BACKGROUND Arsenic has immunomodulatory properties and may have the potential to alter susceptibility to infection in humans. OBJECTIVES We aimed to assess the relation of arsenic exposure during pregnancy with immune function and hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection, defined as seroconversion during pregnancy and postpartum. METHODS We assessed IgG seroconversion to HEV between 1st and 3rd tr...

BACKGROUND In adults and children with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, a polymorphism in the interleukin 6 (IL-6) promoter at position -174 predicts illness magnitude. In addition, polymorphisms in the interleukin 10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) genes are associated with immune responsiveness and the frequency of complications. ...

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA loads are measured sporadically in HCV-positive individuals. However, the prognostic value of these isolated measurements for predicting progression to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and all-cause mortality in coinfected individuals remains unclear. In this study, the prognostic value of a single HCV RNA load measurement taken early after human immunodefi...

In contrast to the situation in the post-transplant setting, in HIV-infected individuals an elevated EBV load is not predictive of EBV-related malignancies. To study whether a high EBV load is already a normal situation early in HIV infection and is not related to a decrease in immune function over time, we investigated EBV load and EBV-specific CD8(+) T cells approximately 1 year before and 1 ...

To evaluate and compare the therapeutic efficacy of adenine arabinoside (Ara-A) and alpha-interferon (alpha-INF), 40 patients with biopsy proven chronic active hepatitis B were chosen at random to receive Ara-A (15 mg/Kg, iv, for 10 day) or alpha-INF (3 million unit, sc, every other day for 12 wks) and followed up to 12 months after completion of the therapy. All patients were HBeAg positive. T...

DESIGN Children with HIV are especially susceptible to complications from influenza infection, and effective vaccines are central to reducing disease burden in this population. We undertook a prospective, observational study to investigate the safety and immunogenicity of the inactivated split-virion AS03-adjuvanted pandemic H1N1(2009) vaccine in children with HIV. SETTING National referral c...

BACKGROUND After treatment cessation, a high prevalence of relapse was reported in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients in China, especially in nucleot(s)ide analogues (NUCs)-experienced patients. Re-treatment for these patients remains unsolved. OBJECTIVES This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of PEGylated interferon in HBeAg positive patients with exposure to antiviral therapy. PATIENTS ...

OBJECTIVE To compare the immunogenicity of three yellow fever vaccines from WHO-17D and Brazilian 17DD substrains (different seed-lots). METHODS An equivalence trial was carried out involving 1,087 adults in Rio de Janeiro. Vaccines produced by Bio-Manguinhos, Fiocruz (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) were administered following standardized procedures adapted to allow blocked randomized allocation of...

BACKGROUND/AIMS The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroconversion rate of a hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccination in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related chronic liver disease (CLD). METHODS Analyses were conducted using clinical records from 94 patients with chronic HBV infection who were seronegative for IgG anti-HAV antibodies between September 2008 and June 2009. Two doses o...

BACKGROUND Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is an emerging Orthobunyavirus of ruminant livestock species currently circulating in Europe. SBV causes a subclinical or mild disease in adult animals but vertical transmission to pregnant dams may lead to severe malformations in the offspring. Data on the onset of clinical signs, viremia and seroconversion in experimentally infected adult animals are avail...