Methotrexate-induced lung injury in patients with rheumatoid arthritis occurs with peripheral blood lymphocyte count decrease.
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The total and differential cell counts of 135 bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) in 48 heart-lung transplant (HLT) patients were compared with the histologic findings in concurrent transbronchial lung biopsies (TBBs). Counts of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ lymphocytes were recorded, and a semiquantitative assessment of HLA-DR and interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) expression was made on 29 occasions. There were five diagnostic categories: normal (n = 8), acute rejection (ALR) (n = 57), treated rejection (TR) (n = 19), infection (INF) (n = 24), and chronic rejection (CR) (n = 24). Total cell counts in INF were significantly higher than counts in all the other diagnostic groups. The highest BAL lymphocyte counts, significantly higher than in INF, were found in ALR because of increased CD8+ cells, exceeding 15% in 13 of 57 BALs. TBBs in ALR by contrast showed significantly increased numbers of both CD8+ and CD4+ cells. High dose corticosteroid treatment of ALR caused a fall in cellularity of BAL and TBB specimens but not always to values seen when patients were well. During INF and CR, significantly increased numbers of PMNs were seen in the BAL. HLA-DR and IL-2R expression was enhanced in cells of BAL and TBB in all complications. BAL can only supplement at present histologic examination of TBB in the diagnosis of complications after HLT.
Factors affecting the response to hepatitis B vaccination in a primary care setting were examined by means of a review of case notes of patients attending 22 sexually transmissible disease services. Where not available from the notes, presence of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) was determined by testing available stored serum. One hundred and ninety-five patients completed a course of 3 injections and had an anti-HBs assay performed. The highest response rate (anti-HBs > or = 10 IU/L) was found in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative heterosexual women (16 of 17, 94.1%) followed by HIV-negative heterosexual men (11 of 12, 91.7%); HIV-negative homosexual men (105 of 120, 87.5%); and HIV-positive homosexual men (6 of 14, 42.9%). (For HIV-positive vs HIV-negative homosexual men, P = 0.0003). Eleven of 14 (78.6%) homosexual men of unknown HIV status responded to vaccination. There was a trend to lower CD4+ lymphocyte counts among HIV-infected patients who responded to hepatitis B vaccination (mean 482 cells/cm2) when compared to those that did not respond (632 cells) but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.330). Neither the type of vaccine (recombinant, plasma-derived or mixed) nor the length of vaccination course (mean 6.2 months; range 2 to 18) affected response. This study confirmed that vaccination against hepatitis B is much less effective in HIV-infected homosexual men and marginally less effective for HIV-negative homosexual men, though the mechanism for this reduced response is uncertain. Reassuringly vaccine response was not affected by common variables in primary care settings such as vaccine type or delays in the vaccine schedule.
The Dynabeads method showed the potential for enumerating CD4 T lymphocytes (CD4 count) in HIV-1-infected individuals. The large volume of Dynabeads required for 1 sample and complex procedure made the method expensive and not easy for use, however. To decrease the cost and simplify the procedure, we reduced the volume of the Dynabeads, added wash times, and skipped over the staining step so as to count the CD4 cells directly under an optical microscope. The CD4 count of 246 blood samples using our modified Dynabeads method (DynabeadsCD4) showed a significant correlation with that obtained by flow cytometry (FlowcytoCD4) (r = 0.91 [P < 0.0001]; slope = 1.03, intercept = -16). The sensitivity and specificity for a CD4 count less than 200 cells/microL were 79% and 94%, and for a CD4 count less than 350 cells/microL, the sensitivity and specificity were 95% and 88%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values for a CD4 count less than 350 cells/microL were 97% and 83%, respectively. The systematic error was 8 cells/microL (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.4-16). The cost of Dynabeads for 1 sample was less than $1.00; thus, the estimated cost per DynabeadsCD4 test is less than $3.00, including the cost of other disposable materials. Our modified method is simple, economic, and accurate enough to monitor antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited situations.
BACKGROUND: The optimal timing of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with > or = 200 absolute CD4 lymphocytes/mm3 is unknown. CD4 lymphocyte percentage could add prognostic information. METHODS: Persons who initiated HAART between 1 January 1998 and 1 January 2003, received > or = 30 days of therapy, and had baseline CD4 lymphocyte data available were included in the study. The log-rank test for time to event and Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine predictors of a new acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-defining illness or death. RESULTS: A total of 788 patients met the inclusion criteria. At baseline, subjects had a median of 225 CD4 lymphocytes/mm3 and 17% CD4 lymphocytes. Subjects with < 17% CD4 lymphocytes had earlier disease progression, compared with subjects with > or = 17%, both in the entire cohort (P<.0001) and of those subjects with > 350 absolute CD4 lymphocytes/mm3 at baseline (P=.03). CD4 lymphocyte percentage < 17% was the strongest predictor of disease progression among subjects in this latter group (hazard ratio, 3.57; P=.045). CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort, CD4 lymphocyte percentage predicted disease progression in HIV-infected subjects who initiated therapy with > 350 CD4 lymphocytes/mm3. This information may help identify persons who will derive the greatest benefit from initiation of HAART.
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The degree of lymphocytic infiltration is a significant determinant of outcome for a variety of malignancies, but its role in seminoma is unknown. 150 men with stage I testicular seminoma presenting between 1981 and 1993 were managed by surveillance following orchidectomy. The presence of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in each case was classified as high, intermediate or low. At a median follow-up of 9.4 years, 30 of the 150 men developed recurrent seminoma. On univariate analysis, the risk of relapse was associated with age < or =33 years (P=0.002), tumour diameter >6 cm (P=0.03), lymphatic or vascular invasion (P=0.04), tumour invasion of rete testis (P=0.05), and lower TIL count (P=0.02). On multivariate analysis, statistically significant predictors of risk of relapse were age < or =33 years (hazard ratio (HR) 4.6 (95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.7-12.2)) and tumour diameter >6 cm (HR 2.8 (CI: 1.2-6.5)). Lower TIL count was of borderline statistical significance (HR 1.8 (CI: 0.96-3.44)). The functional role of the lymphocytic infiltrate in testicular seminoma warrants further study.
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When there is villus atrophy in a jejunal biopsy, intraepithelial lymphocyte (IEL) mitosis correlates with a diagnosis of coeliac disease. We have examined the significance of IEL mitosis in jejunal biopsies with normal villi. Counts of IEL per 100 villus enterocytes, and IEL mitosis per 1000 IEL, were carried out in 81 jejunal biopsies. Thirty one were from patients with coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis, and many of these, from treated patients, were histologically normal; 40 were from patients with other diagnoses, selected to include biopsies with a high IEL count (greater than 40 IEL per 100 enterocytes) but normal villi. Three coeliacs and 10 dermatitis herpetiformis patients had an IEL count of less than 40, and no IEL mitoses were found in these biopsies. Two dermatitis herpetiformis patients had IEL counts of 43.7% and 43.9%, with no IEL mitoses, but in all other coeliac and dermatitis herpetiformis biopsies high IEL counts were associated with IEL mitotic indices between 0.05% and 1.77%. In the non-coeliac, non-dermatitis herpetiformis group, no IEL mitoses were found in the 22 biopsies with IEL count less than 43%. In the others, IEL counts ranged from 44.8% to 127.0%, and IEL mitoses were present, with mitotic indices ranging from 0.06% to 0.49%. This work shows that IEL mitosis in a jejunal biopsy is not specific for coeliac disease, but occurs whenever there is an increased density of IEL within the villus epithelium.
OBJECTIVE: HIV-induced CD4 lymphocyte depletion is partially reversed by antiretroviral therapy but it is unclear if the degree to which the CD4 count rises depends on viral suppression (if so, the extent of viral suppression required to achieve a maximal CD4 count rise), whether the rise is sustainable and whether it occurs in patients with CD4 count <10 x 10(6) cells/l. We aimed to address these issues. METHODS: We studied CD4 count and plasma HIV RNA values every 4 weeks for 72 weeks in 154 patients starting indinavir-containing regimens. RESULTS: Mean baseline HIV RNA and CD4 count were 4.8 log10 copies/ml and 180 x 10(6) cells/l, respectively. Overall, there was a mean increase in CD4 count of 143 x 10(6) cells/l by 72 weeks. The adjusted mean increase (adjusted for initial viral load, CD4 count and age) was strongly related to the mean viral suppression over the follow-up period (P < 0.0001). Importantly, there was a highly significant difference (P = 0.0004) in the rise in CD4 count between those with 2-3 log suppression (161 x 10(6) cells/l) and those with > 3 log suppression (314 x 10(6) cells/l; mean 3.6 log suppression in this group), suggesting that with even greater suppression the rise in CD4 lymphocytes may be still larger. We also studied whether CD4 counts were still rising after 72 weeks in patients with sustained suppression of at least 3 log in viral load. There was a significant (P = 0.004; paired t-test) rise in count of 43 x 10(6) cells/l between weeks 64 and 72 in these patients, suggesting that regeneration continues at least up to 72 weeks after therapy, provided virus replication continues to be suppressed. Patients with initial CD4 counts < 10 x 10(6) cells/l experienced no smaller rises than those at higher levels, even after adjustment for other factors. CONCLUSION: These results strongly support a direct causal relationship between HIV replication and CD4 lymphocyte count depletion. The rise in those with > 3 log suppression provides the best available indicator of the potential for natural CD4 regeneration in HIV-infected patients. However, since still greater CD4 count rises may be seen with more suppressive regimens, it may not be possible to study the intrinsic CD4 regenerative capacity until such regimens are available.
The E and EAC rosette formation tests, carried out in order to determine the count of T and B lymphocytes in the spleen and lymph nodes of guinea pigs after several intramuscular of oxytetracycline, showed a decrease in the ability of B lymphocytes in the reaction of EAC rosette formation with the simultaneous rise of the level of "zero" cells without surface receptors characteristic of T and B lymphocytes. The data obtained in this study indicated the possibility for tetracyclines to effect the differntiation and ripening of the medullary precursors of B lymphocytes.
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BACKGROUND: Flow cytometry is the standard method for the estimation of CD4/CD8 counts, but the high initial investment for this instrument and costly reagents make it unaffordable to most of the centers in a developing country like India. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of an alternate system for the estimation of CD4 and CD8 counts in normal south Indian adults and validate the usefulness of this assay to monitor the counts in HIV seropositive individuals. STUDY DESIGN: Forty-six normal healthy adults and 68 HIV seropositive individuals both belonging to south Indian linguistic groups were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The HIV seropositive individuals included 54 HIV-1, 9 HIV-2 and 5 HIV 1&2 infected individuals serologically confirmed by one of the commercial Immunoblot kits. The Capcellia CD4/CD8 whole blood assay, an immuno-capture ELISA based kit from Sanofi DIAGNOSTICS Pasteur, (France) was used with a few modifications in the procedure to measure the CD4 and CD8 counts. RESULTS: The mean CD4 cell counts were 1048 (central 95 centile only), 746 and 424 for the normal healthy adults, asymptomatic HIV seropositives and symptomatic HIV patients, respectively, and the mean CD8 counts were 595, 889 and 732, respectively. Statistically significant differences were observed in the CD4 cell counts between HIV seronegative healthy adults and asymptomatic (P < 0.001) as well as asymptomatic and symptomatic (P < 0.05) HIV infected individuals. The mean CD4 counts of asymptomatic HIV-2 infected individuals was significantly higher than the counts of asymptomatic HIV-1 infected individuals (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This is an user friendly test and can be an alternate to flow cytometry for the estimation of peripheral T-lymphocyte subsets in developing countries. The assay system has certain limitations inherent to ELISA techniques.
Reductions in the percentage and absolute number of CD4+ lymphocytes, as well as abnormally high levels of activated peripheral T lymphocytes (CD3+ HLA-DR+ phenotype) and an increased proportion of CD8+ cells coexpressing the CD57 surface antigen (involved in natural killer activity) have been reported in HIV infection and associated with disease progression. We prospectively measured these subsets of lymphocytes in 34 patients with advanced AIDS-related complex (ARC) treated with azidothymidine (AZT). Peripheral blood lymphocyte phenotyping was performed before treatment, then at weeks 12 and 24. A striking fall in the proportion of activated T lymphocytes from baseline was observed (P less than 0.001) at week 24. In contrast, the percentage of CD4+ cells showed a slight and transient rise at week 12 (P less than 0.05). No modification in levels of CD8+ or CD8+ CD57+ cells was detected during the study. Of the 34 patients, 11 developed AIDS, and 23 remained AIDS-free during 51 weeks of follow-up. Similar patterns of change in CD4+ and HLA-DR+ CD3+ lymphocytes were found in the AIDS progressors and nonprogressors. Likewise, HIV p24 antigenaemia showed parallel decreases in both groups of patients. Although changes in CD4+ cells, p24 antigenaemia and HLA-DR-reactive T lymphocytes were not predictive of clinical outcome, large differences existed between the two groups prior to the initiation of therapy. The short-term onset of AIDS was associated with lower CD4+ cell numbers, higher levels of serum p24 antigen and a greater proportion of activated T lymphocytes. Our results suggest that the possible interest of T lymphocyte activation markers, in conjunction with conventional phenotyping, should be investigated further.
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