Current HIV Research - Volume 2, Issue 4, 2004

Immunization is an important measure to protect HIV-infected children and adults against certain vaccine preventable diseases. However, the antibody response, which is associated with the level of CD4+ T cell count, is frequently impaired in this group of patients. Certain vaccines enhance virus replication and transiently increase HIV viral load. Theoretically, vaccination should be given before the immune status of Read More

In a previous work, we have showed in mice infected with an avirulent strain of Toxoplasma gondii and receiving a didanosine treatment, an important decrease of brain cysts. It is why, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of didanosine treatment on AIDS patients having developed Toxoplasma encephalitis. 60 patient reports were analyzed: 22 patients (group 1) did not received didanosine in their antiretr Read More

Due to genetic and environmental factors, there are wide inter-patient differences when measuring drug exposure to a standard dose. If there is a relationship between drug exposure and efficacy or toxicity, this inter-patient variability carries various risks to develop toxicity or failure. Therapeutic drug monitoring is an attempt to adjust the dose to obtain a level within a therapeutic range consisting in a minimum plasm Read More

Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) are a group of small hydrophobic compounds with diverse structures that specifically inhibit HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT). NNRTIs interact with HIV-1 RT by binding to a single site on the p66 subunit of the p66 / p51 heterodimeric enzyme, termed the NNRTI-binding pocket (NNRTI-BP). This binding interaction results in both short-range and long-range distortions of Read More

Cytokines are small proteins produced by T lymphocytes that mediate immune responses. Those produced by the CD4+ Th1 subset induce cell-mediated immunity, whereas those produced by the CD4+ Th2 subset are more efficient at stimulating immunoglobulin production. The goal of cytokine immunotherapy is prevention or reduction of disease progression through stimulation of cell-mediated immunity (i.e., immune Read More

HIV-1 infection predisposes to the development of specific types of cancer. Most cancers seen in the AIDS setting are related to oncogenic virus infections, such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Kaposi's sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and human papillomavirus (HPV). It is generally assumed that HIV-1 infection play a passive role in cancer development by impairing the host immune surveillance and increasing the ri Read More

While detrimental consequences of biological interaction between HIV and M. tuberculosis are well described, immune mechanisms underlying the evolution of HIV and mycobacterial coinfection remain poorly characterized. Recent studies in HIV-infected humans and SIV-infected monkeys have enhanced our understanding of complex issues of HIV and M. tuberculosis coinfection. Importantly, an anti-viral immune response and a Read More

Over the last two decades most of the efforts in HIV vaccine development have been based on the use of the HIV Env with the goal to induce sterilizing immunity. However, as a result of Env variability disappointing results have been obtained in preclinical and phase III clinical trials. Although the objective of a preventive immunity still remains a priority, secondary endpoints (e.g. block of virus replication and disease Read More

Response to HIV / AIDS epidemic in resource-constrained countries is still woefully disappointing. This paper highlights some priorities shared at recent Florence World Conference (Florence, Italy: January 21st-24th, 2004) on how to overcome the obstacles still delaying sustainable fight against HIV / AIDS in developing world areas. Messages reported here result from selection made by the authors among challenging topi Read More

Much attention has been focused on CD4+ memory / primed T cells and monocytes / macrophages as the predominant targets of HIV infection. Considerable evidence, however, indicates that cell types that are classically not permissive to HIV infection, can be a potent source of productive virus replication in response to immune modulation. This immune modulation can be in the form of cytokine stimulation pre- or postinfe Read More