Abnormalities in body composition and nutritional status in HIV-infected children and adolescents on antiretroviral therapy.

This cross-sectional study aimed to compare growth, nutritional status and body composition outcomes between a group of 94 HIV-infected children and adolescents on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 364 healthy controls, and to evaluate their association with clinical and lifestyle variables within the HIV-infected group. When compared with the control group, HIV patients had higher risk of stunting (odds ratio [OR] 5.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.83-10.04) and thinness (OR 4.7, 95% CI: 2.44-9.06), higher waist-to-hip ratios (medians 0.89 versus 0.82 for boys and 0.90 versus 0.77 for girls, P < 0.001), and lower prevalence of overweight or obesity (OR 0.33, 95% CI: 0.14-0.78). Protease inhibitor usage was associated with thinness (OR 3.51, 95% CI 1.07-11.44) and lipoatrophy (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.37-8.95). HIV-infected children on ART showed significant nutritional status and body composition abnormalities, consistent with the severity of vertical HIV infection and the consequences of prolonged ART.

Immunogenicity and safety of combined intradermal recombinant Hepatitis B with BCG vaccines at birth.

This randomized, prospective, non-inferiority study aimed to quantify anti-HBs titers induced by recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine from healthy infants vaccinated with combined Hepatitis B and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccines (HbsAg 10 microg plus BCG suspension 0.1mg) and compare them to titers obtained with separated vaccines. Infants were immunized at birth either with combined intradermal (ID) BCG and Hepatitis B or ID BCG alone and intramuscular (IM) Hepatitis B. Both groups received IM Hepatitis B at 1 and 6 months of age. After the third dose anti-HBs titers > or =10 IU/mL were observed in 99% of vaccinees and > or =1000 IU/mL in 71%. There were no adverse events in both groups. Combination of HbsAg with BCG as first dose did not modify the profile of the humoral immune response for Hepatitis B indicating safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine in newborn.

Expression of Fc gamma and complement receptors in monocytes of X-linked agammaglobulinaemia and common variable immunodeficiency patients.

Recently we reported that monocyte phagocytosis and chemotaxis are impaired in X-linked agammaglobulinaemia (XLA) and common variable immunodeficiency (CVI) patients. Few data exist on the in vivo expression of receptors for the constant region of immunoglobulin (IgG) (Fc gammaR) and complement receptors (CR) in these patients. The objective of this study was to investigate the expression of Fc gammaR and CR on monocytes from XLA and CVI patients and compare it to that of healthy controls. Whole blood samples were obtained from 10 patients with XLA, 12 with CVI and 18 healthy controls. Monocyte phenotype was determined by flow cytometry with gating on CD14+ cells. Surface expression of Fc gammaRI (CD64), Fc gammaRII (CD32) and Fc gammaRIII (CD16), CR1 (CD35) and CR3 (CD11b and CD18) was measured by determination of the proportion of CD14+ cells positive for each receptor and by receptor density. Compared to controls, a significantly higher percentage of CD16 and CD35+ monocytes from XLA (P = 0.002 and P = 0.007, respectively) were observed. The relative fluorescence intensity (RFI) expression of Fc gammaRII (CD32) and Fc gammaRIII (CD16) were significantly lower on CVI monocytes compared to controls (P = 0.001 and P = 0.035, respectively). XLA patients, who have a reduction of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk), showed normal or increased percentages of monocytes expressing Fc gamma and complement receptors. CVI patients, who have normal expression of Btk, showed reduced expression of CD16 and CD32 on monocytes. Inefficient chemotaxis and phagocytosis, reported previously in XLA patients, could be due to defects of cytoplasmatic transduction mechanisms.

Robust gammadelta+ T cell expansion in infants immunized at birth with BCG vaccine.

Cell-mediated immune responses to BCG vaccine were evaluated in 7-month-old infants vaccinated with intradermal combined BCG and Hepatitis B or intradermal BCG and intramuscular Hepatitis B at birth. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures from both groups showed CD4(+), CD8(+) and remarkable gammadelta(+) T cell BCG-specific proliferation, without significant differences. Also, IL-10, IL-12, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha concentrations in culture supernatants, measured by ELISA, were similar. The results suggested that the combined BCG and Hepatitis B vaccine was as immunogenic as BCG separated from Hepatitis B vaccine.