Articles: disease.
-
To examine whether proviral load is important for transmission between spouses, since we have previously found that the proviral load of HIV-2 predicts the severity of infection. ⋯ Women appear to be more susceptible to HIV-2 infection after 40-45 years of age. The apparent change in susceptibility may be a major reason for the distinctive age pattern of HIV-2 infection observed in West Africa.
-
The incidence of genital herpes is increasing worldwide. Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is the most common cause of genital ulcerations among the sexually transmitted diseases (STDS). In order to investigate the sexual transmission of genital herpes infection in Brazil, the prevalence of specific antibodies to HSV-2, in populations of high and low risk for STDS was evaluated. ⋯ The current strategy for diagnosing genital HSV-2 infection misses many cases. Newly developed type-specific serologic methods can identify cases of unrecognized or subclinical infection. With the high seroprevalence rates detected, routine screening for HSV-2-specific antibodies should be considered in populations at high risk for STDS.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Randomised controlled trial of treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media in Kenyan schoolchildren.
The outcomes of treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) are disappointing and uncertain, especially in developing countries. Because CSOM is the commonest cause of hearing impairment in children in these countries, an effective method of management that can be implemented on a wide scale is needed. We report a randomised, controlled trial of treatment of CSOM among children in Kenya; unaffected schoolchildren were taught to administer the interventions. ⋯ Our finding that dry mopping plus topical and systemic antibiotics is superior to dry mopping alone contrasts with that of the only previous community-based trial in a developing country, though it accords with findings of most other trials in developed countries. The potential role of antibiotics needs further investigation. Further, similar trials are needed to identify the most cost-effective and appropriate treatment regimen for CSOM in children in developing countries.
-
AIDS Res. Hum. Retroviruses · Oct 1996
Detection of HIV type 1 env subtypes A, B, C, and E in Asia using dried blood spots: a new surveillance tool for molecular epidemiology.
Global surveillance of HIV-1 subtypes for genetic characterization is hampered by the biohazard of processing and the difficulties of shipping whole blood or cells from many developing country regions. We developed a technique for the direct automated sequencing of viral DNA from dried blood spot (DBS) specimens collected on absorbent paper, which can be mailed unrefrigerated in sturdy paper envelopes with low biohazard risk. DBS were collected nonrandomly from HIV-1-infected, mostly asymptomatic, patients in five Asian countries in 1991, and shipped via airmail or hand carried without refrigeration to Bangkok, and then transshipped to North America for processing. ⋯ Most HIV-1 in southern India appears to be env subtype C, with rare A, as others have reported in western and northern India. The subtypes BB and E in Myanmar, and the BB in China, suggest epidemiological linkage with these subtypes in neighboring Thailand. DBS are a practical, economical technique for conducting large-scale molecular epidemiological surveillance to track the global distribution and spread of HIV-1 variants.
-
The mechanisms responsible for progestogen-induced breakthrough bleeding remain unexplained. The aim of the present study was to examine the expression of three basement membrane components, collagen IV (CIV), laminin and heparan sulphate proteoglycan (HSPG), by immunohistochemistry in sections of endometrium from women receiving the subdermal levonorgestrel implant (Norplant) and normally cycling women. Control biopsies were obtained from 20 normal subjects from Melbourne, Australia, and pre- and post-Norplant-insertion biopsies were obtained from 11 women from Sydney, Australia, with between 3 and 6 months Norplant exposure. ⋯ During the normal cycle, HSPG was only detected in approximately 40% of vessels with CIV and laminin immunoreactivity, and menstrual biopsies demonstrated reduced staining for all three components. Several biopsies exhibited a degree of regional variability in staining intensity, and Norplant biopsies exhibited areas of discrete, decidual-like stromal immunostaining for CIV and laminin. Although no differences were found in microvascular basement membranes in Norplant users that might explain capillary fragility, it is possible that other techniques could yield information on changes in the integrity of basement membrane components that might influence basement membrane strength.