The medical records of 294 women with HIV-1 infection in four states of Australia were reviewed. Expected fertility and birth rates were calculated using national statistics. RESULTS: In the study population, 152 (52%) women had at least one pregnancy prior or subsequent to HIV-1 diagnosis. At maternal HIV-1 diagnosis, 71 (24%) women had a total of 106 children aged under 15 years. During the study period, 246 women were aged 15, 44 years and 58 (23%) of these became pregnant after HIV-1 diagnosis. Women whose exposure to HIV-1 was injecting drug use were twice as likely to become pregnant and more likely to have multiple pregnancies than women who did not report injecting drug use. The annual general fertility rate was 30 per 10,000 compared with 63 per 10,000 for the Australian female population aged 15-44 years, and the birth rate in women with HIV-1 infection was one-half that of the general female population. Of pregnancies confirmed after HIV-1 diagnosis, 47% were voluntarily terminated, a rate more than double that of the general population. All multiple terminations were among women whose exposure to HIV-1 was injecting drug use. CONCLUSIONS: Fertility and birth rates among women with HIV-1 infection are lower than the general population and the rate of termination higher. The results of this study provide a basis for the management of women with HIV-1 infection who are considering pregnancy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Depressive symptoms in patients with HIV infection: a further exploration.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and severity of depressive symptoms, to determine the rate of depressive disorder, to explore possible reasons for the development of depressive symptoms and to examine the effects of depression in a group of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients. METHOD: HIV-positive patients attending an outpatient treatment facility were assessed by the research psychologist and completed a number of questionnaires: the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI); the Life Event Inventory (LEI); the Core Bereavement Item (CBI-17) questionnaire; and the Psychosocial Adjustment to illness Scale (PAIS). Patients scoring > or = 14 on the BDI were seen by the psychiatrist for further assessment, and where appropriate, diagnoses were made according to DSM-III-R criteria. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-two patients participated in the study; 95 scored > or = 14 on the BDI and one-third of these were found to have a depressive disorder. Factors significantly predictive of a BDI score > or = 14 were: an LEI score > 77; a diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); being on sickness benefits or a pension; no current relationship; and a past history of depression. Few differences were demonstrated between those with a depressive disorder and those with a BDI score > or = 14 but no diagnosis of depressive disorder. Both groups had high mean PAIS scores indicating significant illness effects in multiple areas of function. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms are common among patients with HIV infection. Few factors differentiate between patients with a depressive disorder and those whose depressive symptoms do not meet diagnostic criteria. Substantial disability is present in both groups.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1997

Liaison psychiatry in an HIV/AIDS unit.

OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of the work of a liaison psychiatry service to an HIV/AIDS inpatient unit, and particularly to examine the identification of mood and related disorders by referring doctors. METHOD: The MICRO-CARES prospective clinical database system was used to obtain data on all patients referred to the HIV/AIDS consultation-liaison psychiatry service in an infectious diseases hospital in Melbourne. RESULTS: Three hundred and ninety-two inpatient referrals were made in the 2 years from 1993-1995: a referral rate of 16.7%. The most frequent reasons for referral were evaluation of coping problems (42%), assessment of possible depression (31%), and assessment of psychotropic medication (24.5%). The most common psychiatric diagnoses were mood disorders (36.5%), psychoactive substance use disorders (22.7%) and organic mental disorders (18.1%). Overall concordance of recognition of depression by the referring doctor and diagnosis of depression by the consultant psychiatrist was 79%; 20% false positive rate, 23% false negative rate. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatric comorbidity is common in patients with HIV/AIDS. Reasons for referral vary from those seen in other inpatient settings. Previously noted problems such as the misdiagnosis of psychiatric disorder and the mislabelling of the syndrome recognised by psychiatrists as depression were noted here.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1996

Helicobacter cinaedi bacteraemia: varied clinical manifestations in three homosexual males.

We report 3 cases of Helicobacter cinaedi bacteraemia in different hosts representing a spectrum of clinical illness associated with this infection. The first was an AIDS patient with relapsing H. cinaedi bacteraemia despite antibiotic treatment. The second was an HIV seronegative homosexual man with end-stage renal failure, receiving haemodialysis and a previous history of chronic lymphoedema of his legs. He developed H. cinaedi bacteraemia with cellulitis of his left leg. Patient 3, an HIV seronegative homosexual man, had transient H. cinaedi bacteraemia 2 days after the completion of a course of chemotherapy for bilateral testicular carcinoma. The clinical spectrum of disease associated with H. cinaedi is broad, with few specific clinical features. Successful recovery of this fastidious organism from blood aids in the diagnosis of this unusual infection.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1995

Emergence of multidrug resistance in Campylobacter jejuni isolates from three patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

Single-drug resistance to tetracycline, doxycycline, erythromycin, or fluoroquinolones in Campylobacter isolates recovered from humans has been documented worldwide. Multidrug resistance to these antibiotics is rare in Campylobacter jejuni. We report the sequential development of multidrug resistance in C. jejuni isolates from three patients who were infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Multiple isolates recovered from stool specimens from these patients were ribotyped, and antibiotic susceptibility profiles were determined. The results indicated that each patient was infected with a single strain of C. jejuni that had progressively acquired resistance to the antibiotics used during treatment. The emergence of resistant isolates appeared to correlate with clinical relapse. In these patients, campylobacter enteritis was prolonged, severe, and relapsing, and antimicrobial therapy was required. Once these first-line antibiotics become ineffective, few other antibiotics are available for treating patients with campylobacter enteritis. Acquisition of antibiotic resistance in C. jejuni is therefore of concern in these cases.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1992

Clinical effects and in vitro studies of trifluorothymidine combined with interferon-alpha for treatment of drug-resistant and -sensitive herpes simplex virus infections.

Three AIDS patients with severe cutaneous herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection refractory to therapy with acyclovir and foscarnet (2 patients) were treated with a topical preparation of trifluorothymidine (TFT) and interferon-alpha. Complete healing of lesions occurred in 1 patient; a second had significant regression of the infected area. In the third, the lesion was stabilized twice after application of the preparation and reduced in size after a subsequent treatment. In vitro studies confirmed that isolates from these patients were acyclovir- or acyclovir/foscarnet-resistant. In addition, they revealed strong synergy between TFT and interferon-alpha for these isolates and for strains with wild-type drug sensitivity profiles. Topical TFT/interferon-alpha may be of benefit in the therapy of mucocutaneous HSV infections, especially when they are resistant to treatment with systemic antiviral agents.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1991

The increased risk of fatal liver disease in renal transplant patients who are hepatitis Be antigen and/or HBV DNA positive.

To determine whether active viral replication is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) undergoing renal transplantation, we reviewed 23 years of experience at our hospital. Over the period 1966-1989, 42 chronic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) received renal transplants, 32 of whom had functioning grafts for 12 months or longer. Stored sera were tested for markers of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection, and the serologic findings were correlated with clinical and biochemical data. The presence of HBV DNA and/or hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg) in serum samples collected prior to transplantation was associated with an increased probability of death from liver disease. Whereas 5 of 10 patients in this group died of chronic liver disease, only 1 of 15 patients who were HBV DNA and/or HBeAg negative prior to transplantation died of liver disease. This difference is highly significant (P less than 0.02). No difference in outcome was attributable to age at transplantation, gender, country of birth, or the presence of abnormal hepatic transaminase levels prior to transplantation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Invasive aspergillosis in AIDS.

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a rare infection in patients with the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). We report the first Australian cases of histologically and microbiologically proven IA diagnosed antemortem in AIDS patients. We also describe the first case of laryngeal involvement and the unusual case of a pneumothorax due to IA. These three cases illustrate the varied clinical and pathological features of IA in AIDS and highlight some of the difficulties in diagnosis and treatment. The infections occurred in the setting of advanced immunodeficiency and multiple opportunistic infections and responded poorly to treatment.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1990

Quadruple-drug therapy for Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare bacteremia in AIDS patients.

The mycobacterial response was evaluated for patients with Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) bacteremia treated with a quadruple regimen of rifabutin, clofazimine, isoniazid, and ethambutol. Mycobacteremia was cleared in 22 of 25 patients who received this regimen, and 18 patients experienced complete resolution of symptoms associated with MAC infection. All of the patients were immunodeficient, with a mean CD4 cell count at the time of diagnosis of MAC infection of 54.7 +/- 54.6 cells/microliters. All MAC isolates were resistant to clofazimine, isoniazid, and ethambutol. Sixteen of 24 isolates were resistant to rifabutin. Improved results of treatment may be related to the use of a higher dose of rifabutin (300-600 mg/day) compared with other studies (150-300 mg/day), earlier diagnosis and institution of treatment, and synergy between rifabutin and ethambutol. The quadruple regimen used in this study appears effective in clearing mycobacteremia and in ameliorating symptoms of infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1989

Primary dapsone chemoprophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in immunocompromised patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.

During a 12-month period from August 1, 1986 to July 31, 1987, a study of primary chemoprophylaxis with dapsone for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was undertaken in immunodeficient patients who were infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. One attack of P. carinii pneumonia occurred among 16 patients who received chemoprophylaxis immediately that a T-helper (CD4) lymphocyte count of less than 0.2 x 10(9)/L was recorded compared with 16 attacks in the historical control group of 46 similar patients who did not receive chemoprophylaxis (log-rank test, chi 2(1) = 3.72; P = 0.05).

AIDS-Related Complex↗
PubMed1987

Hepatitis B and renal transplantation.

Renal transplantation in HBsAg+ chronic carriers has a relative low risk of progressive liver disease, with mortality associated with liver disease at 7%. In contrast, HBsAg+ recipients who acquired their disease in the early posttransplant period had a mortality of 60%. HBeAg-positive patients who remain persistently positive are a subgroup with a poor prognosis and should not be offered a renal transplant.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Methyldopa: an often overlooked cause of fever and transient hepatocellular dysfunction.

The clinical features and laboratory findings of 78 cases of methyldopa fever are reported. This drug reaction masqueraded as a variety of acute infectious diseases including septicaemia, meningitis, hepatitis and gastroenteritis, occurred within five weeks of starting the drug and appeared to be unrelated to its dosage. Eosinophilia and skin rashes were conspicuous by their absence. In the majority of patients, symptoms were relieved within 48 hours of the withdrawal of the drug. Sixty-one per cent of patients had biochemical evidence of liver damage but jaundice was uncommon. This pattern of mild hepatotoxicity in patients with early febrile reactions to methyldopa contrasts with the later more serious viral hepatitis-like illness due to the drug.

Adult↗