Current HIV Research - Volume 5, Issue 3, 2007

The oral cavity of human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) infected individuals is subjected to a series of opportunistic infections which are usually considered as a prognostic marker for the severity of infection as well as an indicator of immunodeficiency. The highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has significantly lessened the severity of HIV-associated oral infections although this therapeutic regimen is considered Read More

Productive infection with HIV-1 is mediated by fusion of the HIV-1 envelope with the cell membrane and subsequent entry of the virion core into the cytoplasm. The core is then rearranged to form the reverse transcription complex which is responsible for conversion of the genomic RNA to its double-stranded DNA copy. Various genetic, biochemical and microscopy studies have shed light on the role of viral proteins in the core i Read More

HIV-1 infection with concurrent methamphetamine (MA) abuse results in exacerbated neurodegenerative changes and rapid progression of a form of sub-cortical dementia termed HIV-1 associated dementia (HAD). A notable feature of HAD is the involvement of the dopaminergic system manifested as parkinsonian like movement abnormalities. The HIV-1 transactivator of transcription (Tat) protein is very often used in exp Read More

A role for the actin cytoskeleton in retrovirus assembly has long been speculated. However, specific mechanisms by which actin facilitates the assembly process remain elusive. We previously demonstrated differential effects of experimentally modified actin dynamics on virion production of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), a lentivirus related to HIV-1, suggesting an involvement of actin dynamics in retrovirus production. Read More

HIV-1 infection is associated with dysregulation of cytokine production by peripheral blood (PB) monocytes and dendritic cells (DC), but controversial results have been reported. We aimed to analyze the effect of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the in vitro production of inflammatory cytokines by PB-stimulated monocytes and DC of myeloid origin -CD33high+ myeloid DC (mDC) and CD33+/CD14-/dim+/CD16high+ DC- Read More

Structured treatment interruptions may have beneficial effects on metabolic parameters, while data on anthropometric parameters and on the quality of life are scanty. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of structured treatment interruptions on plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, anthropometric, immunologic, virologic changes and quality of life. A total of 112 HIV-infected patients under HAART with undetectable v Read More

Central Nervous System (CNS) diseases that occur in HIV-positive patients are mainly due to HIV itself or to opportunistic microorganisms. Polyomavirus JCV, BKV and SV40 have been associated with encephalopathies in both HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. To investigate the presence of Polyomavirus DNA sequences in patients affected by CNS disorders, 82 CSF samples from 70 HIV-positive and 12 HIV-negati Read More

Rifampicin (RIF) decreases serum concentrations of several antiretroviral drugs. We carried out a prospective, comparative study to define efavirenz (EFV) pharmacokinetics in 16 cases and 13 controls. Cases were HIV and tuberculosis (TB) co-infected adults assuming RIF 600 mg once daily and EFV 800 mg once daily. Patients on EFV at standard 600 mg dose without RIF were taken as controls. EFV levels in plasma were Read More

Background: Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic infection with morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients. Impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the relapse of cryptococcosis and survival of HIV-infected patients with cryptococcosis has not been well established. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of HIV-infected patients with cryptococcosis during 1997-2005 was conducted. Relapse and survival rates with correspondin Read More

In the HIV infection, the short time-scale between the HIV-induced cardiovascular events and the onset of antiretroviral therapy elicits a thrombophilic co-factor that worsens the induced atherosclerosis. We compared the factor VIII plasma activity, previously implicated in arterial and venous thrombosis, with a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis, the carotid intima-media thickness, and with the usual atherosclerosis ri Read More