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Biomedical subjects

A Pugliese

Publications and source records attributed to A Pugliese.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1978

Rubella virus hemagglutination with human and animal erythrocytes: effect of age and trypsinization.

Sensitivity to rubella virus hemagglutination differs considerably with newborn as opposed to adult erythrocytes (RBC) in several animal species. In humans, cord RBC are 16 times more sensitive to hemagglutination, whereas hemagglutination titers with newborn RBC are 6 to 16 times higher in chickens, mice, and rabbits. This higher sensitivity is, however, short-lived, and adult RBC values are observed 7 days after birth in mice. Trypsinization has no effect on newborn RBC, but increases sensitivity of adult RBC to that of neonatal RBC and tends to diminish differences among individuals. On the other hand, trypsinization does not further enhance the very high sensitivity of pigeon, duck, and goose RBC or the low sensitivity of both newborn and adult guinea pig RBC. Human cord RBC proved suitable for use in hemagglutination-inhibition tests, since they gave titers comparable to those obtained with other types of RBC and offered some advantages: by comparison with animal RBC, they did not require adsorption to remove nonspecific agglutinins; by comparison with adult human RBC, they did not need trypsinization.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A review of cardiovascular complications accompanying AIDS.

Manifestations of cardiovascular system involvement are not uncommon complications of HIV infection, especially in AIDS patients. However, the frequency of these manifestations is influenced by different variables including: survival prolongation in HIV-infected patients, because of advances in antiretroviral treatment; improvement of immunodepression and reduction in the occurrence of opportunistic infections; adverse effects of some drugs. At present, on the whole cardiovascular complications that are HIV correlated in the western world, including Italy, occur less frequently than in the past. However complications associated with alterations in lipometabolism prevail because they can be promoted by some protease inhibitors in predisposed subjects. The most frequently reported questions and a careful analysis of recent data in the medical literature regarding the most common HIV-correlated cardiovascular complications are discussed in this review.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

HCV infective virions can be carried by human platelets.

It has been previously demonstrated that platelets (PLTs) can bind and transport HIV-1 infectious virions. Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-HIV-1 co-infection occurs frequently among users of illicit intravenous drugs, thereby increasing the severity of HIV disease and the evolution towards chronic active hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma of HCV-related hepatitis. In the present study we investigated whether or not PLTs can carry HCV, and studied the binding mechanisms. Purified PLTs, obtained from healthy donors, HCV negative and HIV negative, were adsorbed with HCV-containing serum and then employed to infect a THP-1 monocytoid cell line. Replication of HCV was observed as shown by positivity for the E2 antigen within THP-1 cells, by indirect immunofluorescence; moreover, HCV-RNA was detected in supernatants of THP-1 cells at day 7 post-incubation with HCV-adsorbed PLTs. The binding of HCV to PLTs seems to involve fibronectin (FN), as already shown in the case of HIV-1. Indeed, treatment with RGD (Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser), the key oligopeptide of FN binding, inhibits the ability of HCV to be carried by PLTs in infective forms; the same phenomenon occurs with Mabs to FN. Moreover the infection of THP-1 cells seems to increase FN surface expression, as demonstrated by immunofluorescence tests.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A review of HIV-1 Tat protein biological effects.

The authors have reviewed some biological properties of HIV-1 Tat protein, and have also reported some personal data. This viral regulatory protein is endowed with multifunctional activities, acting as an endogenous factor in the infected cells and exogenously, on those uninfected. In particular, Tat-induced proliferation and differentiation of HIV target cells which promotes viral infection, is discussed in this review. However, exogenous Tat protein can sometimes also produce, directly or indirectly, damaging effects in different organs and host systems, such as myocardium, kidney, liver and central nervous system (CNS). For example some data also demonstrate an increase in the apoptotic index induced by Tat at various levels, including the immune system. The effective role of HIV-1 Tat protein in promoting viral replication and its high immunogenicity suggest useful employment of this protein for therapeutic or preventive vaccine preparations.

Gene Products, tat↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of HCV infection on THP-1 monocytoid cells.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the main cause of hepatocellular carcinoma in industrialized countries. HCV-HIV-1 co-infection occurs frequently among users of illicit intravenous drugs, thereby increasing the severity of HIV disease and the evolution of chronic active hepatitis towards cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The present work shows that THP-1 monocytoid cells are susceptible to HCV infection, of strain 1b, and that this strain can induce cellular modifications in this cell line. Infection of HCV was demonstrated by positivity for the E2 antigen within THP-1 cells and by indirect immunofluorescence; moreover, HCV-RNA was detected in supernatants of THP-1 cells from day 7 post-inoculation. Cell shape and membrane surface antigens varied upon viral infection, which is also capable of inducing oxygen radicals. In particular we underline the relevant intracellular accumulation of ferritin that paralleled an increase of cell surface expression of the transferrin receptor. Evaluation of cellular events upon HCV infection in THP-1 cells may represent a useful tool with which to identify alteration in monocytes metabolism and to study therapeutic approaches for such alterations.

12E7 Antigen↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Attempted treatment of fulminant viral hepatitis with human fibroblast interferon.

Beta-interferon was administered by intravenous infusion to 16 patients affected with fulminant hepatitis B virus infection in third or fourth-grade coma. Ten patients presented a superinfection or a co-infection due to the delta (delta)-agent. None had detectable interferon (IFN) activity before therapy was begun. Besides fever, no significant side-effects were observed during treatment. Both the IFN-treated group as well as the "historical" control group, made up of 70 cases of fulminant virus hepatitis, not treated with IFN and observed during a previous ten year-period, received supportive therapy; survival rates were similar in both groups. Furthermore, the presence or absence of the delta-agent did not appear to affect survival rates significantly.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Spontaneous release of interferon as a predictor of clinical evolution in HIV-positive subjects.

In order to establish a correlation with disease progression we prospectively evaluated ten clinical and immunologic parameters in 102 consecutive HIV-positive subjects. The eight immunologic variables were: in vitro spontaneous interferon release by peripheral blood monocytic cells, alpha- and gamma-interferon production induced by Newcastle Disease Virus and PHA, Multitest Mérieux score, PHA- and CON-A-induced lymphocyte transformation, absolute number of CD4+ cells and CD4/CD8 ratio, respectively. The two baseline clinical variables were risk factor and disease presentation. Generalized Wilcoxon analysis indicated a significant correlation of one clinical (disease presentation at entry) and three immunologic variables (spontaneous interferon release, CD4+ cell number, Multitest Mérieux) with disease progression. Baseline spontaneous release of alpha, acid-labile interferon showed the best correlation with disease progression, and appeared to be significantly associated with CD4+ cell loss. Spontaneous release of acid-labile alpha interferon by mononuclear cells in vitro could be highly predictive of disease evolution in HIV-Ab positive, AIDS-free subjects.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Legionella micdadei prosthetic valve endocarditis.

Legionella usually causes pneumonia, but occasionally is in the differential diagnosis of "culture negative endocarditis" which sometimes involves prosthetic heart valves. Legionella prosthetic valve endocarditis is nearly always due to Legionella pneumophila and its clinical presentation is indistinguishable from other causes of prosthetic valve endocarditis. Diagnosis of Legionella prosthetic valve endocarditis is by recovery of the organism from the blood, demonstration or isolation of the organism from the prosthetic heart valve, or by persistently high Legionella titers which are extremely elevated in prosthetic valve endocarditis compared to Legionella pneumonia. We believe this is the first case reported of prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Legionella micdadei, and the first case of Legionella prosthetic valve endocarditis with microscopic hematuria.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Levels of nitric oxide, gamma interferon and interleukin-12 in AIDS patients with toxoplasmic encephalitis.

The production of nitric oxide (NO) by macrophages is important for the killing of intracellular pathogens, such as Toxoplasma gondii. Gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and lipopolysaccharide stimulate NO production. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of NO, IFN-gamma and interleukin-12 (IL-12) in the host immune response in AIDS patients suffering from toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE). It was demonstrated that the production of NO, detected as nitrite/nitrate in the sera and in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 32 AIDS patients with TE, was normal. In addition, levels of IFN-gamma in the sera and in the CSF of patients with TE were not increased. In contrast, serum levels of IL-12 in these patients were significantly increased (6.5 +/- 7.1 pg/ml; P = 0.0368), compared to the control patients (1.7 +/- 3.5 pg/ml). Furthermore, increased but not significant levels of IL-12 were also observed in the CSF of patients with TE (2.2 +/- 4.7 pg/ml; controls: 0.5 +/- 1.9 pg/ml). The results of this study indicate that reactivation or recurrence of T. gondii infection in HIV-1-infected patients is probably due to a down-regulation of IFN-gamma along with a resulting non-optimal NO activity.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Levels of circulating nitrate/nitrite and gamma interferon not increased in uncomplicated malaria.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate nitric oxide (NO) activity in patients with uncomplicated malaria. Lipopolysaccharide and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) are potent inducers of NO by inducing production of NO synthase. NO activity was determined by measuring serum levels of nitrite/nitrate (metabolic end products of NO), and IFN-gamma in patients with uncomplicated malaria, mostly caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Neither serum levels of nitrite/nitrate nor of IFN-gamma were significantly increased in patients with uncomplicated malaria, especially in patients with P. falciparum infection, and in those with high parasitaemia. These results show that NO cannot play a role in uncomplicated malaria, and it is still debatable if NO production in this infection has beneficial or detrimental effects.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of erythromycin on the immune response and interferon production.

The influence of erythromycin on some aspects of humoral and cell-mediated immunity has been examined employing human as well as murine models, both in vivo and in vitro. No significant differences in antibody synthesis, alpha- and gamma-interferon yield, cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity or lymphocyte blastogenic response to mitogens have been detected between erythromycin-treated subjects and controls. Similarly, in vitro tests on interferon production and blastogenic response to mitogens showed no significant differences when performed with and without erythromycin. Therefore, in contrast with many other antibacterial drugs, erythromycin seems to be devoid of any adverse effects on the immune system.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of Aspergillus sulphureus mycotoxins on Cryptococcus neoformans.

Many studies have evaluated the toxicity of mycotoxins to mammals, but there is little information on their action against fungal cells, even although mycotoxins are frequently active against fungi in nature. A crude extract of Aspergillus sulphureus was tested for its growth-inhibitory effect on Cryptococcus neoformans. The reduction in cell growth of Cr. neoformans caused by the extract was dose dependent. Using a liquid medium containing 2% A. sulphureus extract, the RNA content of Cryptococcus amounted to about 60% of that of non-treated cells. Capsule thickening, demonstrated biochemically and with cytological stains, occurred at doses that had minimal effect on cell growth and RNA content. Our results suggest that the virulence of Cr. neoformans may increase in cases of coenobiosis with A. sulphureus, which is theoretically possible in places where corn-fed pigeons are numerous.

Aspergillus↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of pre-treatment of syngeneic mice with tumour cells cultured in vitro on the induction of a transplantable tumour.

The pre-treatment with in vitro cultured mammary adenocarcinoma (ADK-1t) cells strongly protects syngeneic Balb/c mice against the challenge with the same non-cultured tumour cells. If the cultured cells were detached with sodium versenate, 50-60% protection was given, whereas if trypsin was used only 20-30% protection was achieved. That in vitro culture considerably reduces the oncogenic potential of ADK-1t cells was shown by the fact that very many more cultured than non-cultured cells were required to induce tumours.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Enhancement of tumour growth by pretreatment with tumoral cells adsorbed by poly i:c deae-dextran complex in syngeneic mice.

Pretreatment of balb/c mice with ADK-1t cells adsorbed with Poly I:C DEAE- dx complex was found to enhance tumour growth as measured after challenge with non adsorbed ADK-1t cells. This results contrasts strongly with the increased tumour resistance previously observed when Poly I:C alone was used for adsorption. Some reasons are suggested for this striking difference.

Animals↗