Concentrations of cytokines,soluble interleukin-2 receptor,and soluble CD30 in sera of patients with hepatitis B virus infection during acute and convalescent phases

The immunoregulatory roles of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-10, gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), the soluble form of the IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R), and the soluble form of CD30 (sCD30) were evaluated in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Two groups of subjects were studied: 15 healthy individuals without hepatitis antecedents and 15 patients with HBV infection. Blood samples were taken during the acute and convalescent phases. The analysis of the samples was done by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha levels decreased in the convalescent phase. IL-10, IL-2, and sIL-2R levels increased in the acute and convalescent phases, while sCD30 levels increased during the acute phase. The IL-4 concentrations decreased in both phases. During the acute phase, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha induced increases in IL-2, sIL-2R, IL-10, and sCD30 levels in serum, which allowed the development of immunity characterized by the nonreactivity of the HBV surface antigen, the onset of antibodies to the HBV surface antigen (anti-HBs), and normal alanine aminotransferase levels during the convalescent phase. Increased IL-2 levels during the acute phase would stimulate the activities of NK cells and CD8(+) lymphocytes, which are responsible for viral clearing. The raised sIL-2R levels reveal activation of T lymphocytes and control of the IL-2-dependent immune response. The sCD30 increment during the acute phase reflects the greater activation of the Th2 cellular phenotype. Its decrease in the convalescent phase points out the decrease in the level of HBV replication. The increase in IL-10 levels could result in a decrease in IL-4 levels and modulate IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha levels during both phases of disease, allowing the maintenance of anti-HBs concentrations.     

Management of chronic viral hepatitis in HIV-infected patients: Spanish Consensus Conference. October 2000

Co-infection by human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B and C viruses is quite common because they share similar routes of transmission. The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy has significantly improved the life expectancy of HIV-infected patients in the last few years. However, chronic viral hepatitis represents an emerging cause of morbidity and mortality in this population, either as a result of end-stage liver disease or as a consequence of hepatotoxicity induced by antiretroviral drugs. The main goal of the Consensus Conference was to establish specific recommendations for the management of chronic viral hepatitis B and C in HIV-infected patients. The role of orthotopic liver transplantation for co-infected individuals with end-stage liver disease was also assessed.     

Distinction between papillary thyroid hyperplasia and papillary thyroid carcinoma by immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin 19, galectin-3, and HBME-1

The histopathology of papillary thyroid hyperplasia and papillary thyroid carcinoma is similar enough to cause a diagnostic dilemma in a few cases. Both lesions may have papillary fronds with fibrovascular cores, nuclear crowding, and nuclear anisocytosis. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from 30 randomly selected patients with papillary thyroid hyperplasia and an equal number from patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma were analyzed for expression of cytokeratin 19 (CK19), galectin-3, and HBME-1. Cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma had moderate to strong CK19, galectin-3, and HBME-1 reactivity although both CK19 and galectin-3 showed positive staining in a significant number of nonneoplastic thyroid cases. HBME-1 was uncommon in the nonneoplastic cases. These results indicate that HBME-1 may be useful in helping to distinguish papillary thyroid carcinoma from hyperplasia in diagnostically difficult cases.     

Risk factors for incident HIV infection among anonymous HIV testing site clients in Santos,Brazil: 1996-1999

OBJECTIVES: To determine temporal trends in HIV infection and risk factors among persons seeking anonymous HIV testing in Santos, Brazil. METHODS: Data and sera from persons testing for HIV from 1996 to 1999 were used. Exposures were abstracted from HIV testing risk assessments. Stored HIV-positive sera were tested to identify recently acquired HIV infection using a serologic testing algorithm for detecting recent HIV seroconversion (STARHS). Independent associations between exposures and recently acquired HIV infection were determined using multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Overall, estimated HIV incidence was 2.0% (95% CI: 1.1-3.5) for the 4-year period: 1.2% (95% CI: 0.5-2.6) in women and 2.7% (95% CI: 1.3-5.0) in men. Incidence increased among women but remained stable among men. Exposures independently associated with incident infection included a history of sex work (OR= 5.4, 95% CI: 1.5-18.7), concurrent syphilis infection (OR =4.1, 95% CI: 1.4-11.9), anal sex (OR = 3.0, 95% CI: 1.3-7.1), and having an HIV-positive sexual partner (OR= 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1-1.9). CONCLUSIONS: This study further demonstrates the public health utility of using the STARHS for the assessment of emerging trends in the HIV epidemic. Results from this study will help to target appropriate prevention strategies directed toward at-risk populations in Santos.     

Bone marrow transplantation for diamond-blackfan anemia.

Patients with Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) who are unresponsive to or intolerant of corticosteroids, experience treatment failure with other treatments, develop additional cytopenias or clonal disease, or opt for curative therapy are often treated with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. We studied the transplantation outcomes of 61 DBA patients whose data were reported to the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry between 1984 and 2000. The median age was 7 years (range, 1-32 years). Among 55 patients with available transfusion information, 35 (64%) had received > or =20 units of blood before transplantation. Most patients (67%) received their bone marrow grafts from an HLA-matched related donor. The median time to neutrophil recovery was 17 days (range, 10-119 days) and to platelet recovery was 23 days (range, 9-119 days). Five patients did not achieve neutrophil engraftment. The 100-day mortality was 18% (95% confidence interval, 10%-29%). Grade II to IV acute graft-versus-host disease occurred in 28% (range, 17%-39%) and chronic graft-versus-host disease in 26% (range, 15%-39%). The 3-year probability of overall survival was 64% (range, 50%-74%). In univariate analysis, a Karnofsky score > or =90 and transplantation from an HLA-identical sibling donor were associated with better survival. These data suggest that allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is effective for the treatment of DBA. Transplantation before deterioration of the performance status and from an HLA-identical sibling donor may improve survival.     

Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases in Latin America: First Report from Eight Countries Participating in the LAGID

The Latin American Group for Primary Immunodeficiencies, formed in 1993, presently includes 12 countries. One goal was to study the frequency of primary immunodeficiencies in various regions of the American continent and to enhance knowledge about these diseases among primary-care physicians, as well as allergist–immunologists. Important for this purpose was the development of a registry of primary immunodeficiencies using a uniform questionnaire and computerized database. To date, eight countries have collected information on a total of 1428 patients. Predominantly antibody deficiencies were reported in 58% of patients, followed by cellular and antibody immunodeficiencies associated with other abnormalities in 18%, immunodeficiency syndromes associated with granulocyte dysfunction in 8%, phagocytic disorders in 9%, combined cellular and antibody immunodeficiencies in 5%, and complement deficiencies in 2% of patients. The information gathered from this initial analysis of data will serve to expand the patient database to more areas within participating countries and to new countries and to increase collaboration toward better diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.     

Pulmonary and mediastinal "sarcoidosis" following surgical resection of cancer

Previous reports indicate that enlarged hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes caused by sarcoid-like reactions may develop after curative resection of cancer, and their presence does not necessarily denote neoplastic recurrence. Reports further suggest that coexisting pulmonary infiltrates in this setting may be related to sarcoidosis. In this study, we describe two patients who had resected lung and gastric cancer and who later developed pulmonary interstitial infiltrate, concurrent with progressive mediastinal lymphadenopathy initially thought to be caused by intrathoracic dissemination of their cancer. These changes were shown by open lung biopsy to be a benign, granulomatous reaction interpreted as sarcoidosis. Thus, it is important to recognize this clinical pattern when pulmonary infiltrates develop after complete treatment of cancer in an otherwise relapse-free patient and to encourage lung or lymph node biopsy in these particular settings in order to confirm a sarcoid-like reaction, thereby avoiding unnecessary chemotherapy for presumed tumor recurrence.     

Autonomic nervous control of the heart rate response to dynamic incremental exercise: evaluation of the Rosenblueth-Simeone model

Summary To evaluate the validity of the Rosenblueth-Simeone model for the heart rate response to incremental dynamic exercise, 11 healthy men performed maximal exercise tests on a cycle ergometer after administration of placebo, propranolol, atropine or both propranolol and atropine. The model showed that the influence of sympathetic activity on heart rate increased at intensities up to those which resulted in a heart rate 70% maximal heart rate on placebo, and levelled off at higher intensities, while there was a progressive withdrawal of the parasympathetic activity. The ratio between heart rate predicted by the model and the recorded heart rate following placebo treatment tended to be less than 1.0 at lower exercise intensities, and approached the unit at intensities above those which resulted in a heart rate higher than 70% of maximal heart rate on placebo. There was a strong correlation (r=0.94,P<0.01) between the heart rate on placebo and the heart rate estimated by the model. Nevertheless, there was some scattering of the data around the identity line, with a standard error of the estimate for the regression line of 11 beats · min^–1. Thus, during incremental exercise, the influence of sympathetic activity on heart rate does not become progressively more important at higher exercise intensities. The application of the Rosenblueth-Simeone model shows limitations during incremental exercise, particularly at low exercise intensities.     

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology of peripheral nerve-sheath tumors

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has allowed for the fine-needle aspiration and diagnosis of many different gastrointestinal neoplasms, including mesenchymal tumors. Although most mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract are gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), other mesenchymal tumors, including neural tumors, do occur. Proper diagnosis and differentiation of these tumors from GISTs are important because of their different prognoses and treatment regimens. We encountered three peripheral nerve-sheath tumors of the gastrointestinal tract aspirated by EUS (two schwannomas and a granular-cell tumor). We report on the endoscopic ultrasound, cytologic, histologic, and immunohistochemical findings of these cases.