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Biomedical subjects

J R Fiore

Publications and source records attributed to J R Fiore.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

A simple method to detect HIV-1 protein specificity of IgG intrathecal synthesis in HIV-1 infection.

There is currently no simple method to detect the antigen specificity of anti-HIV-1 IgG intrathecal synthesis (IS). Fifty-seven pairs of serum and corresponding CSF from 29 HIV-1 seropositive patients were adjusted to an identical concentration of total IgG and tested by a commercial HIV-1 Western Blot (WB) assay. IgG IS to a given HIV-1 protein was demonstrated when the corresponding band was present in CSF but absent or significantly less represented in serum. A total anti-HIV-1 IS was defined as the presence of an IS to one or more HIV-1 antigens. Our WB analysis of CSF and serum, compared with conventional mathematical formulas, showed a higher sensitivity in demonstrating anti-HIV-1 IgG IS. Moreover, the method disclosed which HIV-1 proteins represent the target of IgG IS. This procedure is easy to perform and therefore may represent a valuable tool to study central nervous system (CNS) involvement by HIV-1 during different stages of infection.

Antibody Specificity↗
PubMed1992

In vitro production of HIV-1 specific antibodies from "at risk" seronegative subjects.

We investigated a group of well characterized seronegative subjects "at risk" for HIV-1 infection including heterosexual partners of HIV-1 infected subjects and intravenous drug abusers. Pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were studied for their ability to produce antibodies against HIV-1 structural proteins in vitro. Viral activity by means of HIV-1 isolation from PBMCs and presence of serum p24 antigen were also tested. In 7/42 cases (16.6%) HIV-1 immunoreactive specific antibodies were found, mostly directed against the envelope proteins (gp 120/160). Remarkably, none of these in vitro antibody producers yielded HIV-1 isolation in cell cultures or had detectable serum levels of p24 antigen.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed1992

HIV-1 isolation from small amounts of whole blood: a technical evaluation.

We have evaluated a simple and sensitive culture technique for isolation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 (HIV-1) from small amounts of whole blood. Data shown in the paper demonstrate that: 1) cell cultures from small amounts of heparinized whole blood (HWB) allow a high isolation rate in infected subjects at all stages of diseases; 2) among asymptomatic subjects the HIV-1 isolation rate is increased in cell cultures from HWB, with respect to cell cultures from peripheral blood mononuclear cells; 3) cultural results from HWB are not influenced by the presence of detectable serum p24 antigen, but a good correlation was found with the titre of anti p24 antibodies in serum; 4) continuous cell lines (such as Molt-3 cells) instead of peripheral blood mononuclear cells can be used, obtaining good results, for HIV-1 isolation from HWB; 5) frozen samples of HWB can be used in cell cultures for HIV-1 isolation; 6) the type of anticoagulant (Heparin or EDTA) used for the collection of blood does not influence viral replication in cell cultures from whole blood; 7) viral isolation from HWB is highly sensitive; amounts so small as five microliters of whole blood are sufficient, in some cases, to obtain viral replication in cell cultures; 8) the minimal dose of HWB sufficient to infect cell cultures (HWB M.D.I.) varied among different patients. Although this work failed to establish a correlation between this parameter and the clinical and immunological status of patients, it is conceivable that HWB M.D.I. could give information about viral load in blood and have a prognostic significance; 9) the HWB M.D.I. rise in patients treated with Zidovudine, suggesting that this method could be employed in the virological evaluation of trials with antiretroviral drugs.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1991

Lack of HBV and HDV replicative activity in HBsAg-positive intravenous drug addicts with immune deficiency due to HIV.

The effects of HIV infection on HBV and HDV replication and liver damage were evaluated by comparing the findings from 48 anti-HIV-positive HBsAg chronic carriers with those from 22 matched anti-HIV-negative subjects. The state of HBV/HDV infection was also related to the degree of immunodeficiency of the anti-HIV-positive patients. Most patients were intravenous drug addicts (IVDA) (84.2%); male homosexuals represented only a small proportion (7.1%). Serum HBV-DNA was detected more frequently in anti-HIV-negative than in anti-HIV-positive patients (50% vs. 35%) despite evidence of HDV replication in the anti-HIV-negative group (P = 0.02). Seroconversion from ongoing to inactive HBV infection occurred in 45% of anti-HIV-negative patients as well as in 23% of anti-HIV-positive patients (P = ns). The difference in severity of liver damage between the two groups was not statistically significant (P = 0.84). Furthermore, in the anti-HIV-positive subjects, HBV and/or HDV activity was detected in 63% of patients with mild immunodeficiency (CDC groups II and III with a total CD4 count greater than 400/mm3) and also in 75% of ARC-AIDS patients (CDC groups IV A-IV C) (P = ns). Severe hepatic disease occurred in subjects with CD4 counts above or below 400/mm3 (13 vs. 6, respectively). In conclusion, the data do not demonstrate that HBV or HDV infections are modified by HIV. The epidemiological background of the patients investigated and the extensive spread of hepatitis viruses in Italy before the appearance of HIV may account for the lack of relationship between HIV and HBV/HDV infections.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Analysis of the replication kinetics in primary culture of isolates of HIV-1 from infected patients in various stages of the disease].

The authors have studied the replicative kinetics and the induction of cytopathic effects of HIV-1 in primary co-cultures from infected subjects at various stages of the disease. Cultures from subjects with ARC or AIDS yielded HIV-1 replication more precociously and at higher levels compared to those from asymptomatic subjects; cytopathic effect "in vitro" were observed more frequently and earlier in cell cultures from ARC/AIDS subjects. Presented data indicate that the clinical and immunological deterioration during HIV-1 infection is related to viral replicative activity and suggest that the study of HIV-1 replicative kinetics in primary co-cultures may be helpful in predicting who will progress to AIDS.

AIDS-Related Complex↗
PubMed1991

[Isolation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from whole blood].

The authors describe a simple and sensitive technique for HIV isolation from small amounts of heparinized whole blood. This method demonstrated a high efficiency in detecting HIV at all stages of disease and appeared more sensitive with respect to viral isolation from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Although further studies are needed to better understand the biological significance of a positive cultural result obtained by this method, HIV isolation from whole blood can be routinely employed, especially when small amounts of blood are available.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1991

Different biological properties of paired HIV-1 isolates from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and cerebrospinal fluid.

Seven paired HIV-1 isolates from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMCs) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of infected subjects at various stages of the disease were studied for their capacity to replicate in continuous cell lines (Molt-3 and U-937 cells) and to induce cytopathic effects "in vitro". Obtained results indicate that paired HIV-1 isolates from PMCs and CSF of the same patient can differ in their replicative activity "in vitro", suggesting that, at least in some cases, CSF isolates may represent a distinct subtype of HIV-1.

AIDS-Related Complex↗
PubMed1990

Hepatitis B virus clearance from serum and liver after acute hepatitis delta virus superinfection in chronic HBsAg carriers.

Clinical, virological, and histological findings in four HBsAg chronic carriers who cleared HBV markers from both serum and liver following HDV superinfection are described. The patients were long-term HBsAg carriers and all were HBV-DNA/HBeAg positive. Liver biopsy, obtained from three of the patients between 5 and 15 months prior to HDV superinfection, showed chronic persistent hepatitis in two and chronic active hepatitis in one. During the follow-up of 9-19 months, the patients completely recovered from acute delta hepatitis with termination of HBsAg carriage and regression of the histological feature of chronic liver damage. These data demonstrate that sometimes HDV is able to induce a permanent inhibition of its helper virus. HDV superinfection probably enhances the immune clearance of infected cells during the replicative phase of chronic HBV infection.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1990

HIV-1 variability and progression to AIDS: a longitudinal study.

HIV-1 replicative activity and its relation to the clinical and immunological evolution of infection was studied in a group of 150 HIV-1 seropositive Italian i.v. drug abusers over a 1 year period. HIV-1 was isolated from 90 (60%) subjects; two groups of isolates were distinguished, according to replicative activity "in vitro" and ability to induce cytopathic effects in cell cultures, and were termed "rapid-high" and "slow-low" viruses, in agreement with other workers. Rapid-high viruses were recovered more frequently from patients with ARC/AIDS, while slow-low viruses seemed related to the asymptomatic period of infection. The replicative properties of HIV-1 seem to affect strongly the course of disease. In fact, an important CD4 cell decline occurred in asymptomatic subjects with rapid-high virus infection; asymptomatic subjects with negative viral cultures or with slow-low viruses showed no such decline. Asymptomatic subjects with negative viral cultures had no signs of disease during the observation period, while 9% with slow-low virus and 45% with rapid-high virus progressed to AIDS.

AIDS-Related Complex↗
PubMed1990

[Correlation of viral replication activity, the clinical phase of the disease and immunologic deterioration in HIV infection].

The authors have studied the relationship among HIV replicative activity, expressed by HIV isolation from peripheral blood lymphocytes and p24 antigenemia detection, and the evolution of infection, in terms of stage of disease and T4 cells absolute number, in a group of 120 infected subjects. Data presented indicate that the expression of viral gene products is related both to clinical and immunological deterioration and suggest that viral replication plays a central role in the progression of the disease.

AIDS-Related Complex↗
PubMed1990

[Virological monitoring in subjects with HIV infection under treatment with zidovudine (AZT)].

The authors report preliminary results of the virological evaluation (performed by serum p24 antigen detection and HIV isolation from peripheral blood lymphocytes) of Zidovudine therapy in 64 anti-HIV positive subjects. Data presented indicate that the administration of therapeutic doses of the drug can efficiently and precociously inhibit viral replication, suggesting that the clinical benefits of the therapy may be related to the anti-viral activity of the drug. However, the anti-viral efficacy of Zidovudine seems to be of limited length; in fact a reactivation of viral replication was observed in most patients during the study.

Gene Products, gag↗
PubMed1990

HIV isolation from whole blood: a new approach to HIV detection.

The authors present a simple and sensitive culture technique for isolation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) from small amounts of heparinized whole blood. This method appeared to be highly sensitive at all stages of disease. Among asymptomatics HIV was isolated from 41.3% of subjects by using peripheral blood mononuclear cells in a standard co-cultivation technique and in 89.6% of cases using whole blood. In the group of AIDS patients, in contrast, HIV isolation rate of the two techniques was the same (94.4%). The presence of detectable p24 Ag in plasma did not affect cultural results and no false positive was observed in the control group. Although further studies are needed to better understand the biological significance of a positive cultural result obtained by this method, HIV isolation from whole blood can be routinely employed, especially when small amounts of blood are available.

Blood↗
PubMed1990

[Isolation of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from the cerebro-spinal fluid].

The authors describe a simple and available technique for HIV isolation from cerebrospinal fluid and report preliminary results obtained. Exposed data indicate that neurological involvement occurs early in the natural history of HIV infection and that the virus may be recovered in CSF at all stages of the disease, regardless of immunological conditions of patients. Virological evaluation of CSF may be important in understanding pathogenetic aspects of HIV infection and in clinical management of infected patients.

AIDS-Related Complex↗
PubMed1990

[Technical note on the isolation of HIV from peripheral lymphomonocytes: use of PHA].

As a part of ongoing study about the role that different technical factors may play in influencing the sensibility of HIV isolation procedures, the authors have evaluated the effects of PHA stimulation of infected cells on HIV replication in cell cultures. Data presented demonstrate that the use of PHA in cell cultures for HIV isolation causes a slower viral replication and, in some cases, inhibits HIV growth.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1989

[The discordance between the presence of identifiable p24 antigen in the blood and the isolation of HIV from the blood is not influenced by methodological factors].

To clarify the biological, clinical and prognostic relevance of HIV isolation from plasma and explain the relation to p24 antigenemia, we studied these two markers in 67 anti-HIV positive subjects in different stages of the disease. The results suggest that discordances between these two parameters are not dependent on methodological problems and may be attributed to yet unexplained biological phenomena. Some hypotheses to explain the observed discrepancies are suggested.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗