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Biomedical subjects

A Fauci

Publications and source records attributed to A Fauci.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

Treatment of primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection with potent antiretroviral therapy reduces frequency of rapid progression to AIDS.

Immunologic data supporting immediate antiretroviral therapy in primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection are emerging; however, clinical benefit has not been demonstrated. The clinical and virologic course of 47 patients who were enrolled from September 1993 through June 1996 and who were not initially treated with potent therapy was compared with the course of 20 patients who immediately began therapy with zidovudine, lamivudine, and indinavir. Demographic and baseline laboratory data were comparable. During 78 weeks of follow-up, the early-treatment cohort showed a reduced frequency of opportunistic infections (5% vs. 21.3%; relative risk, 0.11; P=.02), less frequent progression to AIDS (13% vs. 0%), and significantly less frequent nonopportunistic mucocutaneous disorders and respiratory infections (P<.01). Plasma HIV-1 RNA levels were <50 copies/mL in all patients who continued therapy; however, after 9--12 months, HIV-1 remained detectable in latently infected CD4(+) T cells and in lymph node mononuclear cells. Combination antiretroviral therapy during primary HIV-1 infection demonstrated a decreased frequency of minor opportunistic infections, mucocutaneous disorders, and respiratory infections and reduced progression to AIDS.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Research sheds light on treatment interruption.

Although there still is no clear answer about using structured treatment interruption as a therapeutic method with HIV patients, the strategy is gaining more respect as researchers from around the world continue to study it. Intermittent therapy, in which patients stop their antiretroviral therapy and then resume therapy in a cyclic way, may prove feasible, says one expert who spoke about interrupted treatment at the First International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

Retinal leakage in retinal vein occlusion: reduction after hyperbaric oxygen.

A 54-year-old woman with a history of bilateral central retinal vein occlusion, probably due to an inflammatory process, developed a hemispheric retinal vein occlusion with cystoid macular edema in her only seeing eye. Five months later, in the absence of improvement in vision and macular edema, she received on two occasions a 2-weekly course of twice daily 100% hyperbaric oxygen. After each course retinal leakage, as assessed by vitreous fluorophotometry, decreased from abnormal to the normal range while visual acuity improved by two lines. The possible implications are discussed.

Female↗

Successful management of hepatic abscesses by percutaneous catheter drainage in chronic granulomatous disease.

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a disorder of polymorphonuclear leukocytes that can cause multiple recurrent hepatic abscesses in 40% of those patients with the disorder. The mortality rate from this complication of CGD is estimated at 27%. Treatment has consisted of extensive surgical debridement and drainage and prolonged antibiotic therapy; however, this approach is accompanied by high morbidity and the frequent need for reoperation. Successful percutaneous drainage of multiple hepatic abscesses in a patient who had previously undergone 10 operative procedures to manage hepatic abscesses is reported. With the development of imaging and percutaneous drainage techniques, as well as the recurrent nature of this problem, percutaneous management should be given consideration in appropriate patients with CGD with hepatic abscesses.

Adult↗

Human lymphoblastoid interferon treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma in the acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Clinical response and prognostic parameters.

Thirty consecutive patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome were treated with intramuscular human lymphoblastoid interferon for Kaposi's sarcoma. Patients were divided into three groups receiving 7.5 million units/m2 per day, 15 million units/m2 per day, or 25 million units/m2 per day for 28 days. Because of dose-limiting toxicity in the highest dose group, all patients received between 6 and 15 million units/m2 per day. There were three partial responses and four minor responses. The responses were not dependent on drug dose, but did correlate with higher total lymphocyte and OKT4-positive lymphocyte numbers and absence of prior opportunistic infection. Patients who had endogenous acid-labile alpha-interferon prior to therapy were more likely to have progressive disease during interferon administration.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Analysis of the expression of the 4F2 surface antigen in normal and neoplastic fibroblastic human cells of embryonic and adult origin.

4F2 monoclonal antibody recognizes a 120-kD glycoprotein on the surface of human spread fibroblastic cells of embryonic and neoplastic origin, but it does not bind to normal spread adult fibroblasts. Flow cytometric analysis reveals that human adult fibroblasts become 4F2-positive when they are analyzed as round-shaped cells; this means that, in normal adult cells, 4F2 antigen behaves as a cryptic molecule. Thus, the basic difference between embryonic, neoplastic and normal adult cells consists in a different organization in the architecture of the cell membrane, since in embryonic and neoplastic cells there is a continuous expression of the 4F2 antigen independently of the cell shape and cell cycle phase. Quantitative flow cytometry shows that the mean surface density (MSD) of the 4F2 antigen 1, does not vary as a function of the cell cycle; 2, is inversely related to cell size and "metabolic time". This suggests that at the plateau phase the surface organization of G1 resting cells changes as a function of the number of days spent in culture; and 3, sarcoma and SV40-transformed cells show significantly increased MSD levels of the 4F2 antigen in comparison with normal cells of similar size. Electrophoretic analysis under reducing conditions confirms the quantitative differences in the expression of the 4F2 antigen described with the cell sorter. It also reveals, in a way different from that previously found with lymphoid cells, the coexistence of two molecules (85 and 73 kD) in the heavy chain regions. The 73 kD is, however, much more strongly expressed in the fibrosarcoma than in the embryonic cells. Finally, it shows that 4F2 antigen is a very useful tool for studying the organization and the structure of the cell membrane of human fibroblasts and can provide new insights to understand better the developmental and transformation processes.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

A histamine-releasing factor from activated human mononuclear cells.

Human mononuclear cells activated by streptokinase-streptodornase have been shown to elaborate a factor capable of releasing histamine from human basophils. We have developed reproducible methods for its production in large quantities by using cells obtained from leukapheresis packs, by detection utilizing donor basophils known to release well with anti IgE, and by quantitation of histamine by the radioenzyme method. Human histamine-releasing factor (HRF) gave a single peak upon gel filtration with an estimated m.w. of 32,000; SDS gel electrophoresis revealed a single major band as seen at m.w. 30,000. HRF can be resolved into at least two forms separable by ion-exchange chromatography on QAE Sephadex, and two peaks of activity were obtained by chromatofocusing or isoelectric focusing in gels at pH 6.9 and between 7.4 and 8.3. This factor represents an important potential link between cellular immunity and immediate hypersensitivity.

Basophils↗

Thoracic manifestations of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

The acquired immune deficiency syndrome is characterized by the development of multiple recurrent opportunistic infections or unusual neoplasms in individuals with no prior history of immune suppression. This report summarizes the thoracic diseases encountered in such patients before after death and the role of diagnostic techniques currently used in the evaluation of thoracic disease in 15 patients with this syndrome. Efficacy of treatment was determined by correlation with postmortem findings in all patients. Pulmonary disease was present in all 15 patients and necessitated 23 transbronchial biopsies in 11 patients. Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and cytomegalovirus pneumonia were the most common findings. Nine open lung biopsies in eight patients disclosed either Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia or Kaposi's sarcoma. Esophageal disease was present in four patients, and endoscopic evaluation demonstrated Candida esophagitis (two), esophageal Kaposi's sarcoma (one), and cytomegalovirus esophagitis and Kaposi's sarcoma (one). Mean time to death from diagnosis of acquired immune deficiency syndrome was 7.7 months, with respiratory insufficiency being the most common cause of death (9/15, 60%). Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was successfully eradicated in 70% of the patients. Candida esophagitis was ameliorated in both patients with the disease. Unsuspected pulmonary Kaposi's sarcoma, cytomegalovirus pneumonitis, and other infectious pathogens were documented at autopsy. These data reveal that Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and Candida esophagitis can be managed successfully in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome if appropriately diagnosed. The major cause of death in this series was pulmonary insufficiency, often the result of severe cytomegalovirus infection. Thoracic surgeons must continue to play an aggressive and important role in the early diagnosis and management of potentially treatable pulmonary and esophageal disease in these patients.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Eosinophil kinetics in the hypereosinophilic syndrome.

The kinetics of 51-chromium-labeled eosinophils were studied in 6 patients with the idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. The kinetics of these cells were compared with 51-chromium-labeled neutrophils of 9 normal subjects. The patient studies consistently showed that autologous labeled eosinophils transiently left the circulating cell pool in the first 3 hours after infusion, re-entered the circulating pool, and then disappeared from the circulation with a mean blood half-life of 44 +/- 2.0 hours. In contrast, the neutrophils of normal subjects left the circulation progressively with an estimated blood half-life of 12.4 +/- 2.0 hours. These data suggest that the leukocytosis of the hypereosinophilic syndrome may be due to the presence in the blood of an increased number of cells with a relatively long blood half-life.

Adult↗