Search

Background We previously reported lower bone mineral density (BMD) among premenopausal women with HIV (WWH) compared to women without HIV (HIV−). Rate of bone loss may be even greater for WWH during the menopausal transition. Methods Pre-, peri- and postmenopausal women in the Women\'s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) underwent whole body DXA and central quantitative computed tomography to measure areal BMD (aBMD) and volumetric BMD (vBMD), respectively. Multivariable regression models with covariates associated with low aBMD (T score < −1.0) in univariate analyses (P ≤.05) and known risk factors for low BMD assessed contributions of HIV and menopausal stage to the prediction of aBMD. Results Compared to HIV− women, in unadjusted analyses, WWH had 5–9% lower aBMD at the lumbar spine (P =.001), femoral neck (P =.04), total hip (P =.003) and the ultradistal radius (P =.004), and higher osteoporosis prevalence (T score<−2.5) at the ultradistal radius only (13.5% vs 0%, P =.0003). WWH also had lower vBMD at the spine and hip. In fully adjusted models, HIV independently predicted reduced aBMD at the lumbar spine, total hip, femoral neck, and ultradistal radius; menopausal stage remained a significant predictor of lumbar spine and ultradistal radius aBMD. Conclusions HIV infection and menopausal stage were independent predictors of lower BMD, and had an additive effect on lumbar spine and total hip BMD. Additional research is needed to better understand underlying mechanisms by which HIV impacts BMD as women age and transition through menopause, and develop strategies to mitigate osteoporosis and fracture risk in this growing population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) bearing the [gamma][delta] TCR are more abundant in the small intestinal mucosa of patients with celiac disease (CD) compared with healthy individuals. However, their role in disease pathogenesis is not well understood. Here, we investigated the functional attributes of [TCR[gamma][delta].sup.+] IELs isolated from intestinal biopsies of patients with either active celiac disease (ACD) or those on a gluten-free diet (GFD). We found that compared with individuals with ACD, individuals on GFD have a higher frequency of [CD8.sup.+][TCR[gamma][delta].sup.+] IELs that express the inhibitory NK receptor NKG2A and intracellular TGF-[beta]1. TCR triggering as well as cross-linking of NKG2A increased both TGF-[beta]1 intracellular expression and secretion in vitro. Coculture of sorted [TCR[gamma][delta].sup.+][NKG2A.sup.+] IELs, IL-15-stimulated [TCR[alpha][beta].sup.+] IELs, and [HLA-E.sup.+] enterocytes resulted in a decreased percentage of cytotoxic [CD8.sup.+][TCR[alpha][beta].sup.+] IELs expressing intracellular IFN-[gamma] and granzyme-B and surface NKG2D. This inhibition was partially abrogated by blocking either TGF-[beta] alone or both NKG2A and HLA-E. Thus, our data indicate that suppression was at least partially mediated by TGF-[beta] secretion as a result of engagement of NKG2A with its ligand, HLA-E, on enterocytes and/or [TCR[alpha][beta].sup.+] IELs. These findings demonstrate that human small intestinal [CD8.sup.+][TCR[gamma][delta].sup.+] IELs may have regulatory potential in celiac disease., Introduction Celiac disease (CD), or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is a malabsorption syndrome that occurs in genetically susceptible individuals who are intolerant to dietary gluten (1). The disease is triggered by exposure [...]

A new composite of crystalline silicotitanate (CST) has been synthesized for the sequestration of Cs and Sr from low-level liquid waste generated in the nuclear industry. The product characterization using X-RAY DEFRACTION (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the presence of CST crystals in the composite. Sorption studies carried out under various test conditions showed that the composite has high affinity for both Cs and Sr. Results of structural characterization of Cs and Sr-loaded CST indicated that the overall structural integrity remained intact after substitution of Na+ by Cs+ or Sr2+. The exceedingly good Cs and Sr sorption performance displayed by the CST composite will find applications in the treatment of nuclear waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]