Gut dendritic cell activation links an altered colonic microbiome to mucosal and systemic T-cell activation in untreated HIV-1 infection.

HIV-1-associated disruption of intestinal homeostasis is a major factor contributing to chronic immune activation and inflammation. Dendritic cells (DCs) are crucial in maintaining intestinal homeostasis, but the impact of HIV-1 infection on intestinal DC number and function has not been extensively studied. We compared the frequency and activation/maturation status of colonic myeloid DC (mDC) subsets (CD1c(+) and CD1c(neg)) and plasmacytoid DCs in untreated HIV-1-infected subjects with uninfected controls. Colonic mDCs in HIV-1-infected subjects had increased CD40 but decreased CD83 expression, and CD40 expression on CD1c(+) mDCs positively correlated with mucosal HIV-1 viral load, with mucosal and systemic cytokine production, and with frequencies of activated colon and blood T cells. Percentage of CD83(+)CD1c(+) mDCs negatively correlated with frequencies of interferon-γ-producing colon CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. CD40 expression on CD1c(+) mDCs positively associated with abundance of high prevalence mucosal Prevotella copri and Prevotella stercorea but negatively associated with a number of low prevalence mucosal species, including Rumminococcus bromii. CD1c(+) mDC cytokine production was greater in response to in vitro stimulation with Prevotella species relative to R. bromii. These findings suggest that, during HIV infection, colonic mDCs become activated upon exposure to mucosal pathobiont bacteria leading to mucosal and systemic immune activation.

[EFFEKT-E: Effectiveness of a Prevention Programme for Children and their Depressed Mothers]. / EFFEKT-E: Wirksamkeit eines Präventionsprogramms für Kinder emotional belasteter Mütter.

The aim of this study was to develop an effective selective preventive programme for the risk group of children of depressed mothers. A universal parent and child training concept was adapted to the target group and to mother-child rehabilitation clinic conditions. A quasi-experimental design was implemented with 13 clinics. Evaluation of the results reveals that EFFEKT-E is an accepted, feasible selective programme which has the potential to enhance maternal competence and prevent children's emotional disruption.

An altered intestinal mucosal microbiome in HIV-1 infection is associated with mucosal and systemic immune activation and endotoxemia.

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection disrupts the intestinal immune system, leading to microbial translocation and systemic immune activation. We investigated the impact of HIV-1 infection on the intestinal microbiome and its association with mucosal T-cell and dendritic cell (DC) frequency and activation, as well as with levels of systemic T-cell activation, inflammation, and microbial translocation. Bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing was performed on colon biopsies and fecal samples from subjects with chronic, untreated HIV-1 infection and uninfected control subjects. Colon biopsies of HIV-1-infected subjects had increased abundances of Proteobacteria and decreased abundances of Firmicutes compared with uninfected donors. Furthermore at the genus level, a significant increase in Prevotella and decrease in Bacteroides was observed in HIV-1-infected subjects, indicating a disruption in the Bacteroidetes bacterial community structure. This HIV-1-associated increase in Prevotella abundance was associated with increased numbers of activated colonic T cells and myeloid DCs. Principal coordinates analysis demonstrated an HIV-1-related change in the microbiome that was associated with increased mucosal cellular immune activation, microbial translocation, and blood T-cell activation. These observations suggest that an important relationship exists between altered mucosal bacterial communities and intestinal inflammation during chronic HIV-1 infection.

[Midwife-led birth centres: an alternative to hospital childbirth?]. / Geburtshäuser: Versorgungsalternative zur Klinikentbindung?

After midwife-led birth centres had been included into the Social Security Statute Book (§134a SGB V) and thus become covered by German Public Health Insurance since April 1st, 2007 contract negotiations on flat rate costs have followed. Meanwhile the 2nd edition of this -agreement has come into effect. The present contribution describes how this non-hospital obstetric care has developed in the last 3 years. The medical care situation is explained based on legal conditions. Special attention is paid to regulations concerning quality management as well as the certification or auditing required to remain listed in the national register of midwife-led units at the Social Health Insurance. Results are shown from data collected by the Associa-tion for Quality Assurance on Out-of-hospital births (QUAG) and from a pilot project which also contains comparisons with clinical findings. The discussion refers to data taken from German as well as international publications. The conclusion points out some aspects in need of further development.