0000000000394357
AUTHOR
Domenico Russo Alesi
Free and antibody-complexed antigen and antibody profile in apparently healthy HIV seropositive individuals and in AIDS patients.
The pattern of free and antibody-complexed HIV antigen and the antibody profile were investigated retrospectively in 305 serum samples taken from 22 AIDS patients before and during the development of AIDS and from 40 apparently healthy seropositive individuals. Most AIDS patients were found positive for both free and complexed antigen and had high gp41 antibody titres but low or undetectable p24 antibody. Four different patterns of HIV antigenaemia were observed: 1) positive for both free and complexed antigen; 2) negative for free HIV antigen at first, but always positive for complexed antigen; 3) positive for free antigen without complexed antigen; and 4) negative for both free and comple…
Neutralizing antibody and clinical status of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals
An assay based on inhibition of cytopathic effect of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) strains in Molt 4 cells was developed to quantitate neutralizing antibodies (NA) in sera of HIV-infected individuals. The assay was specific and gave results comparable to those obtained by the inhibition of immunofluorescence (IFI) and reverse transcriptase (RT) activity. Attempts were made to correlate the presence and the antibody titres with the clinical status of HIV-infected individuals classified according to Walter Reed staging classification scheme. NA titres correlated inversely with the stage of HIV infection: Compared with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, HIV-infected subje…
Renewable energies, business models and local growth
Abstract Energy is one of the driving factors of the world economy: energy consumption is closely linked to quality of life and environmental impact. Reducing the use of fossil fuels, curtailing greenhouse gas emissions, and cutting energy dependence from traditional energy producing countries are the cornerstones of European policies for safe, competitive, sustainable, and renewable energy. In addition, the pressing need to provide new and diversified opportunities for supplementary income for the agricultural sector has fueled the desire to engage rural areas in this process. Biogas, derived from the anaerobic digestion of biomass, is one of the renewable energy sources that has been very…
MAIN ROUTES OF TRANSMISSION OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) INFECTION IN A FAMILY SETTING IN PALERMO, ITALY1
A cross-sectional seroepidemiologic study was carried out on household contacts and sexual partners of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody-positive intravenous drug abusers in Palermo, Italy, in 1985 to evaluate factors that influenced HIV transmission. A total of 43 index cases, 36 spouses or heterosexual partners, 28 children, and 55 adult household members were enrolled. None of the household members without sexual contact, who had shared items and facilities and had interacted with the index cases, contracted HIV infection. However, six of 36 sexual partners had antibodies to HIV. It was observed that the risk of HIV infection was significantly associated with the frequency of s…
The Changing Pattern of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection in Intravenous Drug Users
A cross-sectional seroepidemiologic study was carried out between 1985 and 1990 in 1,567 heterosexual intravenous drug users who had been seen at the AIDS Regional Reference Center in Palermo, Italy, to evaluate the rate of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) seroprevalence in this group and its long-term trend. Sixty serum samples collected from drug users in 1980 and 1983, before the founding of the Center (1985), were tested as well. Some demographic and behavioral risk factors were studied in a subgroup of intravenous drug users enrolled in 1985, 1987, and 1990 for their possible association with HIV-1. These factors were also studied in relation to hepatitis B virus infection, …