吸毒与机会致病原虫感染

“吸毒”泛指以各种方式滥用麻醉品、精神药物或其它物质的现象。吸毒问题的普遍泛滥,被认为是一种现代病。它与人们逃避现代生活沉重的压力以及所处的社会屈从地位有关。目前吸毒成瘾者已广泛分布在各个不同的社会阶层中,对毒品的依赖性、耐受性和因戒毒而出现的明显不适是戒毒失败     

高效抗逆转录病毒疗法对机会性致病原虫的作用

机会性致病原虫在HIV感染者中是最重要的致病与致死的原因之一。自20世纪后期高效抗逆转录病毒疗法(HAART)问世后,机会性致病寄生虫的感染率明显下降。非核苷类逆转录酶抑制剂、HIV蛋白酶抑制剂及核苷类逆转录酶抑制剂这3类药物中,至少2种联合应用的HAART,对细胞免疫的下降有恢复作用,也有证据表明HIV蛋白酶抑制剂对寄生虫的蛋白酶有直接抑制作用。     

钩虫感染的免疫学研究进展

在地处热带和亚热带地区的发展中国家,钩虫感染仍然是一主要的公共卫生问题。近年来,许多地区的人群钩虫感染率和感染度有一定程度的下降,但是轻度或中度贫血的情况在一些地区的人群调查中仍占一定比例,重度感染引起的上消化道出血时有报     

中医药治疗艾滋病常见机会性感染的研究进展

艾滋病常见机会性感染是导致艾滋病死亡的主要原因。中医药防治艾滋病机会性感染方面,疗效显著。本文通过分析中医药防治艾滋病肺部感染、艾滋病相关腹泻、艾滋病发热、艾滋病皮肤损伤、艾滋病口腔病损等常见机会性感染临床基础研究,提出了中医药应早期介入艾滋病机会性感染治疗,进一步开展大样本、多中心循证临床研究,深入开展多层次的相关机制研究,研发中医内服及外用制剂,完善相关诊疗方案,扩大该病的诊疗范围,从而更好地发挥中医药的优势特色。     

HIV感染者/AIDS患者机会性感染研究进展

机会性感染（opportunistic infections,OIs）是条件性病原微生物在人体免疫功能受损、防御功能降低的情况下所发生的炎症性疾病。艾滋病（Acquired immune deficiencysyndrome,AIDS）是人类免疫缺陷病毒（Human immunodefi-ciency virus,HIV）侵犯人体免疫系统后导致免疫系统功能进行性下降,产生各种OIs和肿瘤发生的综合征,是累及全身多器官系统的疾病。     

机会性寄生虫病的研究进展

由于免疫功能低下人群不断增长,机会性致病寄生虫感染相应的增多。目前,人们对机会性致病寄生虫的生物学知识认识不足,对虫种的鉴定分型、人群感染状况、感染的来源及方式等的研究较少,多数机会性寄生虫研究缺乏动物模型。HIV在特殊人群中的流行,促进了对机会性感染的研究和认识,大大降低了机会性感染的发病率。机会性寄生虫病的临床表现复杂,临床医生的认识不足,缺乏敏感、特异性的检测方法和治疗药物,是感染性疾病防治的瓶颈。大量的基础研究的支撑、发掘诊断和治疗的靶分子是解决这些问题的关键。     

广州管圆线虫感染的免疫学研究进展

广州管圆线虫隶属于圆线虫目,后圆线虫科,后圆线虫亚科,管圆线虫属,分布于热带,、亚热带地区。其终末宿主主要是鼠类,中间宿主是软体动物。人体感染后,其幼虫和童虫侵害人的中枢神经系统,引起嗜酸性粒细胞增多性脑膜炎或脑膜脑炎。至８０年代末,全世界已报道的临床病例超过３０００例［１］。我国台湾是广州管圆线虫病的流行区,早在１９４５年就发现了人体感染［１］。大陆自１９８４年在广东省徐闻县发现第１例人体感染后,广东的其它一些地区（如珠海、汕头、深圳等）,以及云南、海南、广西、贵州等省相继发现此病原［２～５］…     

检出肠道致病原虫所需的粪检次数

本文作者抽样调查了美国加州北部地区的居民以研究粪检次数与检出肠道致病原虫的灵敏度。 受检者为溶组织内阿米巴(125例)、蓝氏贾第鞭毛虫(154例)和脆双核阿米巴(60例)感染者。为了进行连续取样的研究,许多粪样自患者家中取得。将粪样置于PVA或10％的福马林中作防腐处理后送至实验室用     

Tuberculosis and opportunistic infections

A serological study of blood from 44 patients with acutely progressive forms of pulmonary tuberculosis revealed their rather common association with active forms of the following opportunistic infections, such as M. pneumonia, Pn. carinii, and herpes simplex virus.     

Emerging opportunistic yeast infections

A growing population of immunosuppressed patients has resulted in increasingly frequent diagnoses of invasive fungal infections, including those caused by unusual yeasts. The incidence of non-albicans species of Candida is increasing compared with that of Candida albicans, and several species, such as Candida glabrata and Candida krusei, may be resistant to azole antifungal therapy. Trichosporon species are the second most common cause of fungaemia in patients with haematological malignant disease and are characterised by resistance to amphotericin and echinocandins and poor prognosis. Rhodotorula species belong to the family Cryptococcaceae, and are a cause of catheter-related fungaemia, sepsis, and invasive disease in severely immunosuppressed patients. An increasing number of sporadic cases of invasive fungal infections by non-neoformans cryptococci have been reported in immunocompromised hosts, especially for patients with advanced HIV infection or cancer who are undergoing transplant. Other uncommon yeasts that can cause invasive disease in severely immunosuppressed patients include Geotrichum, Hansenula, Malassezia, and Saccharomyces. Host immune status is a crucial determinant of the type of invasive fungal infection a patient is at risk for. Diagnosis can be challenging and relies heavily on traditional cultures of blood and other sterile sites, although serum (1,3)-β-D-glucan testing might have an adjunctive role. Although rare yeasts are emerging as opportunistic human pathogens, diagnosis remains challenging and treatment suboptimal.     

Prophylaxis of opportunistic infections

Potent antiretroviral therapy has improved the outcome of HIV-associated OIs, which have declined dramatically. The clinical manifestations of some OIs (e.g., CMV retinitis, MAC infection, and TB) have changed. These effects likely are related to the immune reconstitution observed with the suppression of HIV replication. These changes have affected approaches to the prophylaxis of OIs. Withdrawal of some prophylaxis in patients who show evidence of immune reconstitution is possible, although clinical studies are needed to address further specific questions about the timing of withdrawal. The best way to prevent OIs is to give effective antiretroviral therapy--the future epidemiology of OIs is linked inextricably with the effectiveness of future antiretroviral treatments.     

Intestinal protozoan infections in Malaysia.

Intestinal protozoa are found in all communities in Malaysia and among all ethnic groups. Prevalence of intestinal protozoa is not affected by ethnicity but by living conditions. Communities with both basic amenities of safe water supply and proper toilets have lower prevalence than those with one or none of the amenity. Cryptosporidium is an important intestinal protozoon in Malaysia and should be included in future field and laboratory studies and also in laboratory diagnosis for pathogens. Much interest will be centered on Blastocystis hominis in future studies in view that it may be a cause of diarrhea.     

Lung defenses against opportunistic infections

This review has examined the possible role of CMI in providing protection against three pathogens that can be opportunists in the lung. Monoclonal antibodies that identify the cellular components of the immune response and recombinant cytokines are important tools to better understand how pulmonary immunity is regulated. Although not discussed in detail, recombinant microbial antigens are useful for understanding various aspects of protective immunity and immunosuppression as well as for advancing vaccine development. There are important problems to address in order to continue steady progress in understanding pulmonary defenses, including some of those mentioned in this brief review. There should be an increased use of infectious models that more closely mimic naturally occurring infections, and comparisons should be made between results obtained with parenteral versus intrapulmonary routes of infection.     

AIDS-related opportunistic infections in Hospital Kuala Lumpur

We retrospectively reviewed 419 HIV/AIDS patients in Hospital Kuala Lumpur from 1994 to 2001. In the male group, the age range was 20-74, with a mean age 37 years, while in the female group it was 17-63, with a mean age of 33 years. With regard to age group, it was found that the preponderant age group was 25-34 years. The majority of male subjects were Chinese (52.5%), single (56.3%), and unemployed (55.1%), whereas the females were Malay (42.3%), married (79.5%), and non-laborer (64.1%). Also, both groups resided in Kuala Lumpur and had heterosexual contact as the leading cause of HIV transmission. More than half of the patients had CD4 cell counts of <200 cells/cumm. We found that the acquisition of HIV infection via intravenous drug use (IDU) was directly related to the incidence of tuberculosis infection (P < 0.05). Further analysis showed HIV-related tuberculosis with IDU was also dependently correlated with occupational status (unemployed) (P < 0.05). The four main AIDS-defining diseases include tuberculosis (48%), Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (13%), toxoplasmic encephalitis (11%), and cryptococcal meningitis (7%); in addition, 53% of these patients were found to have CD4 cell counts of less than 200 cells/cumm at the time of diagnosis.