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Summary In order to investigate the role played by zidovudine (ZDV) as immune modulator, particularly on B-cell response, the anti-V3 loop spectrotype in 115 sera from 26 HIV-infected individuals was evaluated, prior to and during treatment with ZDV, by isoelectric focusing and reverse blotting (IEF-RB), a technique useful for indirectly measuring the activity and the number of B-cell clones. All 18 patients showing seroreactivity by IEFRB displayed a clear oligoclonal banding pattern, with no change in the spectrotype (i.e. new bands), in sequential analysis over the course of therapy. Only minor changes in band intensity were found, without any correlation with ZDV treatment or CD4+ cell count. In addition, among the sera reactive in spectrotypic analysis, the percentage of those with p24 antigen positivity was significantly lower than those with no detectable p24 antigen (19.8% vs 80.2%, respectively, p=<0.0001, Fisher's exact test). In conclusion, it could not be demonstrated by IEFRB that there was any effect of ZDV on the activity and the number of anti-V3 specific B-cell clones. This data is in line with previous studies showing the constancy of anti-gp120 antibody spectrotype over the long course of the disease.

Twenty-four consecutive HIV-positive patients affected byToxoplasma gondii encephalitis received trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (cotrimoxazole) as acute-phase treatment. Two dosage regimens of cotrimoxazole were used: 40 mg/kg/day (12 patients) or 120 mg/kg/day (12 patients) of total compound (trimethoprim plus sulfamethoxazole). Clinical and radiological responses to treatment were evaluated, and the product-limit method for survival data analysis was used. Eighteen of 24 patients showed both a clinical and radiological response (75 % response rate). There were no differences in response rates between patients receiving the two dosage regimens of cotrimoxazole. Adverse reaction consisted of leukopenia (two cases) and skin rash (three cases) which led to the discontinuation of the drug in one case. These results suggest that a randomized, controlled clinical trial should be carried out comparing cotrimoxazole versus sulfadiazine-pyrimethamine in AIDS patients withToxoplasma gondii encephalitis.

ABSTRACTNinety-one serum samples from 51 hematology patients with bacteremia infections were tested for (1,3)-ß-d-glucan (BG). Eleven samples (15%) from 7 patients (14%) were positive for BG. Of these 7 patients with positive BG results, 4 (8%) had invasive aspergillosis and 3 (6%) had no invasive fungal disease. Bacteremia was an unlikely cause of the false-positive BG results.

The persistence of immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody to Toxoplasma gondii in sera from 38 patients after toxoplasmic lymphadenopathy was investigated by using an indirect immunofluorescence assay, a double-sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and an immunosorbent agglutination assay. Positive predictive values at 3 and 6 months after lymphadenopathy were, respectively, 45 and 73% for the indirect immunofluorescence assay, 25 and 45% for the double-sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and 22 and 43% for the immunosorbent agglutination assay.

ABSTRACTIn 6 hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients with candidemia, the (1,3)-ß-d-glucan (BG) test was positive a median of 2.5 days after a positive blood culture. Only in 1 patient did BG positivity precede positive blood cultures. BG concentrations decreased in patients with clinical response, but positive BG results persisted long after blood cultures became sterile (median, 48 days).

Prosthetic joint infection is an infrequent but serious complication of total joint arthroplasty. Complete removal of all foreign material is essential, however when prosthesis removal is not possible or contraindicated, suppressive antibiotic therapy with retention of the functioning hip arthroplasty may be considered. Linezolid, the first approved oxazolidinone, appears to be a promising new agent for the treatment of serious Gram-positive infections. We report two cases of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) prosthetic hip infections successfully treated with a long course of linezolid. This observation suggest that linezolid is a promising drug for the treatment of prosthetic joint infections due to MRSA or other Gram-positive pathogens, particularly when other therapeutic approaches are not feasible or a long-term antibiotic therapy is required.