Effect of influenza virus vaccine on the expression of human immunodeficiency virus co-receptor CCR5.

BACKGROUND: Administration of influenza vaccine to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children can lead to increased viral load. CCR5 and CXCR4 are known to play an important role in HIV cell entry and viral replication. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of influenza vaccine on chemokine receptors and on viral load in HIV-infected children. METHODS: Eight HIV-infected children receiving stable therapy and 11 healthy adults were enrolled. Chemokine expression and immune activation were determined before and 48 hours after influenza vaccination. CCR5 and beta-chemokine gene expression were analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Viral load was measured at baseline, 48 hours, and 6 to 12 weeks. RESULTS: Forty-eight hours after influenza vaccination, mean CCR5 expression was significantly decreased on the CD3 (21.1% vs 11.3% in HIV-infected children; P = .02; and 18.3% vs 10.7% in controls; P = .008) and CD4 (13.0% vs 3.6% in the HIV group; P = .04; and 13.6% vs 6.5% in controls; P = .02) lymphocytes. This was observed in conjunction with an increase in HLA-DR expression on T lymphocytes in HIV-infected children (P = .046). No significant changes were observed in HIV viral load, CD3 and CD8 lymphocyte counts, expression of interleukin 2 receptor and CXCR4, or gene expression of CCR5 and beta-chemokines 48 hours after vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza virus vaccine markedly decreased chemokine receptor CCR5 expression on CD4 T lymphocytes. However, this immunomodulatory effect does not seem to affect overall viral replication in HIV-infected children who received highly active antiretroviral therapy.     

Sensitivity of Turbutester and Accuhaler tester in asthmatic children and adolescents

Background:  Dry powder inhalers (DPI) are alternative devices for delivering medication for treatment of asthma. The amount of drug delivery to the lungs is directly influenced by peak inspiratory flow rate (PIFR). A minimum PIFR of −30 L/min is needed for the Turbuhaler and Accuhaler.
Methods:  In order to evaluate the sensitivity of the Turbutester and Accuhaler tester in detecting the minimum and optimum PIFR for the Turbuhaler and Accuhaler in asthmatic children, PIFR was measured using the In-Check Dial through the internal resistance of the Turbuhaler and Accuhaler and compared according to the child's ability to make a whistle sound via both testers.
Results:  A total of 259 asthmatic children were studied: 20 pre-school children, aged 5–6 years; 174 school-age children, aged 7–12 years; and 65 adolescents, aged 13–18 years. The sensitivity of the Turbutester and Accuhaler tester to detect optimum PIFR were 98.40% and 97.2%, respectively. In the comparison among age groups, the sensitivity of the Accuhaler tester to detect optimum or minimum PIFR for the Accuhaler was 95%, 97.7% and 95.4%, respectively. The sensitivity of the Turbutester to detect optimum PIFR for the Turbuhaler was 94.4%, 98.8% and 98.5%, respectively. The sensitivity of the Turbutester to detect minimum PIFR for the Turbuhaler was 94.7%, 100% and 100%, respectively. There were no significant differences in percentage of having optimum or minimum PIFR among asthma severity and current device usage in all age groups.
Conclusions:  Most children aged at least 5 years could generate enough PIFR to use dry powder inhaler devices. Both the Turbutester and Accuhaler tester were found to have high sensitivity in detecting optimum and minimum required PIFR.     

Sphaerisporangium siamense sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from rubber-tree rhizospheric soil

A Gram-positive aerobic actinomycete, designated SR14.14(T), isolated from the rhizospheric soil of rubber tree was determined taxonomically using a polyphasic approach. The organism contained meso-diaminopimelic acid and the N-acetyl type of peptidoglycan. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9, MK-9(H?) and MK-9(H?). Madurose was detected in the whole-cell hydrolysates. Mycolic acids were not presented. Major phospholipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol mannoside. Major cellular fatty acid was iso-C(??:?) and the G+C content was 71.9?mol %. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence suggested that the isolate belongs to the genus Sphaerisporangium. The sequence similarity value between the strain SR14.14(T) and its closely related species, Sphaerisporangium album, was 97.8%. DNA-DNA hybridization values between them were well below 70%. Based on genotypic and phenotypic data, strain SR14.14(T) represents a novel species in the genus Sphaerisporangium, for which the name Sphaerisporangium siamense sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SR14.14(T) (=BCC 41491(T)=NRRL B-24805(T)=NBRC 107570(T)).     

Validation of current joint American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology guidelines for antibody response to the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine using a population of HIV-infected children

BACKGROUND: Measuring antibody responses to 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines (PPV) is crucial to evaluation of humoral immune function. However, data are limited comparing responses in immunodeficient subjects. OBJECTIVE: A case-controlled study comparing changes in PPV antibody titer in immunocompetent and immunodeficient children was performed to validate current guidelines. METHODS: A cohort of 95 immunocompetent children and 22 HIV-infected children, ages 2 to 15 years, was vaccinated with PPV, and before and after vaccination, IgG titers against capsular polysaccharides for 12 pneumococcal serotypes were measured. Results were used to calculate the receiver operator characteristic curve, sensitivity, and specificity of various interpretation criteria for their accuracy in detecting suboptimal responders. RESULTS: Immunodeficient subjects had lower CD4%, antidiphtheria, antitetanus titers, and mean post-PPV titers (2.5 +/- 1.7 vs 4.5 +/- 2.1 mug/mL; P < .001) compared with immunocompetent subjects. The interpretation, using individual post-PPV titer of > or =4-fold increase over prevaccination as a positive response, yielded the highest accuracy as measured by area under the curve value (receiver operator characteristic curve = .755). For this criterion, the numbers of serotypes with positive responses of < or =5 of 12 serotypes measured yielded 72.7% sensitivity and 56.8% specificity in detecting antibody-deficient subjects. CONCLUSION: Current guidelines using > or =4-fold increase in post-PPV titers has sufficient sensitivity and specificity to identify antibody deficiency. The minimal positive responses should be at least 50% of serotypes tested. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Measurement of PPV antibody response based on the current guidelines accurately identify children with humoral immunodeficiency.     

Die Bedeutung der Virulenz des Erregers für die Pathogenese menschlicher Pneumokokkenerkrankungen

Ohne ZusammenfassungStudien über das Pneumonieproblem vonM. Gundel, 4. Mitteilung. Vgl.M. Gundel u.H. Linden, Die Bedeutung des Tierversuches für die bakteriologische Diagnose der Influenza und Pneumonie. Klin. Wschr.1930, 1402–1405.M. Gundel u.H. Linden, Über die Verbreitungsweise der menschlichen Pneumokokkeninfektionen. Z. Hyg.112, 1–39 (1931).—M. Gundel, Zur Frage einer Behandlung der Pneumonia crouposa mit Rekonvaleszentenserum. Klin. Wschr.1931, 728–730.