Search results for "INFECTIONS"
showing 10 items of 2671 documents
Changes in At-Risk Behavior for HIV Infection among HIV-Positive Persons in Italy
2009
Many HIV-positive persons reportedly continue to engage in at-risk behavior. We compared the sexual and drug-using practices of HIV-positive persons before and after the diagnosis of HIV infection to determine whether their behavior had changed. To this end, in 2006, we conducted a cross-sectional study involving clinical centers in five Italian cities. Each center was asked to enroll 100 persons aged 18 years or older who had a diagnosis of HIV infection that dated back at least 2 years. Data were collected with a specifically designed questionnaire, administered during a structured interview. The McNemar chi2 test was used to compare the data before and after the diagnosis. A total of 497…
Plasma metabolomics profiling for the prediction of cytomegalovirus DNAemia and analysis of virus–host interaction in allogeneic stem cell transplant…
2015
Metabolomics analysis of biofluids is increasingly being recognized as a useful tool for the diagnosis and management of a number of infectious diseases. Here we showed that plasma metabolomics profiling by untargeted 1H nuclear magnetic resonance may allow the anticipation of the occurrence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNAemia in allogeneic stem cell transplant. For this purpose, key discriminatory metabolites were total glutathione, taurine, methylamine, trimethylamine N-oxide and lactate, all of which were upregulated in patients eventually developing CMV DNAemia. The overall classification accuracy (predictability) of the projection to latent structure discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model i…
Exogenous and endogenous provocation of psoriasis. A contribution to the Koebner phenomenon.
1974
Previous literature reports as well as own investigations concerning exogenously and endogenously induced Koebner-reactions in psoriatics are presented. The time interval between irritation and the Koebner-reaction is emphasized. It is proposed, that the intensity of the psoriatic reaction is mediated by circulating DHEA-deficiency. Hypothetical models are presented which allow to explain the different developmental rates of psoriatic lesions in relation to the type of irritation, the area affected and the subsequent proliferative responses.
HIV rapid test in a community setting as a strategy to improve access to HIV testing: data from a multicentre experience in Italy
2019
4,000 new HIV diagnoses and approximately 800 AIDS cases are still reported annually in Italy. Improving public awareness and bringing out HIV-undiagnosed individuals are keystones to progress towards the control of the HIV epidemic. For this purpose, the Open HIV TEST project was organized and delivered by the Italian NGO Anlaids, together with local infectious diseases specialists, in order to provide free access to HIV testing outside the healthcare setting. Between October 2017 and February 2019 six Open HIV TEST initiatives were delivered in six Italian cities (3 northern cities, 1 central and 2 southern cities). In all, 581 people were tested: the overall prevalence of HIV test reacti…
Streptococcal bacteraemia in patients submitted to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: the role of tooth brushing and use of chlorhexidine.
2009
A retrospective evaluation of 73 consecutive recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was conducted to investigated the role of oral care and incidence of streptococcal bacteremia in patients submitted to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Patients were retrospectively evaluated and divided into group A (GA=38) and group B (GB=35). During hospitalization patients from GA performed oral hygiene daily with extra soft toothbrush and toothpaste besides performing mouth cleaning with an ethanol-free 0.12% chlorhexidine solution tree times a day. In contrast GB patients performed mouth cleaning with extra soft toothbrush and toothpaste, but no chlorhexidine was used. Usi…
Diversity and dynamic changes of anelloviruses in plasma following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
2020
Monitoring of alphatorquevirus (torque teno virus [TTV]) DNA in plasma may prove to be useful to assess the net state of immune competence following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). There are scarce data published on the prevalence of beta (torque teno mini virus [TTMV]) and gammatorqueviruses (torque teno midi virus [TTMDV]) and, in particular, on the dynamics of anelloviruses in allo-HSCT patients. Twenty-five allo-HSCT recipients with available plasma specimens obtained before conditioning and after engraftment were included. Degenerated primers targeting a highly conserved genomic sequence across all anelloviruses were designed for genomic amplification an…
Granzyme A as a potential biomarker of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and disease
2015
Cytotoxic molecules such as granulysin, perforin and granzymes produced by cytolytic T cells directly contribute to immune defense against tuberculosis (TB). In search for novel TB biomarkers, we have evaluated the levels of granzyme A in plasma obtained from QuantiFERON-TB Gold In tube (QFT-IT) assays from patients with active TB disease and subjects with latent TB infection (LTBI).Granzyme A serum levels in TB patients were significantly lower than values found in LTBI subjects even after subtraction of the unstimulated levels from the antigen-stimulated responses. The receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve analysis comparing TB patients and LTBI groups, showed that at a cut-off va…
The Interaction of Buccal Mucosal Epithelial Cells with E. coli Bacteria Enhances the Intraepithelial Calcium Flux and the Release of Prostaglandin E…
1999
Mucosal epithelial cells contribute significantly to host defense mechanisms. Uroepithelial cells (UEC) from healthy donors suppress bacterial growth in vitro. Bacterial adherence to UEC has been shown to be a prerequisite. Similar results have been shown for buccal epithelial cells (BEC). The host response triggered by the host-parasite interaction seems to involve signal transduction and intracellular activation of second messengers. In this study the intraepithelial calcium flux was analyzed in individual BEC after bacterial contact. BEC were derived from scrapes of the buccal mucosa and labelled with fluo-3 (a calcium indicator). Thereafter the cells were analyzed immediately with a FAC…
Host immunogenetics and control of human herpesvirus-8 infection
2006
BACKGROUND: Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is primarily caused by human herpesvirus (HHV)-8 infection, and the risk is increased with high HHV-8 lytic or latent antibody titers or the detection of HHV-8 DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Host genes important for control of HHV-8 infection are not well characterized. METHODS: In 172 HHV-8 latent nuclear antigen (LANA)-seropositive adults in Italy without KS, we examined correlations of common variants in host immune genes with the detection of HHV-8 DNA in PBMCs and with high lytic and latent antibody titers. Twenty-eight single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 14 genes were analyzed. We detected HHV-8 DNA in PBMCs with real-time amplificati…
Management and long-term follow-up of early stage H. pylori-associated gastric MALT-lymphoma in clinical practice: An Italian, multicentre study
2009
Abstract Background/Aim Data on management and long-term follow-up of Helicobacter pylori -associated MALT-lymphoma in clinical practice are scanty. We evaluate the long-term efficacy of H. pylori eradication on low-grade MALT-lymphoma, and the efficacy of further therapies in refractory patients. Methods This study enrolled patients with stages I–II 1 MALT-lymphoma and H. pylori infection. H. pylori eradication was attempted in all patients. Patients with lymphoma persistence or progression following H. pylori treatments received further lymphoma treatments. Both 5-year and disease-free survivals were calculated. Results Sixty patients (stage I/II 1 : 50/10) were followed up for a median t…