Biochemistry
Mohammad Abdi; Abbas Ahmadi; Aram Mokarizadeh
Abstract
Recently, prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection with Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has dramatically increased worldwide due to their shared routes of transmission. Compared to sporadic infection with HIV, HBV, and HCV, concurrent infection with these agents ...
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Recently, prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection with Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has dramatically increased worldwide due to their shared routes of transmission. Compared to sporadic infection with HIV, HBV, and HCV, concurrent infection with these agents increases the effects and complications of these viruses. Furthermore, co-infection may also alter therapeutic strategies against HIV. Accordingly, choosing appropriate biomarkers to detect these co -infections is one of the main concerns in the field of diagnostic pathology. Up to now, several markers have been introduced for simultaneous diagnosis of HIV, HBV, and HCV. In this regard, serum adenosine deaminase activity (ADA), Fibro Tests, AST-to-Platelet Ratio Index (APRI), Fibrosis-4, Hyaluronic acid, and micro ribonucleic acids have been investigated as potential biomarkers for diagnosis of HIV-HCV/HBV co-infections. This work summarizes the diagnostic value of current and emerging biomarkers in HIV patients concurrently infected with HBV and HCV.
Rashid Gholami; Shirzad Gholami; Hamid Emadi-Kouchak; Alireza Abdollahi; Mona Shahriari
Volume 11, Issue 1 , January 2016, , Pages 27-34
Abstract
Background: Cryptosporidiumis known as an opportunist disease-causing agent in man in recent decades. It causes diarrhea and intestinal disorders in the immune deficit and immune competent individuals. This study was aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of HIV/AIDS patients withcryptosporidiosisinfection. ...
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Background: Cryptosporidiumis known as an opportunist disease-causing agent in man in recent decades. It causes diarrhea and intestinal disorders in the immune deficit and immune competent individuals. This study was aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of HIV/AIDS patients withcryptosporidiosisinfection. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 53 HIV/AIDS patients referred to the Behavior Disease Consultation Center of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran in 2013. First, the patients were studied clinically and the context data were recorded in a questionnaire for parasitological examination and referred to the laboratory for eosinophil count, and CD4 count per ml of blood. Results: Cryptosporidiosiswas observed in 4 (7.6%) of the total 53 HIV/AIDS patients. The highest prevalence of infection was observed in the age range of 30-39 yr.Itwas observed in different sexes as 5.7% of male and 1.9% of female, but statistically was insignificant (P=0.163).75% of patients had no intestinal symptom, 11.4% with acute diarrhea and 3.8% with chronic diarrhea. Cryptosporidiosis cases were observed in 5.7% of patients without intestinal symptom. Conclusion: Practitioners in the clinicalexamination for the detectionof the opportunistic intestinal protozoan infection should use clinical and paraclinical characteristics of the HIV/AIDS patients for the diagnostic of Cryptosporidium and other opportunistic parasitic diseases.
Mohsen Meidani; Zohreh Aminzadeh; Mahya Faghih; Nooshin Ahmadi
Volume 9, Issue 2 , April 2014, , Pages 133-137
Abstract
Background and Objective: It is presumed that human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) is the necessary cause of all different forms of Kaposi’s sarcoma which is the most common neoplasm in HIV-infected persons. In this study, we wanted to determine the prevalence of HHV8 infection in all the available ...
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Background and Objective: It is presumed that human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) is the necessary cause of all different forms of Kaposi’s sarcoma which is the most common neoplasm in HIV-infected persons. In this study, we wanted to determine the prevalence of HHV8 infection in all the available Isfahan (Central Iran) HIV positive individuals in comparison with healthy blood donor, and also investigating the risk factors of HIV infections in both groups.
Material and Methods: Inthis cross sectional study, the samples were consisted of 50 healthy HIV –negative blood donors and all the available Isfahan HIV positive individuals (55 persons). The selected people fulfilled a questionnaire about personal demographic information. The blood samples were examined using Biotrin kit to detect anti HHV8 antibody (IgG).
Results:In HIV positive group, 10 persons (18.2%) tested positive for HHv8, but none of the control group had positive test. We analyzed risk factors for AIDS and found, as expected, strong associations between HIV infection with addiction, being in prison, travelling out of Iran, low educational status and being single or having multiple sexual partner but there is no differences between HHV8 positive and negative group.
Conclusion:The prevalence of HHV8 in HIV positive persons is high in Isfahan and preventive care may be beneficial. A future study including a large population from different high risk groups and general population in Iran is needed in order to define seroepidemiology and risk factors associated with HHV8 infection.
Alireza Abdollahi; Saeed Shoar; Sara Sheikhbahaei; Siroos Jafari
Volume 8, Issue 2 , April 2013, , Pages 81-88
Abstract
Background and Objective: Opportunistic infections are the leading cause of death among patients subjected to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The aim of this study was to compare the seroprevalence of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and toxoplasmosis ...
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Background and Objective: Opportunistic infections are the leading cause of death among patients subjected to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The aim of this study was to compare the seroprevalence of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and toxoplasmosis infection in newly diagnosed HIV infected patients with healthy controls and it’s correlation with CD4+ cell counts (CD4+).
Materials and Methods: A case controlled study was carried out to investigate CMV and toxoplasmosis serology among newly diagnosed HIV infected patients referred to University affiliated hospital in Tehran and compared them to healthy subjects as control. A total of 100 HIV positive patients and 100 healthy controls were recruited. Clinical characteristics and CD4+ cell counts were evaluated. The statistical package SPSS 17 for windows was used for analysis.
Results: Patients with HIV infection had a significantly higher positive serology for CMV than healthy controls (100% vs. 93% P<0.05). There was no significant difference between HIV positive and HIV negative patients in terms of toxoplasmosis serology. There was no significant difference between males and females with respect to CMV or toxoplasmosis serology.
Conclusion: CMV and toxoplasmosis infection are highly prevalent among HIV infected patients and also healthy controls, with a higher seropositive rate of CMV in HIV cases.
Alireza Abdollahi; Hedieh Moradi-Tabriz; Mehrnaz Rasoulinejad
Volume 5, Issue 4 , September 2010, , Pages 208-211
Abstract
HIV-related Immunosuppression significantly increases the risk of acquiring opportunistic infections. This report describes a 69-year-old man, referred to hospital with decreased consciousness and productive cough. This man was a known case of human immunodeficiency virus positive. The sputum of this ...
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HIV-related Immunosuppression significantly increases the risk of acquiring opportunistic infections. This report describes a 69-year-old man, referred to hospital with decreased consciousness and productive cough. This man was a known case of human immunodeficiency virus positive. The sputum of this patient was positive for Salmonella typhimurium. Pulmonary auscultation signaled brief and scattered crackles especially in the lung bases. Lung graphy showed bronchopulmonary infiltration. Diagnosed with pneumonia due to Salmonella, the patient underwent treatment but he succumbed after 48 hours in septic shock. This case report demonstrates the importance of including general medical causes of immunosuppression and their treatment in the differential diagnosis and aetio-pathogenesis of HIV-infected patients with unusual clinical presentations.
Amitis Ramezani; Minoo Mohraz; Mohammad Banifazl; Latif Gachkar; Sara Jam; Ali Eslamifar; Farhad Yaghmaie; Kambiz Nemati; Arezoo Aghakhani
Volume 2, Issue 4 , September 2007, , Pages 154-158
Abstract
Background and Objective: Dyslipidemia has become a common problem in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease, especially in patients on combination antiretroviral therapy. In this study we aimed to determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and metabolic abnormalities in 2 groups of HIV infected patients ...
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Background and Objective: Dyslipidemia has become a common problem in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease, especially in patients on combination antiretroviral therapy. In this study we aimed to determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and metabolic abnormalities in 2 groups of HIV infected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and antiretroviral-naive patients. Patients and Methods: Forty HIV infected patients treated by HAART as a case group (6 females and 34 males) with a mean age of 40.7 ± 10 years and 15 HIV naïve as a control group (2 females and 13 males) with a mean age of 38.40 ± 8.3 enrolled in this study. The two groups were well matched in respect to age, sex and CD4 cell counts. A standardized questionnaire with epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic data was completed by physicians. Blood samples were obtained for metabolic measurements. CD4 positive cell count was measured by f lowcytometry. Results: Levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, lactate, and FBS were elevated in 24%, 37%, 3.7%, 44.4%, 29.6% and 11% of patients respectively. There was a significant difference regarding mean total cholesterol and LDL between treated group and controls (p<0.05). There was also no significant difference between treated group and controls regarding triglyceride, HDL, lactate and FBS levels. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that metabolic abnormalities are relatively common in HIV-infected patients receiving HAART. Therefore, it is recommended to screen the HIV infected patients on HAART for metabolic disorders, potential of morbidity, and possible long-term cardiovascular risk factors.
Mehdi Mahmoudzadeh; Forouzan Ganji; Shahla Taheri
Volume 2, Issue 2 , April 2007, , Pages 67-70
Abstract
Background and Objective: Patients with thalassemia major have an abnormality in hemoglobin synthesis and ineffective hematopoiesis and for this reason with respect to disease severity should receive one or more fresh blood unit every 15-30 days. Since transfusion of blood products has been known as ...
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Background and Objective: Patients with thalassemia major have an abnormality in hemoglobin synthesis and ineffective hematopoiesis and for this reason with respect to disease severity should receive one or more fresh blood unit every 15-30 days. Since transfusion of blood products has been known as one of the routes of HIV infection, therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of HIV infection in thalassemic patients under transfusion in Hajar hospital in 2006. Materials and Methods: Descriptive strategy of this study was conducted on 73 serum samples from patients with thalassemia major as referrals of Hajar hospital. In this respect, HIV-Ab of the samples was assessed using ELISA method. For each patient, information including age, gender, and date of 1st blood transfusion were collected. The presence or absence of HIV1 and/or HIV2 antibodies was determined with regard to absorption cut-off value. HIV-Positive samples with absorption greater than 0.8 were further studied using PCR. Results: Out of 73 studied patients, 36 and 37 cases were male and female respectively. The mean age of patients was 10.3 ± 4.9 years. All of the patients had blood transfusion from 1991.The prevalence of HIV-positive in these patients was 0%. Conclusion: This result can be attributed to probably low incidence of HIV in blood donors and precise screening of blood products by Blood Transfusion Organization.
Babak Sayad; Peyman Eini; Hosein Hatami; Alireza Janbakhsh; Siavash Vaziri; Mandana Afsharian; Maryam Rezabeygi
Volume 1, Issue 1 , January 2006, , Pages 35-39
Abstract
Objectives: Immunodeficiency duo to HIV infection can produce unusual diseases in infected individuals & CD4 count is the main predictor of disease progression. In this study clinical syndromes resulting in admition, are considered according to CD4 count for the beter diagnosis and treatment of clinical ...
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Objectives: Immunodeficiency duo to HIV infection can produce unusual diseases in infected individuals & CD4 count is the main predictor of disease progression. In this study clinical syndromes resulting in admition, are considered according to CD4 count for the beter diagnosis and treatment of clinical problemes in HIV infected patients. Materrial & Methods: This is a cross - sectional study that was performed since March 2002 to March 2003 in Kermanshah Sina Hospital. HIV infection was confirmed with positive duble ELI SA and Western Blot. CD4 count was measured by flucytometery, clinical syndromes were collected with final diagnosis, and the rest of the data were gathered according to the patients' interviews. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 11.5. Results: During this study, 72 out of 215 admssions were enrolled. All of them were male with the mean age of 33.4 9.1 years. 64 cases (88.9%) were addicted and 40 cases (55.6%) had prison history. Clinical and/or laboratory indicators of AIDS were observed in 32 cases (44.4%). The average of CD4 count was 356/μL.Patients with lymphadenopathy, neurologic and pneumonia syndromes had the least count of CD4 with the averages of 90, 241 and 269/μL and patients with sepsis , endocarditis and hepatitis syndromes had the highest CD4 average count of 646, 394 and 373/μL respectively. Statistically correlations were observed between pneumonia syndrome with CD4<200/μL(Pvalue=0.005), and addiction history(Pvalue =0.0001). Suffering from hepatitis syndrome was also statistically correlated with being at prison. Conclusion: High prevalence of AIDS in our study was a trait which means high prevalence of asymptomatic HIV infection in general population .Also in patients with CD4<200/μL, especially those who are addicted, pneumonia syndrome may occur. Lymphadenopathy, neurologic and pneumonia syndromes are more common in CD4<300/μL whereas sepsis, Endocarditis and hepatitis syndromes are common in CD4> 300/μL, that shows the effect of CD4 count in appearance of clinical syndrpmes. Unsafe injections in prisons may cause acquisition of viral hepatitis in these patients.