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CCR5Δ32 and SDF1-3'A polymorphisms were investigated in a cohort of viremia controllers, without the use of therapy, along with their influence on CD4+ T lymphocytes (TLs), CD8+ TLs, and plasma viral load (VL). The samples were analyzed from 32 HIV-1-infected individuals classified as viremia controllers 1 and 2 and viremia non-controllers, from both sexes, mostly heterosexuals, paired with 300 individuals from a control group. CCR5∆32 polymorphism was identified by PCR amplification of a fragment of 189 bp for the wild-type allele and 157 bp for the allele with the ∆32 deletion. SDF1-3'A polymorphism was identified by PCR, followed by enzymatic digestion (restriction fragment length polymorphism) with the Msp I enzyme. The relative quantification of gene expression was performed by real-time PCR. The distribution of allele and genotype frequencies did not show significant differences between the groups. The gene expression of CCR5 and SDF1 was not different between the profiles of AIDS progression. There was no significant correlation between the progression markers (CD4+ TL/CD8+ TL and VL) and the CCR5∆32 polymorphism carrier status. The 3'A allele variant was associated with a marked loss of CD4+ TLs and a higher plasma VL. Neither CCR5∆32 nor SDF1-3'A was associated with viremia control or the controlling phenotype.

Background: The present study aimed to describe the genetic diversity of HIV-1, as well as the resistance profile of the viruses identified in HIV-1 infected pregnant women under antiretroviral therapy in the state of Pará, Northern Brazil., Methods: Blood samples were collected from 45 HIV-1 infected pregnant to determine the virus subtypes according to the HIV-1 protease (PR) gene and part of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) gene by sequencing the nucleotides of these regions. Drug resistance mutations and susceptibility to antiretroviral drugs were analyzed by the Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database., Results: Out of 45 samples, only 34 could be amplified for PR and 30 for RT. Regarding the PR gene, subtypes B (97.1%) and C (2.9%) were identified; for the RT gene, subtypes B (90.0%), F (6.7%), and C (3.3%) were detected. Resistance to protease inhibitors (PI) was identified in 5.8% of the pregnant, and mutations conferring resistance to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors were found in 3.3%, while mutations conferring resistance to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors were found in 3.3%., Conclusions: These results showed a low frequency of strains resistant to antiretroviral drugs, the prevalence of subtypes B and F, and the persistent low transmission of subtype C in pregnant of the state of Pará, Brazil.

The present study assessed the phenotypic aspects of oral-cavity Candida albicans isolates from 300 HIV-1- positive patients, relating the most commonly investigated virulence factors (enzyme typing and germ-tube formation) to the most common morphotypes. The samples were seeded into specific media for isolation and subsequent identification using the automated Vitek 2 system. The following assays were performed for phenotypic characterization: morphotyping, germ-tube formation and enzyme typing. Out of 300 collected samples, 144 tested positive for yeasts of the Candida genus, 98 (32.7 %) of which were identified as C. albicans. The latter samples were attributed to seven different morphotypes; the three most common morphotypes were 7208 (49 %), 7308 (14.3 %) and 3208 (13.3 %). All of the C. albicans isolate samples formed germ tubes and produced the enzymes proteinase and phospholipase, with an activity classified as intermediate to high. Due to the identification of virulence factors among the analyzed samples, monitoring of HIV-1-positive patients colonized by different morphotypes must be established because these morphotypes are extremely pathogenic and can trigger severe fungal infections.

This study aimed to describe the epidemiological, immunological and molecular features of infection by the human T-lymphotropic virus-1/2 (HTLV-1/2) in individuals with HIV-1 in an urban area of Piaui State, Brazil. Exclusion criteria included patients under 18 years of age, pregnant women or Amerindians. Of 805 individuals analyzed by the serological method (ELISA) for the detection of anti-HTLV-1/2, 18 (2.24%) were positive, but only 13 (1.61%) were confirmed by PCR. The RFLP analysis revealed that nine (1.12%) of these subjects were positive for HTLV-1 and four (0.5%) for HTLV-2. The mean age of these co-infected individuals was 50.9±9.1 years, and a significant association was found with age (above 40 years: p = 0.002), minor surgeries (p = 0.004) and blood transfusion (p = 0.031). Quantification of the T CD4+/CD8+ lymphocytes and the HIV-1 viral load showed no significant association of T CD8 + lymphocyte levels with co-infection in the patients with HIV-1/HTLV-1. The sequencing of the LTR region and phylogenetic analysis indicated that the nine HTLV-1 strains belong to the Transcontinental subgroup of the Cosmopolitan group (1a), with a 83% (neighbor-joining) bootstrap value. The HTLV-2 strains were identified as subtype HTLV-2c, supported by a bootstrap value of 79%. Further studies in other population subgroups, such as blood donors and drug users, will be necessary to clarify the dissemination of HTLV-1/2 in Piau and elucidate the developmental profile of the virus in the region.

Introduction: The present study investigated the association between mannose-binding lectin (MBL) gene polymorphism and serum levels with infection by HIV-1., Methods: Blood samples (5 mL) were collected from 97 HIV-1-infected individuals resident in Belém, State of Pará, Brazil, who attended the Special Outpatient Unit for Infections and Parasitic Diseases (URE-DIPE). CD4+ T-lymphocyte count and plasma viral load were quantified. A 349bp fragment of exon 1 of the MBL was amplified via PCR, using genomic DNA extracted from controls and HIV-1-infected individuals, following established protocols. MBL plasma levels of the patients were quantified using an enzyme immunoassay kit., Results: Two alleles were observed: MBL*O, with a frequency of 26.3% in HIV-1-infected individuals; and the wild allele MBL*A (73.7%). Similar frequencies were observed in the control group (p > 0.05). Genotype frequencies were distributed according to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in both groups. Mean MBL plasma levels varied by genotype, with statistically significant differences between the AA and AO (p < 0.0001), and AA and OO (p < 0.001) genotypes, but not AO and OO (p = 0.17). Additionally, CD4+ T-lymphocytes and plasma viral load levels did not differ significantly by genotype (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: The results of this study do not support the hypothesis that MBL gene polymorphism or low plasma MBL concentrations might have a direct influence on HIV-1 infection, although a broader study involving a large number of patients is needed.

The molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 strains circulating in Belem-PA and Macapa-AP, in the Northern region of Brazil, is described using sequences of the C2V3 segment of the env and the pro gene of HIV-1 from patients of the Reference Unit for Special Infectious and Parasitary Diseases (URE-DIPE) in Belem-PA and the Central Laboratory (LACEN) in Macapa-AP. Subtype B was the most frequently found in relation to pro (88.3%) in Belem and in Macapa (97.1%) and env (88.3% in Belem and 100% in Macapa). Subtype F was also described in Belem (9.3% pro and 8.3% env) and Macapa (2.8% pro). Subtype D was described for the first time in the Northern region of the country as well as the recent entry of CRF02&#95;AG. Furthermore, several possible recombinant forms among the various subtypes were found in both cities. The results support the hypothesis that HIV-1 infection is associated with the epidemic of the virus in the Southeast region of the country and that the city of Belem is the most important route for HIV-1 entry in the Northern region of Brazil.

The present study investigated the prevalence of mutations in the -550 (H/L) and -221 (X/Y) mannose-binding lectin (MBL) gene promoter regions and their impact on infection by human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) in a population of 128 HIV-1 seropositive and 97 seronegative patients. The allele identification was performed through the sequence-specific primer polymerase chain reaction method, using primer sequences specific to each polymorphism. The evolution of the infection was evaluated through CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts and plasma viral load. The allele and haplotype frequencies among HIV-1-infected patients and seronegative healthy control patients did not show significant differences. CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts showed lower levels among seropositive patients carrying haplotypes LY, LX and HX, as compared to those carrying the HY haplotype. Mean plasma viral load was higher among seropositive patients with haplotypes LY, LX and HX than among those carrying the HY haplotype. When promoter and exon 1 mutations were matched, it was possible to identify a significantly higher viral load among HIV-1 infected individuals carrying haplotypes correlated to low serum levels of MBL. The current study shows that haplotypes related to medium and low MBL serum levels might directly influence the evolution of viral progression in patients. Therefore, it is suggested that the identification of haplotypes within the promoter region of the MBL gene among HIV-1 infected persons should be further evaluated as a prognostic tool for AIDS progression.

The seroprevalence and the occurrence of an HIV-1 subtype was assessed in blood samples of the Tiriyo tribe. Antibody was found in 0.6% and the molecular analysis of the pro region detected the emergence of a subtype B for the first time in a native Indian tribe of the Amazon region of Brazil.

The present work evaluated the epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus 1/human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HIV-1/HTLV) coinfection in patients living in Belém (state of Pará) and Macapá (state of Amapá), two cities located in the Amazon region of Brazil. A total of 169 blood samples were collected. The sera were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine the presence of antibodies anti-HTLV-1/2. Confirmation of infection and discrimination of HTLV types and subtypes was performed using a nested polymerase chain reaction targeting the pX and 5' LTR regions, followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing analysis. The presence of anti-HTLV1/2 was detected in six patients from Belém. The amplification of the pX region followed by RFLP analysis, demonstrated the presence of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infections among two and four patients, respectively. Sequencing HTLV-1 5' LTR indicated that the virus is a member of the Cosmopolitan Group, Transcontinental subgroup. HTLV-2 strains isolated revealed a molecular profile of subtype HTLV-2c. These results are a reflex of the epidemiological features of HIV-1/HTLV-1/2 coinfection in the North region of Brazil, which is distinct from other Brazilian regions, as reported by previous studies.

The occurrence of laboratory-acquired infections have elicited in the last ten years an intense interest in methods and procedures for the safe handling of microbiological material. The major laboratory safety problem is aerial transmission, however, protection against airborne hazards is efficiently achieved by the use of microbiological safety cabinets. Biosafety rules should be strictly followed by all members of a laboratory. Evaluation of these procedures should be effectively performed by an independent biosafety committee. The upsurge of AIDS should stimulate the adoption of safe working procedures in the laboratory.