6320 research outputs found
Sort by
Chemokine expression patterns in the systemic and genital tract compartments are associated with HIV-1 infection in women from Benin
No full textINTRODUCTION: Understanding the genital mucosal immunity and the factors involved in linking innate to adaptive immunity is crucial for the design of efficient preventive strategies against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1. METHODS: Levels of both genital mucosal and blood chemokines were compared between 58 HIV-1-uninfected and 50 HIV-1-infected female commercial sex workers (CSWs) as well as 53 HIV-1-uninfected non-CSW control women at low risk for exposure, recruited in Cotonou, Benin. RESULTS: HIV-1-infected CSWs had significantly higher blood and genital levels of monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-3/CCL7) and monokine induced by gamma interferon (MIG/CXCL9) compared with those in both the HIV-1-uninfected CSW and non-CSW groups. In the HIV-1-infected group, levels of MCP-3 and MIG were significantly higher in the genital mucosa than in the blood. However, the blood levels of macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-1a/CCL3) and MIP-1b/CCL4 were higher in HIV-1-uninfected CSWs compared with those in the other groups. CONCLUSION: Increased production of chemokines in the genital tract may favour the recruitment of HIV-1 target cells causing a mucosal environment that promotes viral replication and dissemination, whereas higher expression of beta-chemokines at the systemic level is associated with protection from HIV-1 infection
Clinical risk factors for therapeutic failure in kala-azar patients treated with pentavalent antimonials in Nepal
No full textDrug-related factors and parasite resistance have been implicated in the failure of pentavalent antimonials (Sb(v)) in the Indian subcontinent; however, little information is available on host-related factors. Parasitologically confirmed kala-azar patients, treatment naïve to Sb(v), were prospectively recruited at a referral hospital in Nepal and were treated under supervision with 30 doses of quality-assured sodium stibogluconate (SSG) 20mg/kg/day and followed for 12 months to assess cure. Analysis of risk factors for treatment failure was assessed in those receiving >or=25 doses and completing 12 months of follow-up. One hundred and ninety-eight cases were treated with SSG and the overall cure rate was 77.3% (153/198). Of the 181 cases who received >or=25 doses, 12-month follow-up data were obtained in 169, comprising 153 patients (90.5%) with definite cure and 16 (9.5%) treatment failures. In the final logistic regression model, increased failure to SSG was significantly associated with fever for >or=12 weeks [odds ratio (OR)=7.4], living in districts bordering the high SSG resistance zone in Bihar (OR=6.1), interruption of treatment (OR=4.3) and ambulatory treatment (OR=10.2). Early diagnosis and supervised treatment is of paramount importance to prevent treatment failures within the control programme
Evaluation du risque vis-à-vis des parasites du genre Trichinella en Belgique: état des lieux et perspectives
No full textThe epidemiology of Taenia solium: towards the assessment of the burden of porcine and human cysticercosis
No full textWeight loss after the first year of stavudine-containing antiretroviral therapy and its association with lipoatrophy, virological failure, adherence and CD4 counts at primary health care level in Kigali, Rwanda
No full textThis study was conducted among 609 adults on stavudine-based antiretroviral treatment (ART) for at least one year at health center level in Kigali, Rwanda to (a) determine the proportion who manifest weight loss after one year of ART (b) examine the association between such weight loss and a number of variables, namely: lipoatrophy, virological failure, adherence and on-treatment CD4 count and (c) assess the validity and predictive values of weight loss to identify patients with lipoatrophy. Weight loss after the first year of ART was seen in 62% of all patients (median weight loss 3.1kg/year). In multivariate analysis, weight loss was significantly associated with treatment-limiting lipoatrophy (adjusted effect/kg/year -2.0kg, 95% confidence interval -0.6;-3.4kg; P<0.01). No significant association was found with virological failure or adherence. Higher on-treatment CD4 cell counts were protective against weight loss. Weight loss that was persistent, progressive and/or chronic was predictive of lipoatrophy, with a sensitivity and specificity of 72% and 77%, and positive and negative predictive values of 30% and 95%. In low-income countries, measuring weight is a routine clinical procedure that could be used to filter out individuals with lipoatrophy on stavudine-based ART, after alternative causes of weight loss have been ruled out
Capture-recapture for estimating the size of the female sex worker population in three cities in Cote d'Ivoire and in Kisumu, western Kenya
No full textObjective To estimate the female sex worker population size in three cities in Cote d'Ivoire and in Kisumu, Kenya. Methods Capture-recapture was used, calculating size estimates by first 'tagging' a number of individuals and, through an independent recapture, calculating the proportion of overlap. The same procedures were used in all four cities. In the first phase, members of the target population were 'captured' and 'marked' by giving them a capture card. Six days later, in the same places and at the same time, a second sample was 'captured', which comprised a certain number of people who were captured in the first round. During the exercise, questions were asked to estimate the coverage of the sex worker clinics. Results Using capture-recapture, the estimated number of female sex workers was 1160 in Yamoussoukro (95% CI 1053-1287), 1202 in Bouake (95% CI 1128-1279), 1916 in San Pedro (95% CI 1809-2030) and 1350 in Kisumu (95% CI 1261-1443). The proportion of female sex workers in Cote d'Ivoire who had visited the clinic ranged from 15% in Yamoussoukro to 30% in San Pedro and was 34% in Kisumu. Conclusions Capture-recapture was successfully applied to estimate the population size of female sex workers. These estimations were urgently needed to help mobilize an increased response to HIV, to assess programme coverage and to estimate potential impact of the targeted intervention