The CD8(+)CD28(+) T cells have known to mediate major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted cytolysis and to secret an HIV-1 inhibitory factor. As HIV infection lead to dramatic changes within the cellular immune system, the cellular cytotoxicities decrease in the duration of the HIV infection. To determine the importance of the cellular cytotoxicities in long-term nonprogression, we tried to compare CD28 expression on total T, CD4(+) T, and CD8(+) T cells as one of methods for cellular cytotoxicity measurements between long-term nonprogressor and normal person or between long-term nonprogressor and rapid progressor. The median percentages and counts of CD4(+) T cells of the norrnal, the long-term nonprogressor, and the rapid progressor groups were 39.9 and 0.96 * 10(9) cells/L, 24.6 and 0.58 * 10(9) cells/L, 9.9 and 0.15 * 10 cells/L, respectively. As a result of comparison of the cells having CD28 surface molecules on CD8(+) T cells in the long-term nonprogressor and the rapid progressor group, they showed over 5 times lower than that in the normal group. Especially, the long-term nonprogressor regarded to the healthy HIV-infected patient showed much lower CD28 expression on total T, CD4(+) T, and CD8(+) T cells than those of the normal person. The proportions of CD4'CD28 T and CD3CD28 T cell subsets showed the significant difference between the LTNP and the RP group. In conclusion, although HIV-infected patients were LTNPs having the steady CD4(+) T cell counts and no clinical symptoms, we suggested that HIV led to abnormality within the lymphocyte subsets such as the altered expression of CD28 molecules on various T cell subsets and this result would cause deficiency of host immune function and failure of control of HIV replication by anergy in T cell subsets.
Cell Count ; HIV ; HIV Infections ; HIV-1 ; Humans ; Immune System ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Major Histocompatibility Complex ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets* ; T-Lymphocytes

No abstract available.
Animals ; Rats*

BACKGROUND: The global effect of HIV infection on the host cell gene expression profiles in healthy HIV-infected patients, as long-term non-progressors, remains largely unknown. To identify the cellular genes related with HIV infection and delayed disease progression in vivo, the host gene expression profiles between healthy HIV-infected Koreans and AIDS patients were investigated. METHODS:Differential expression gene analysis was performed via oligonucleotide microarray with using Magic-oligo 10K chip. Ten HIV-uninfected persons and 10 HIV-infected patients (healthy HIV-infected patients vs. AIDS patients. respectively) were studied. RESULTS: Only 10.8% (1,097 genes) of the total genes, that is, 331 up-regulated genes and 766 down- regulated genes were differentially expressed with more than a two-fold change in the HIV-infected persons as compared to those of the HIV-uninfected persons. Especially, 97 genes (8.8%) among 1,097 genes were commonly up- or down-regulated in both the healthy HIV-infected patients and the AIDS patients. 187 genes were differently expressed on the gene expression analysis between the healthy HIV-infected patients and the AIDS patients. Twenty-eight genes out of them showed very significant differences with a P value <0.01. Especially, tripartite motif (TRIM) 14 protein and interferon gamma receptor 2 were dramatically up-regulated in healthy HIV-infected patients, while death-associated protein, DNA directed RNA polymerase II polypeptide A and STAT were over-expressed in AIDS patients. CONCLUSION: Although this microarray study has some limitations, the above results will be helpful for performing more detailed, future functional studies on the differentially expressed genes related to HIV infection and delayed disease progression in vivo.
Disease Progression ; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ; Gene Expression ; HIV Infections ; Humans ; Interferons ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Transcriptome

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a common human pathogen that causes morbidity and mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. Early diagnosis of HCMV infection or reactivation, and setting threshold values for effective pre-emptive therapies, are required for appropriate HCMV disease prevention in HSCT recipients. We compared the HCMV infections detected by the two methods, LightCycler-based PCR (LC PCR) and in-house immediate early protein PCR (in-house IE PCR) with the results of a pp65 antigenemia assay as the reference. The sensitivity and specificity for the in-house IE PCR were 79.3% and 72.7%, respectively, and 82.9% and 40.7%, respectively, for the LC PCR. The correlation between the HCMV viral load and pp65 antigenemia in HSCT recipients was r=0.603 with in-house IE PCR and r=0.525 with LC PCR. The discordant results between methods and relatively low (r) values suggest that we need more study to set threshold values according to the using methods with clinical outcome.
Cytomegalovirus ; Early Diagnosis ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Viral Load

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a common human pathogen that causes morbidity and mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. Early diagnosis of HCMV infection or reactivation, and setting threshold values for effective pre-emptive therapies, are required for appropriate HCMV disease prevention in HSCT recipients. We compared the HCMV infections detected by the two methods, LightCycler-based PCR (LC PCR) and in-house immediate early protein PCR (in-house IE PCR) with the results of a pp65 antigenemia assay as the reference. The sensitivity and specificity for the in-house IE PCR were 79.3% and 72.7%, respectively, and 82.9% and 40.7%, respectively, for the LC PCR. The correlation between the HCMV viral load and pp65 antigenemia in HSCT recipients was r=0.603 with in-house IE PCR and r=0.525 with LC PCR. The discordant results between methods and relatively low (r) values suggest that we need more study to set threshold values according to the using methods with clinical outcome.
Cytomegalovirus ; Early Diagnosis ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Viral Load

We reported an age 32 male with progressive proximal muscle weakness. The serum creatine kinase was 1,908 IU/L. The muscle biopsy from biceps brachii muscle showed nonspecific myopathic changes. The whole exome sequencing identified a heterozygous variant (c.296A>C) in CAV3. It was previously reported as a likely pathogenic variant. It was also detected in the male’s mother and brother. However, his mother and brother had only hyperCKemia without muscle weakness. Our case showed phenotypic heterogeneity in a family, with the same variant in CAV3.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the importance of human immunodefi-ciency virus(HIV) transmission through heterosexual contact, the features of heterosexual transmission has not been well studied in Korea. So we conducted a cross sectional study to determine the transmission rates in married couples and assess risk factors for male to female heterosexual transmission of HIV. METHODS: 169 HIV-infected males and their female sex partners were recruited from 1985 to June 1998. We examined female sex partners HIV infection status and interviewed male index partners and their female sex partners about demographic characteristics and sexual practices. We analysed heterosexual transmission rate by epidemiologic characteristics, disease status and sexual practices. And we assessed risk factors for HIV infection by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: 30 female sex partners were infected at enrollment, yielding an transmission rate of 17.8%. Among couples who had used condoms consistently, none of the female sex partners was infected with HIV. In univariate analysis the significant risk factors were full blown AIDS status (OR=4.1, 95% CI: 1.49-11.43) and low CD4 T cell count of index partners at enrollment (OR=7.8, 95% CI: 2.19-27.80). In multivariate analysis HIV-1 RNA levels was significant risk factor when adjusted by CD4 T cell counts and mean sexual contacts per month (OR=19.2, 95% CI: 1.03-357.59) CONCLUSION: The risk of male to female heterosexual transmission increased with advanced stages of HIV infection in the index male partners.
Cell Count ; Condoms ; Family Characteristics ; Female* ; Heterosexuality* ; HIV Infections ; HIV* ; HIV-1 ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Risk Factors* ; RNA

OBJECTIVE: It has been known that amniotic fluid (AF) is rich source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Bisphosphonates are widely used in clinical treatment of various metabolic bone diseases and their primary action is the inhibition of osteoclastic bone resorption. However, litter is known about whether bisphosphonates affect the differentiation into osteoblast, especially from AF-derived MSCs (AFMSCs). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether these bisphosphonates influence in the process of AFMSCs differentiation into osteoblast. METHODS: AF samples were obtained by second trimester amniocentesis for fetal karyotyping from 6 pregnant women. Cells were treated with various concentration (0, 10(-10), 10(-8), 10(-6) M) of zoledronate and alendronate and analyzed over 21 days of culture. Differentiation into osteoblast was determined by cell staining and RT-PCR for alkaline phosphatase (ALP). RESULTS: It was observed that AFMSCs could differentiate into osteoblast. Alendronate had more potent effect than zoledronate in osteoblastic differentiation. ALP expression was increased with increasing concentration of zoledronate and it was highest in 10(-8) M alendronate. However, no effect of bisphosphonates was found in 14 days of culture. CONCLUSION: This study shows that AFMSCs can be differentiated into osteoblast. The induction of these differentiation following bisphosphonate treatment was appear to be drug type-, dose-, and culture time-dependent. However, further studies are needed to conclude a consistent outcome for the effects of bisphosphonate on differentiation potential of AFMSCs.
Alendronate ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Amniocentesis ; Amniotic Fluid ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Bone Resorption ; Diphosphonates ; Female ; Humans ; Imidazoles ; Karyotyping ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Osteoblasts ; Osteoclasts ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnant Women