Laboratory diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infection

The technical issues relevant to the laboratory diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are dealt with. Performance characteristics of the various HIV diagnostic assays are presented.     

A possible variant of a false diagnosis of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus

The authors describe a patient who demonstrated positive blood responsiveness to the nuclear antigens of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (p17, p31 and p55), observed steadily for 1 year and 4 months. The donor's disease history consideration made it impossible to include him in one of the known groups at risk for HIV infection whereas the lack of any changes in immunoblotting enabled one to exclude the diagnosis of HIV infection. The given case and other similar cases form the basis for introducing the second parallel screening during blood testing for HIV infection to bar the use of such blood for transfusion.     

Pyomyositis and human immunodeficiency virus infection

Pyomyositis is a bacterial infection of skeletal muscle usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus and characterized by localized muscle pain, swelling, and tenderness. The disease is endemic in the tropics. Though only approximately 50 cases have been reported from the continental United States, pyomyositis has been increasingly recognized here in the last decade. We report two patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and pyomyositis, and review five previously reported cases. Given the predisposition of patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex (ARC) for infections caused by S aureus, pyomyositis may become increasingly more common in temperate areas.     

Proteinuria in paediatric patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection

In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected people kidney disease is as an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Clinical features of kidney damage in HIV-infected patients range from asymptomatic microalbuminuria to nephrotic syndrome. The lack of specific clinical features despite the presence of heavy proteinuria may mask the renal involvement. Indeed, it is important in HIV patients to monitor renal function to early discover a possible kidney injury. After the introduction of antiretroviral therapy, mortality and morbidity associated to HIV-infection have shown a substantial reduction, although a variety of side effects for long-term use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, including renal toxicity, has emerged. Among more than 20 currently available antiretroviral agents, many of them can occasionally cause reversible or irreversible nephrotoxicity. At now, three antiretroviral agents, i.e., indinavir, atazanavir and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate have a well established association with direct nephrotoxicity. This review focuses on major causes of proteinuria and other pathological findings related to kidney disease in HIV-infected children and adolescents.     

Severe tuberculosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection

Tuberculosis has now been well documented as a complication of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but no studies concern patients requiring admission to the ICU. We report 12 cases of severe disseminated tuberculosis in patients who were seropositive for HIV. Eight patients had diffuse pulmonary involvement responsible for acute respiratory failure, 7 of whom required mechanical ventilation. Four developed septic shock, and in 3 blood cultures were positive forM. tuberculosis. Four patients had central nervous system involvement, with coma requiring mechanical ventilation 3 times. Rapid diagnosis was permitted in 10 patients by acid-fast smears of pulmonary specimens (8 patients) and/or tissue biopsies (4 patients). Seven patients died despite intensive therapy; autopsy was performed in 4 patients, showing disseminated tuberculosis. On the basis of this report, tuberculosis in HIV infection may present as an overwhelming systemic disease and thus requires an aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic approach.     

Meningioma in four patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection

We describe four patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who had development of meningiomas. In contrast to those in the general population who have meningiomas, all our patients were young men; the mean age was 40 years (range, 32 to 50). Their risk behavior for HIV was homosexuality (three patients) and intravenous drug use (one patient). The CD4+ cell count in each of the three homosexual men was less than 50/microL and was 280/microL in the drug user. Imaging studies showed enhancing lesions in three of the patients. Although each of these meningiomas could have occurred in otherwise normal young to middle-aged men, we speculate that the meningiomas may have grown in these HIV-infected hosts because of either loss of immune function or dysregulation of cytokines.     

Serologic testing of human immunodeficiency virus infection

This article describes laboratory methods available for testing serum to determine whether a patient is infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Included is discussion of uses and limitations of the assays, patient counseling, laboratory safety, and interpretation of the test results.     

The neurology of human immunodeficiency virus infection

HIV-infected patients are at markedly increased risk for neurological dysfunction, which may occur at any level of the neuraxis (see Table 1). The most common syndromes--AIDS dementia complex, vacuolar myelopathy, and possibly distal symmetric peripheral neuropathy--appear to be related to HIV infection within the nervous system, rather than due to the immunoincompetence caused by HIV. However, the mechanism(s) by which HIV causes these syndromes, e.g., infecting neurons or oligodendroglia directly, interfering with neurotrophic factors, effecting toxic monokine production, etc., is unknown. Early, albeit incomplete, success with azidothymidine is encouraging. Less commonly, neurological syndromes may be secondary to the immunoincompetence produced by HIV. Many different etiologies--most of which are treatable--have been encountered, but a few of these (cerebral toxoplasmosis, cryptococcal meningitis, primary CNS lymphoma, and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy) are responsible for most of the opportunistic complications. Marked differences in symptoms and signs between AIDS patients and immunologically normal patients may complicate recognition of some of these diseases (e.g., herpes simplex encephalitis). Finally, some HIV-associated syndromes, e.g., inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy and retinal microvasculopathy, are of unknown etiology.     

Neuromuscular complications of human immunodeficiency virus infection

Neurologic complications of HIV infection are common, and are a significant source of morbidity. The chronic nature of HIV today, the complexity of highly active antiretroviral therapy regimens, and the multiple and diffuse effects of HIV on the nervous system present an exciting diagnostic challenge, in which a systematic, comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment is necessary.     

Rheumatological lesions in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus infection

One hundred and twenty-three patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection have been referred to rheumatologists at our hospitals between October 1985 and April 1989 because of musculoskeletal symptoms. Thirty-four homosexual men presented with acute, peripheral, non-erosive arthritis (mean number of four joints affected) with the knees being involved in 23. Other features developing concurrently with arthritis included psoriasis, keratoderma blenorrhagica, plantar fasciitis, urethritis, conjunctivitis and anterior uveitis. Four of five patients investigated were HLA-B27-positive; none of 15 patients tested had raised titres of rheumatoid or antinuclear factors. Various infections were associated with the onset of arthritis and two patients with a recent history of diarrhoea had serological evidence of yersinia infection. No micro-organisms were identified within the joint except for HIV itself. At the time of onset of arthritis four of these individuals had the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); 11 were not known to be HIV-positive before testing which was performed following referral for arthritis. Six patients have since developed AIDS and four have died. In 15 individuals, including those who progressed to AIDS, joint symptoms have been severe, persistent and poorly responsive to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In only five patients has the arthritis been known to resolve. Synovitis has also been seen in two women: in one of these HIV infection was thought to have been acquired through intravenous drug abuse. Other rheumatic lesions included myalgia/myositis, non-inflammatory peripheral arthritis, spinal pain, soft tissue lesions, arthralgia or myalgia of unknown cause and infective lesions including septic arthritis and bony infection due to histoplasmosis and atypical mycobacterial infection. It appears likely that HIV infection is a risk factor for the development of seronegative arthritis and other rheumatic lesions.     

Neurologic abnormalities in human immunodeficiency virus infection

Neurologic abnormalities involving the central and peripheral nervous system are common in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Evidence of central nervous system infection (cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities) occurs early; however, evidence of central and peripheral nervous system dysfunction usually occurs at later stages. Neurologic manifestations may be due to chronic immunosuppression, direct neurotropic effect of HIV, or medication effects. It is important to recognize that brain and spine imaging studies are highly sensitive in detecting abnormal pathologic processes, but these studies have low specificity for establishing a specific pathologic diagnosis.     

Serum prolactin in human immunodeficiency virus infection

Patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have higher serum prolactin compared to healthy controls but this is controversial. As part of a laboratory audit investigating the interference of macroprolactin in our prolactin assay, we investigated whether low biological activity macroprolactin could account for the increased serum prolactin concentrations observed in HIV infection. We, therefore, compared serum total prolactin and free prolactin in 32 subjects infected with HIV (HIV+ve) with 52 subjects not infected with HIV (HIV-ve). Serum total prolactin concentrations were similar in HIV+ve and HIV-ve patients [median (95% confidence limits); 167.0 (122.4 - 313.8) vs 206.5 (187.8 - 248.4) mU/L respectively]. Serum free prolactin concentrations were lower (p <0.005) in HIV+ve subjects than in HIV-ve subjects [112.0 (91.1-141.8) vs 171.0 (154.5 - 200.9) mU/L respectively; p<0.0005]. These results are consistent with the notion that low biological activity macroprolactin contributes to circulating prolactin concentrations in HIV+ve subjects.     

Ocular melanoma and human immunodeficiency virus infection

The number of reports of malignant complications of human immunodeficiency virus infections is increasing. Cutaneous melanoma has been previously reported in five patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection, but no cases of ocular melanoma have been documented. We describe the first case of ocular melanoma reported in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus infection.     

Dermatologic manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have become major health problems in the United States, and patients with manifestations of these diseases are seen by physicians in all areas of medicine. Cutaneous manifestations develop in as many as 92% of HIV-positive persons. Familiarity with these manifestations facilitates early diagnosis and enhances the care of HIV-infected patients. The spectrum of mucocutaneous disorders in these patients includes an acute exanthem, multiple infections, neoplastic processes, and miscellaneous disorders. Herein we review the most common and the most specific dermatologic manifestations associated with HIV infection, which often are atypical, more severe, or less responsive to treatment than the corresponding diseases encountered in non-HIV-infected persons.