Pasteur Institute of Iran

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  Introduction : The decreased level of immunity in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infected patients increases their vulnerability to various opportunistic fungal infections. Oral candidiasis has been found to be the most common fungal infection among HIV infected patients. The present study was conducted to evaluate the spectrum of various opportunistic fungal infections and their correlation with CD4+ counts. Methods: A total of 163 clinically suspected cases of fungal infections with HIV seropositive status were studied. Results: The most common infections observed were oropharyngeal candidiasis (39.26%) followed by cryptococcal meningitis (6.74%). The study showed opportunistic fungal infections in 46.6% of HIV infected patients with CD4+ counts ≤200 cell/ µl. Conclusion: Early diagnosis and prompt antifungal treatment is necessary to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with the infections to increase the survival of HIV infected patients. J Med Microbiol Infec Dis, 2014, 1 (2): 4 pages.

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Introduction: The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Nef regulatory protein is known as a candidate for the design of therapeutic HIV DNA and protein vaccines. One of the limitations of these vaccines is the inability of DNA and protein to pass through the cell membrane. Various delivery systems have been developed to transfer DNA and protein into cells. Cell penetrating systems such as MPG and Cylop-1 are among delivery systems, which can deliver DNA and protein cargoes into the cells, respectively. Methods: In this study, we produced the recombinant Nef protein in Escherichia coli expression system. Then, the formation of CPP/DNA and CPP/protein nanoparticles was confirmed by agarose gel retardation, scanning electron microscope (SEM), Zetasizer and SDS-PAGE, and their stability was evaluated against nucleases and proteases. Finally, the delivery of the nanoparticles into HEK-293T cells was assessed by fluorescent microscopy, flow cytometry, and western blotting. Results: Our data confirmed the formation of stable nanoparticles through non-covalent bonds with a diameter of less than 200 nm. Moreover, the results of fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, and western blotting demonstrated that these CPPs could successfully deliver the Nef protein and DNA into HEK-293T cells. Conclusion: Our results indicated that the MPG and CyLoP-1 CPPs are suitable candidates for the delivery of DNA and protein cargoes into mammalian cells, respectively.

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Introduction: Viral hepatitis represents a significant challenge to public health worldwide. Women living with HIV are at heightened risk of co-infection with hepatitis B and C due to their increased risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens through medical interventions, potentially leading to severe health outcomes, including increased morbidity and mortality, and public health impacts through maternal transmission. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus co-infection among women living with HIV attending the ART clinic in Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Yola, Nigeria. These findings will inform the development and improvement of testing, vaccination, and treatment programs to enhance health outcomes and quality of life for this population. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2023 to September 2023 using a convenience sampling method to recruit 360 women aged 18 years and above attending the ART clinic. Data on socio-demographic characteristics and potential risk factors for HBV/HCV infection were collected with a structured questionnaire. The seroprevalence of HBsAg and anti-HCV antibodies was determined with Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) strips from Micropoint. Results: Among the 360 HIV-positive women tested, 9.2% (33) were co-infected with HBV, 2.2% (8) were co-infected with HCV, and 0.3% (1) had co-infection with HBV, HCV, and HIV. The prevalence of HBV co-infection was highest among women aged 39-48 (9.6%), while HCV co-infection was most prevalent in those aged 49 and above (3.4%). Logistic regression analysis showed that blood transfusion and having multiple sexual partners were significantly associated with HIV/HBV co-infection (P-value = 0.002). Conclusion: This study identified a notable prevalence of HBV (9.2%) and HCV (2.2%) co-infection among women living with HIV, underscoring the public health significance due to the potential for increased morbidity and mortality. Further studies should employ molecular techniques like PCR to confirm active infections and assess viral loads. This information is crucial for guiding treatment decisions and improving clinical outcomes for this vulnerable population.