Human immunodeficiency virus type I. Infection among dentists.

The largest collection yet assembled of year-to-year data on the seroprevalence of antibody to HIV in practicing dentists confirms that dentists--along with other health care workers--remain at low risk for occupationally acquired HIV infection.

Testicular dysfunction in experimental chronic renal insufficiency: a deficiency of nocturnal pineal N-acetyltransferase activity.

Biochemical correlates of neuroendocrine/gonadal function and nocturnal levels of serotonin N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity were determined in partially nephrectomized (PNx), male, Long Evans rats following a 5-week period of chronic renal insufficiency (CRI). PNx animals demonstrated two to four-fold elevations in urea nitrogen and three to four-fold reductions (P less than 0.02) in plasma total testosterone concentrations as compared to sham-operated controls. The pituitary LH contents of PNx rats were decreased to approximately 60% of the control value (P less than 0.05). There were no differences in plasma prolactin levels between the control and PNx groups either at mid-day or in the middle of the night. Nocturnal pineal NAT activity in PNx rats was markedly reduced to approximately 20% of the control value (P less than 0.001). Similar evidence of gonadal dysfunction (reduced plasma total testosterone and testes testosterone content) and a significant decrease in night-time levels of pineal NAT activity were also observed after 13 weeks of CRI in PNx rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain that were housed under a different photoperiod. These results suggest that pineal gland dysfunction is a feature of CRI in the PNx model. Such an abnormality might contribute to the pathogenesis of gonadal dysfunction in CRI.

Reliable detection of individuals seropositive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by competitive immunoassays using Escherichia coli-expressed HIV structural proteins.

We molecularly cloned the gag and env genes of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and expressed fragments of these genes in Escherichia coli. Using the recombinant core and envelope proteins, we developed two competitive immunoassays (CIAs). Samples that recognized either the envelope or core proteins were considered positive for antibodies to HIV. This test system was comparable with western blot in detecting antibodies in patients with AIDS or AIDS-related complex that were repeatably reactive in the HIV screening test. All 360 individuals who were positive by western blot were positive by the CIA. A total of 844 samples repeatably reactive by an ELISA screening test were negative both by western blot and by the CIA; 48 samples positive by ELISA, but negative or indeterminate by western blot, were positive by the CIA. Alternate research procedures verified the positivity of these individuals. These data indicate that the CIA described here may be useful as an adjunct or alternative to the western blot.

Stimulation of prostaglandin production in rabbit ileal mucosa by bradykinin.

When rabbit ileal mucosa was incubated with exogenous [3H]arachidonic acid (AA), its major metabolites, identified by comigration with known standards on thin-layer chromatography, were prostaglandin (PG) E2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and to a lesser extent PGF2 alpha and PGD2. The rate of prostanoid release from the serosal surface of the mucosa only was increased after incubation th either bradykinin, lys-bradykinin, melittin or the calcium ionophore A 23187, in a rapid and dose-dependent fashion. Peptide concentrations as low as 10(-9) M were effective. Kinin-induced release of AA or its metabolites required the presence of Ca++ in the incubation medium. Stimulation of prostanoid release by lys-bradykinin was completely blocked by indomethacin. The combined lipoxygenase/cyclooxygenase inhibitors BW 755 and eicosa-5,8,11,14-tetraynoic acid and the lipoxygenase inhibitor nordihydroguaiaretic acid also blocked the stimulation of PG synthesis by lys-bradykinin. These inhibitors caused an increase in levels of AA released from the tissue by lys-bradykinin. The phospholipase inhibitors, mepacrine and U- 10029, inhibited the lys-bradykinin-stimulated release of both prostanoids and AA. At higher concentrations, U- 10029 inhibited the stimulation of transepithelial potential difference and short-circuit current across rabbit ileal mucosa produced by lys-bradykinin. These results support the hypothesis that bradykinin-stimulated intestinal secretion may be mediated by PGs.