ABSTRACT
Liver gene transcription plays a fundamental role in the hepatic reparative response to injury. However, little is known about the functional relationship of gene expression between diseased and regenerative compartments following a liver injury. To address the hypothesis that the control of gene expression and the cellular proliferative response are specific to diseased and regenerative liver compartments independently, we assessed the expression of liver growth modulators, hepatocyte proliferation, and apoptosis in transgenic livers overexpressing the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). uPA livers have regenerative nodules that are visually distinct from the surrounding diseased compartments. Northern analyses using RNA from microdissected regenerative and diseased compartments showed that, among the known liver growth factors studied, there was a selective increase in the expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in diseased compartments above the levels seen in regenerative compartments and in livers of nontransgenic littermates. Despite the high level of HGF mRNA in diseased compartments, hepatocyte proliferation was low. In contrast, in regenerative compartments, where HGF mRNA was low, hepatocyte proliferation was abundant. For growth inhibitors, mRNA expression for transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1), p53, and activin A was increased in diseased compartments, where hepatocytes displayed apoptosis. These findings define a zone-specific regulation of gene expression in injured livers and point to an important role of the diseased microenvironment in the fate of hepatocytes during the regenerative process.
Subject(s)
Gene Expression Regulation , Growth Substances/genetics , Liver Regeneration/genetics , Liver/enzymology , Plasminogen Activators/genetics , Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator/genetics , Animals , Apoptosis , Blotting, Northern , Cell Division , Growth Inhibitors/genetics , Growth Inhibitors/metabolism , Growth Substances/metabolism , In Situ Nick-End Labeling , Liver/cytology , Liver/metabolism , Liver/pathology , Mice , Mice, Transgenic , Plasminogen Activators/metabolism , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator/metabolismABSTRACT
Eighty-six serum samples from 52 HIV-1 infected patients with complicating pneumonia illness were assayed for the presence of antibodies to Legionella pneumophila. In 25 of these patients Pneumocystic carinii has been previously diagnosed. Among all patients investigated only 4 had antibodies to L. pneumophila of significant titer of 128. In one patient L. pneumophila was demonstrated coexisting with P. carinii. Despite of a small proportion of patients with a significant titer of antibodies against L. pneumophila, the presence of this microorganism should be carefully investigated in AIDS patients with complicating pneumonia especially when the aetiological diagnosis is not defined; the reason is to improve the therapeutic treatment.
Subject(s)
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections , Antibodies, Bacterial/blood , HIV-1 , Legionella pneumophila/immunology , Legionnaires' Disease , AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/immunology , Humans , Legionnaires' Disease/immunology , Pneumonia, PneumocystisABSTRACT
A total of 153 patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection underwent complete ophthalmologic examinations for the presence of any eye pathology. We wanted to show a correlation between such pathology and total CD4+ lymphocyte count, believed to be an indicator of immunologic status. The most frequently encountered lesions were cotton-wool patches, vascular congestion, hemorrhages, chorioretinitis, segmental vasculitis, and pallid papilla. Almost all of the patients with ocular anomalies also had a CD4+ count of less than 200 cells/mm3 suggesting that ocular lesions have a negative prognostic significance even in asymptomatic patients who present with a severe impairment of their immune system.
Subject(s)
Eye Diseases/complications , HIV Seropositivity/complications , AIDS-Related Complex/complications , AIDS-Related Complex/immunology , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/complications , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/immunology , Adolescent , Adult , CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology , Eye Diseases/immunology , Female , Fluorescein Angiography , Fundus Oculi , HIV Seropositivity/immunology , Humans , Leukocyte Count , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
118 patients with HIV infection underwent complete ophthalmologic examination to detect the presence of any eye pathology. The study was intended to show a correlation between such pathology and the total CD4 + lymphocyte count considered to be indicative of the immunologic status. The most frequently encountered lesions were cotton-wool patches, vascular congestion, hemorrhages, chorioretinitis, segmental vasculitis and optic disc pallar. Almost all the patients with ocular manifestations, also had a CD4 + count of less than 200/mm3 which suggest that ocular lesions are of bad prognostic significance even in asymptomatic patients.
Subject(s)
HIV Seropositivity/complications , Retinal Diseases/etiology , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/complications , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/immunology , Adult , Chorioretinitis/etiology , Female , Follow-Up Studies , HIV Seropositivity/immunology , Humans , Ischemia/etiology , Male , Middle Aged , Retinal Hemorrhage/etiology , Retinal Vessels/physiopathologyABSTRACT
A case of cryptosporidiosis in a male homosexual man with AIDS is reported. The clinical manifestations were anorexia, mild fever, abdominal pain and profuse watery diarrhea. The diagnosis was made in fecal smears by using a modified Ziehl-Neelsen method and a safranin-methylene blue staining technique.
