Current HIV research
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Current HIV research · Sep 2009
The apoptosis-inducing effects of HIV Vpr recombinant eukaryotic expression vectors with different mutation sites on transfected Hela cells.
The vpr gene of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) plays an important role in the pathogenicity of viruses. Previous studies showed that mutation of certain sites in HIV-1 Vpr amino acid sequences might influence the clinical process of infected individuals and attenuate its apoptosis-inducing capacity on infected cells. The present study was designed to transfect hela cells with several HIV-1 vpr fragments carrying specific mutation sites, and to observe the distinction of apoptosis-inducing effects of different HIV-1 vpr variant fragments on host cells and explore the possible mechanisms. ⋯ Meanwhile, we found that the Caspase3 activity of transfected cell carrying these mutated fragment sites was decreased as compared to the cell with other fragments. This study firstly found that the HIV-1 Vpr fragments with the 70(th), 85(th), 86(th), or 94(th) site mutation might attenuate their apoptosis-inducing abilities on Hela cells. One of the mechanisms might be the attenuation of Caspase-3 activity.
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Current HIV research · May 2008
Relative dominance of Env-gp41-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes responses in HIV-1 advanced infection.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) responses provide an important defense in controlling HIV-1 replication, but they fail to control the progression of AIDS in advanced HIV-1 infection. To uncover the situation of these responses in patients with advanced HIV-1 infection, we assessed HIV-1-specific CTL responses in 20 individuals with advanced HIV-1 infection using 407 overlapping peptides spanning all expressed HIV-1 proteins using a gamma interferon-enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) assay. In comparison to 20 individuals with moderately advanced HIV-1 infection, HIV-1-specific CTL responses were significantly decreased (P=0.044) and less peptides could be recognized (P=0.05) in advanced HIV-1 infection. ⋯ The entropy scores of peptides targeted in two groups were not significantly different. Only the breadth and magnitude of Env-gp41-specific CTL responses were positively correlated with viral loads in advanced HIV-1 infection (P=0.005 and 0.001, respectively). These findings suggest that progressive HIV-1 infection is associated with a weakening of Env-gp120- and Gag-specific CTL responses, and a simultaneous expansion of Env-gp41-specific CTL which is likely driven by high level viral replication.
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Sentinel surveillance surveys combined with epidemiological/demographic models have been used in monitoring trends in mortality due to HIV in South Africa as in most other countries. The potential biases in such surveys have been highlighted in recent studies. South Africa's HIV prevalence (29.5% among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in 2004) is one of the highest in the world. ⋯ The absolute number of deaths is estimated to have increased from about 400,000 in 1997 to about 565,000 in 2002. Crude HIV related plus TB-AIDS death rate is estimated to have increased from about 9.6 per 10,000 in 1997 to about 19.1 per 10,000 in 2002. The increase in the number of deaths could not be attributed to population growth.
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Current HIV research · Jan 2006
ReviewAffordable antiretroviral drugs for the under-served markets: how to expand equitable access against the backdrop of challenging scenarios?
Threats by enforced Intellectual Property (IP) rights to equitable HIV treatment access by poor populations are impending. India and China's policy directions in the field will be crucial in ultimately affecting the affordability and accessibility of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy in the under-served markets. These directions, together with the exploitation level of IP-bound flexibilities and the evolutionary modelling in partnerships and trade agreements between research-based and generic pharmaceutical industry, will also affect the outcomes of self-sufficiency efforts now at their beginning in the developing world as far as domestic manufacturing of generic ARV drugs is concerned. ⋯ Overall insights in this paper would mean that, while research-based corporations are to be praised whenever waiving, on humanitarian purposes, part of their profits, the trade and profit rules cannot basically be given up if long-term sustainable results are the goal to look for. Only negotiated agreements securing all contracting parties lasting advantages may ensure shifting of such a goal from mere vision to a really sustainable attainment.
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Current HIV research · Apr 2005
ReviewInpatient care of the HIV infected patient in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era.
The inpatient presentation of the HIV infected patient has changed over the years. From the early years when patients presented with accumulating opportunistic infections that led to an early demise to the HAART era with reports of dramatic decreases in opportunistic infections and improvements in life expectancy, the evolution of inpatient HIV care has been a challenge to the clinician. In the HAART era the presentation of the HIV inpatient has diversified and in many ways is more challenging than the management of the HIV inpatient in the pre-HAART era. We will discuss the changing dynamics of HIV inpatient care from socioeconomic changes to changes in the presentation and reasons for hospitalization.