Hematological Alterations and Thymic Function in Newborns of HIV-Infected Mothers Receiving Antiretroviral Drugs.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs on hematological parameters and thymic function in HIVuninfected newborns of HIV-infected mothers. Study design: Cross sectional study. Setting: Chiang-Mai University Hospital, Chiang-Mai, Thailand. Participants/Patients: 49 HIV-uninfected and 26 HIV-infected pregnancies. Methods: Cord blood samples of newborns from HIVuninfected and HIV-infected mothers were collected. Hematological parameters were measured using automatic blood cell count. T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) levels in cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs), CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells were quantified using real-time PCR. Main Outcome Measures: Hemotological parameters and thymic function. Results: Newborn of HIV-infected mother tended to have lower mean levels of hemoglobin than those of HIV-uninfected mother (137 ± 22 vs 146 ± 17 g/L, P = 0.05). Furthermore, mean of red blood cell (RBC) counts and hematocrit and median of TRECs in CD4+ T-cells in the newborns of the former were significantly lower than those of the latter [3.6 ± 0.7 vs 4.8 ± 0.6 x 1012 cells/L, P <0.001; 0.40 ± 0.07 vs 0.46 ± 0.05 L/L, P <0.001 and 0.53 (IQR: 0.03-5.76) vs 13.20 (IQR: 2.77-27.51) x 10-3 pg/μL, P = 0.02, respectively]. Conclusion: ARV drugs altered hematological parameters and thymic function (TRECs CD4+ T-cells) in HIV-uninfected newborns of HIV-infected mothers.

Unmasking tuberculosis-associated immune recons-titution inflammatory syndrome in HIV-1 infection after antiretroviral therapy.

The exaggerated immune response to the subclinical opportunistic microorganisms or their antigens can be found in HIV-1 infected patients after receiving antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. We report a case of unmasking tuberculosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS) in the HIV-1 infected patient who had no previous history of mycobacterial infection. She had tuberculosis of intestines, peritoneum and mesenteric glands within 2 months of ARV. However, her sputum acid-fast bacilli stain, sputum, blood and cervical lymph node aspiration cultures for mycobacterium were negative. Her CD4 cell count increased of from 46 cells/mL at baseline before receiving ARV to 155 cells/mL at month 6 of ARV. In addition, her plasma pro-inflammatory (IFN-g and TNF-a) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokine measurement was supported the occurrence of immune restoration reaction. Therefore, the changing in these cytokine profiles may be an important marker of developing unmasking TB-IRIS

Production of a monoclonal antibody against a yeast secreted antigen of Penicillium marneffei.

Monoclonal antibody against P. mameffei yeast secreted antigen was produced in order to develop a serological test for penicilliosis marneffei. The yeast form of P. marneffei was cultured in brain heart infusion broth at 37 degrees C for 7 days. A secreted antigen was prepared, partially purified from culture supernatant and subsequently immunized in a BALB/c mouse. Mouse monoclonal antibody was produced from immune spleen cells by a standard hybridoma technique. Specificity of the obtained monoclonal antibody was assessed with yeast secreted antigens for P. mameffei, C. alblicans, C. neoformans, and H. capsulatum by an indirect ELISA. Three of 46 hybrid clones (1 F1, 2G5, and 3G4) reacted positively with P mameffei secreted antigen. 1 F1 and 3G4 were cloned by two rounds of limiting dilution. Partially purified monoclonal antibody and rabbit polyclonal antibody against P. marneffei yeast secreted antigen were used to develop a double antibody sandwich ELISA to detect P. marneffei antigen in plasma or serum samples of 7 patients with penicilliosis marneffei and 5 healthy controls. The sandwich ELISA developed using monoclonal antibody as a capture antibody and rabbit polyclonal antibody as a detector was able to detect P. marneffei antigen in all the plasma and serum samples of penicilliosis marneffei patients, while negative in all the healthy controls. Thus, the monoclonal antibody produced in the present study appeared to be highly specific for P. marneffei and the double antibody sandwich ELISA developed using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against the yeast secreted antigen of P. marneffei showed a strong potential for the diagnosis of penicilliosis marneffei.