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Biomedical subjects

F Lillo

Publications and source records attributed to F Lillo.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of HAART on humoral immune response in primary HIV-1 infected patients.

The effect of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) on binding and neutralizing antibody responses to human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) during primary and chronic infection was investigated. Seven patients HAART treated during primary infection, six HAART treated during chronic infection and five patients treated only with ZVD (Zidovudine) were analysed. HAART inhibited the development of anti env antibodies during primary infection. Administering HAART during primary infection usually did not substantially affect the development of weak neutralizing antibody responses against autologous virus. However, we demonstrated that very early treatment, during seroconversion, induce in some cases, a strong neutralizing antibodies against autologous virus. These results may be relevant for understanding how HAART may elicit a strong protective responses and may be useful in developing new strategies designed to achieve a long term control of the HIV infection.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Heterogeneity in exposed uninfected individuals.

In spite of repeated exposures to HIV, some individuals remain seronegative and apparently uninfected. A variety of mechanisms potentially able to confer resistance to HIV infection, including cell-mediated and (unconventional) humoral immune responses, as well as mutations affecting receptors for virus entry have been considered and analysed. In this article, we want to discuss recent reports on specific immune responses and genetic factors potentially involved in mechanisms of protection, and to present some of our data relative to a cohort of people sexually exposed to HIV-1, but persistently seronegative. These EU (exposed uninfected) individuals can be distinguished from "normal" unexposed controls on the basis of significantly increased frequencies of a number of immunological parameters that might be considered "unconventional" correlates of HIV infection/protection. However, EU individuals are highly heterogeneous since the various unconventional immune responses considered can be present in all possible combinations. Aim of future research will be to ascertain the role of such immune responses in the maintenance of the protection state, or their secondary nature as signals of a particular kind of infection.

Genetic Variation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Soluble CD30, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and TNF receptors in primary HIV-1 infection: relationship with HIV-1, RNA, clinical outcome and early antiviral therapy.

The natural course of human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) infection varies considerably. The identification of laboratory disease markers has become critically important to patient management. This study, carried out on 37 patients with primary HIV-1 infection (PHI), shows that, along with plasma HIV-1 RNA and CD4+ T cell counts, evaluation of plasma levels of some immune activation markers (sCD30, TNF-alpha, and sTNFR-I) may help to identify patients at risk of a more rapid disease progression, suggesting that immune activation is among the factors who determine the rate of disease progression. Early combination antiviral therapy significantly decreased levels of virus load and of immune activation markers, suggesting that it may reduce the extent of immune activation through the suppression of HIV-1 replication. Among others, sCD30 could be a more sensitive marker of immune activation, and it might be also useful in the monitoring of the response to antiviral therapy.

Anti-HIV Agents↗