BACKGROUNDCandidal esophagitis is the primary infection among all digestive tract opportunistic ones in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases. X-ray manifestation reports of it are still rare. This study aimed to conduct a retrospective analysis on the X-ray data of 6 AIDS cases complicated with candidal esophagitis, and to study the X-ray characteristics of it combined with the findings from gastroscopy.

METHODSAmong 6 cases in this series, all cases were confirmed by Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to be HIV positive and all of them had CD4 cell counts less than 150 × 10(6)/L. All cases underwent X-ray and gastroscopy, and mycelium were found in the mucous membrane of the esophagus.

RESULTSIn this series, the findings of the X-ray were as follows: (1) Affected areas: Four cases in the whole esophagus, 2 cases in the middle and lower part of esophagus; (2) Abnormal motivity: Six cases had decreased tension, loose walls, weakened peristalsis, decreased number of peristalsis waves and delayed emptying of barium; (3) Abnormal contour: Six cases had the sign of "decorative border" or "brush", two cases had narrowed canal; (4) Abnormal membrane and "cobblestone sign": Six cases had thickened membrane and "cobblestone sign" on the surface of the abnormal membrane. The hyperemia of mucosa was covered tightly with yellow-white pseudomembrane spots. This was in accordance with the small cobblestone-like filling defect found by X-ray.

CONCLUSIONSIf the AIDS cases have dysphagia, and X-ray shows that more than two sections of the esophagus are affected, with decreased motility, the walls in the sign of "brush" or "decorative edges", thickened membrane with "cobblestone sign", candidal esophagitis is highly possible.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Adult ; Candida ; pathogenicity ; Candidiasis ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; microbiology ; Esophagitis ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Radiography

OBJECTIVETo study the Th17/Treg (regulatory T cells) immunoregulation in patients coinfected with TB and HIV before and after HAART(highly active anti-retroviral therapy).

METHODS10 HIV cases coinfected with TB (HIV/TB group) and 10 cases infected with HIV only (HIV group) received HAART. PBMCs were stained and immunophenotyping of Th17 (IL-17 expressing T cells) and CD4+ CD25 T cells (Treg) were analysed by flow cytometry.

RESULTSThe pre-treatment patients tended to have lower Th17 cells and higher Tregs cells compared to post-treatment (1.90% +/- 0.9% vs. 4.65% +/- 1.48%, 16.48% +/- 4.91% vs. 8.29% +/- 3.13% respectively). The percentage of IL-17 before and after HAART were 1.90 +/- 0.9% vs. 4.65 +/- 1.48% respectively in HIV/TB group patients (P < 0.01). The difference between the percentage of IL-17 before and after HAART in the HIV/TB group and the HIV group were 2. 65 +/- 1.62% vs. 0.67% +/- 0.46% respectively (P < 0.01). IL-17 expressing T cells were increased faster after HAART in the former group than the latter. The percentage of Treg before and after HAART were 16.48% +/- 4.91% vs. 8.29% +/- 3.13% respectively in HIV/TB group (P < 0.01). The difference between the percentage of Treg before and after HAART in the HIV/TB group and the HIV group were 8.91% +/- 4.82% vs. 2.63% +/- 2.34% respectively (P < 0.01). Treg were decreased more rapidly after HAART in the former than the latter.

CONCLUSIONSTB and HAART both had an effect on the Th17/Treg ratio of HIV/ TB co-infected patients, which can cause increased Th17 expression, the later plays a pro-inflammatory role. TB and HAART can decrease Treg expression and enhance anti-inflammation response. The fact that Th17/ Treg disorder are more likely to exist in patients with HIV/TB co-infection after HAART for one month suggests a potential role for Th17/Treg imbalance leading to tuberculosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome during patients receiving HAART period.

Adult ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Coinfection ; drug therapy ; immunology ; virology ; Female ; HIV Infections ; drug therapy ; immunology ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; drug effects ; immunology ; Th17 Cells ; drug effects ; immunology ; Tuberculosis ; immunology ; virology

OBJECTIVETo investigate of the relationship of the immunosuppression induced by Measles virus in adult patients and CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cell.

METHODSThirty-four patients with measles and 27 healthy control subjects were included in this study. The whole blood was collected and CD4+ CD25+ cell and FoxP3+ cell were analyzed by flow cytometry, and CD4+ CD25- and CD4+ CD25+ T lymphocytes were isolated from PBMCs of patients with measles or healthy donors, CD4+ CD25- T cells were cultured in absence or presence of anti-CD3, or BCG, or live attenuated MV. The cell culture supernatant was collected after 72 hours and the concentration of IFN-gamma and IL-10 was determined.

RESULTSCompared to healthy donors, we observed a reduction of the number of white blood cells and lymphocytes in patients with measles, but there was not significantly different in the frequency of CD4+ CD25+ T cells and CD4+ CD25high T cells within the total CD4+ population in the blood. Treg from both measles patients and healthy controls significantly inhibited IFN-gamma production by CD4+ CD25- T cells in response to anti-CD3 stimulation.

CONCLUSIONInduction and expansion of Treg may not represent a mechanism involved in the establishment of immune suppression by MV.

Adolescent ; Adult ; CD4 Antigens ; immunology ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit ; immunology ; Lymphocyte Activation ; Male ; Measles ; immunology ; virology ; Measles virus ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; immunology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo observe the expression and localization of endogenous C-reactive protein (CRP) in cells from different tissues under different conditions.

METHODSMacrophages differentiated from THP-1 monocytes with phorbol ester (PMA) induction and human LO2 hepatocytes were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The culture supernatant of the LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells was collected and added into LO2 cell culture, and after incubation, the cells were lysed to extract the proteins for SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. The stimulated cells were also examined immunocytochemically for CRP expression.

RESULTSWestern blotting detected CRP in both of the unstimulated cell lysates, but in neither of the two cell supernatants. After LPS stimulation, CRP expression was significantly increased in the cell lysate of THP-1 cells with also a small amount present in the supernatant, but CRP expression and release in the LO2 cells showed no significant variation. Treatment of the LO2 cells with the culture supernatant of LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells resulted in positivity of CRP in the cell lysate and the culture supernatant. Immunocytochemistry identified CRP expression throughout the THP-1 cell body (most obvious in the nuclei), which increased after LPS stimulation. In LO2 hepatocytes, CRP expression was found only outside the nuclei and increased after stimulation with the culture supernatant of LPS-treated THP-1 cells, especially obvious around the membrane.

CONCLUSIONCRP can not be up-regulated directly by LPS treatment in LO2 cells, but can be induced by certain cytokines (IL-6) secreted from LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells. The localization of CRP represents the characteristics of secreted protein in LO2 cells, but in THP-1 cells, CRP is found mainly in the cell nuclei.

Blotting, Western ; C-Reactive Protein ; biosynthesis ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; pharmacology ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lipopolysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Macrophages ; cytology ; Monocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism