ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Many reports have confirmed that hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is more common in HIV-infected patients than in the general population, but the relationship between HTG and clinical conditions have not been well established. This work analyzes the relationships between CD4+ cell count, HTG and the presence of active intercurrent infections in patients hospitalized for HIV infection. METHODS: Blood specimens from hospitalized HIV-infected patients and healthy controls without HIV infection were analyzed. Clinical conditions when the specimens were collected were recorded. RESULTS: The average level of serum triglycerides from 89 HIV-infected patients was significantly higher than the 29 healthy controls (1.57 +/- 0.09 vs 0.78 +/- 0.08 mmol/l respectively) (p < 0.001). In the study group, HTG was detected in 25 patients (27%). Twenty-six patients had intercurrent infections and 50 were asymptomatic. Clinical conditions of the remaining 13 were not available. HTG was detected in 18 out of 26 patients having intercurrent infections (68%), and in 4 out of the 50 patients without active infections (8%) (p < 0.000000417). CONCLUSIONS: HTG was more frequent in HIV-infected patients than in healthy controls, and it was significantly associated with the presence of intercurrent infections. This has important diagnostic implications, because the presence of HTG might be considered an unspecific marker for intercurrent infections in HIV patients.
Subject(s)
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/blood , HIV-1 , Hypertriglyceridemia/blood , Biomarkers/blood , CD4 Lymphocyte Count , Chi-Square Distribution , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Triglycerides/bloodABSTRACT
Se evaluó la performance de un ELISA para la detección de anticuerpos anti Trypanosoma cruzi, en comparación con las técnicas habitualmente usadas en este laboratorio (aglutinación de látex, aglutinación directa de parásitos coloreados, hemaglutinación indirecta e inmunofluorescencia indirecta). La comparación se realizó en forma simultánea y a doble ciego sobre 690 dadores voluntarios de sangre y 244 pacientes que asistían a consulta médica entre los meses de diciembre de 1992 y enero-febrero de 1993. La técnica en estudio resultó confiable tanto para el despistaje de dadores de sangre como para el diagnóstico de laboratorio. La seroprevalencia de la infección fue 8,1 por ciento entre los dadores de sangre y 12,3 por ciento entre los pacientes
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Chagas Disease/diagnosis , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Argentina , Chagas Disease/epidemiology , Chagas Disease/transmission , Agglutination Tests , Latex Fixation Tests , Hemagglutination Tests , Blood Transfusion/adverse effectsABSTRACT
Se ensayó una técnica micro-ELISA comercial (HIV test Wiener Lab.) comparándosela con el algoritmo diagnóstico normalmente empleado en este Laboratorio, compuesto de un despistaje por técnicas ELISA y confirmación de las muestras repetidamente reactivas por Western blot. Se trabajó sobre 280 muestras provenientes de pacientes que concurrían espontáneamente a consulta y 708 dadores voluntarios de banco de sangre. Los ensayos se efectuaron simultáneamente y a doble ciego. Toda muestra reactiva para el algoritmo de referencia fue detectada por el ELISA ensayado, mientras que los falsos positivos (9/998) fueron menos que los informados con el ELISA de referencia (33/998). La prevalencia encontrada entre dadores de sangre fue de 0,28 por ciento
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Blotting, Western , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , HIV Seroprevalence , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/diagnosis , Argentina , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Se evaluó la performance de un ELISA para la detección de anticuerpos anti Trypanosoma cruzi, en comparación con las técnicas habitualmente usadas en este laboratorio (aglutinación de látex, aglutinación directa de parásitos coloreados, hemaglutinación indirecta e inmunofluorescencia indirecta). La comparación se realizó en forma simultánea y a doble ciego sobre 690 dadores voluntarios de sangre y 244 pacientes que asistían a consulta médica entre los meses de diciembre de 1992 y enero-febrero de 1993. La técnica en estudio resultó confiable tanto para el despistaje de dadores de sangre como para el diagnóstico de laboratorio. La seroprevalencia de la infección fue 8,1 por ciento entre los dadores de sangre y 12,3 por ciento entre los pacientes (AU)
Subject(s)
Comparative Study , Humans , Male , Female , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods , Chagas Disease/diagnosis , Chagas Disease/epidemiology , Chagas Disease/transmission , Blood Transfusion/adverse effects , Hemagglutination Tests/statistics & numerical data , Agglutination Tests/statistics & numerical data , Latex Fixation Tests/statistics & numerical data , ArgentinaABSTRACT
Se ensayó una técnica micro-ELISA comercial (HIV test Wiener Lab.) comparándosela con el algoritmo diagnóstico normalmente empleado en este Laboratorio, compuesto de un despistaje por técnicas ELISA y confirmación de las muestras repetidamente reactivas por Western blot. Se trabajó sobre 280 muestras provenientes de pacientes que concurrían espontáneamente a consulta y 708 dadores voluntarios de banco de sangre. Los ensayos se efectuaron simultáneamente y a doble ciego. Toda muestra reactiva para el algoritmo de referencia fue detectada por el ELISA ensayado, mientras que los falsos positivos (9/998) fueron menos que los informados con el ELISA de referencia (33/998). La prevalencia encontrada entre dadores de sangre fue de 0,28 por ciento (AU)
Subject(s)
Comparative Study , Humans , Male , Female , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/diagnosis , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Blotting, Western , HIV Seroprevalence , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/epidemiology , ArgentinaABSTRACT
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been shown to be responsible for a significant proportion of hepatitis cases among patients undergoing frequent blood transfusions. The prevalence in blood serum of anti-HCV antibodies was studied in 48 patients who had undergone dialysis and multiple blood transfusions. In 42 of these patients the average number of transfusions during their treatment was 11.2. The patients were stratified into four groups according to the number of transfusions received (I: < 5, II:6-9, III:10-15 and IV > 15). Odds ratios were used in order to estimate the probability of finding anti-HCV antibodies in groups II, III and IV in relation to the least exposed group I. Anti-HCV antibodies were found in 59% of patients receiving transfusions. As grouped by increasing number of transfusions, each set showed 16, 66, 62.5 and 100% presence of anti-HCV antibodies, respectively. This shows a direct correspondence between the number of transfusions and the serum-born incidence of anti-HCV antibodies. These results closely coincide with those of a similar study, done in the city of Cordoba, Argentina, in 1992. The two studies confirm the necessity to check blood units in order to discard those with anti-HCV antibodies.
Subject(s)
Hepacivirus/immunology , Hepatitis Antibodies/blood , Hepatitis C/transmission , Transfusion Reaction , Blood Transfusion/statistics & numerical data , Hepatitis C/blood , Hepatitis C/epidemiology , Humans , Kidney Failure, Chronic/therapy , Odds Ratio , Prevalence , Renal Dialysis , Risk Factors , Seroepidemiologic StudiesABSTRACT
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been shown to be responsible for a significant proportion of hepatitis cases among patients undergoing frequent blood transfusions. The prevalence in blood serum of anti-HCV antibodies was studied in 48 patients who had undergone dialysis and multiple blood transfusions. In 42 of these patients the average number of transfusions during their treatment was 11.2. The patients were stratified into four groups according to the number of transfusions received (I: < 5, II:6-9, III:10-15 and IV > 15). Odds ratios were used in order to estimate the probability of finding anti-HCV antibodies in groups II, III and IV in relation to the least exposed group I. Anti-HCV antibodies were found in 59
of patients receiving transfusions. As grouped by increasing number of transfusions, each set showed 16, 66, 62.5 and 100
presence of anti-HCV antibodies, respectively. This shows a direct correspondence between the number of transfusions and the serum-born incidence of anti-HCV antibodies. These results closely coincide with those of a similar study, done in the city of Cordoba, Argentina, in 1992. The two studies confirm the necessity to check blood units in order to discard those with anti-HCV antibodies.
