Adherence ofStaphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniaefrom healthy persons and HIV carriers, under the influence of Broncho Vaxomin vitroand ascorbic acidin vivo

Four years of immunization with OM-85 BV to prevent respiratory infections in HIV+ patients

We report an interventional, non-randomized experience of OM-85 BV immunization in a group of 104 HIV-infected subjects presenting recurrent seasonal respiratory bacterial infections. We compared the number of respiratory events, the use of antibiotics and the cost related to antibiotics before (2005-2006) and after (2008-2011) the introduction of such intervention. The year 2007 was excluded from the analysis since half of the patients were immunized in that year in an exploratory approach. Respiratory infections dropped in all groups but in subjects with recurrent otitis, leading to a reduction in the use of antibiotics. This is the first report of the effect of OM-85 BV in vivo in HIV-infected subjects.

Factors affecting the adherence of Candida albicans to human buccal epithelial cells in human immunodeficiency virus infection

Adherence to host surfaces is an essential prerequisite for colonization and infection. We compared the adherence of 15 oral isolates of Candida albicans harvested from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals and 12 isolates from HIV-free individuals to buccal epithelial cells (BECs) from HIV-free individuals, and the adherence of a reference strain of C. albicans to BECs from HIV-infected as well as HIV-free individuals. C. albicans from HIV-infected individuals showed adherence values similar to those from HIV-free individuals. The clinical and laboratory parameters of the subjects from whom the Candida were isolated did not correlate with adherence. A reference strain of C. albicans (GDH 1957), however, adhered more readily to BECs from HIV-infected individuals than to cells from an HIV-free cohort. Several variables were found to be associated with the adherence of C. albicans to BECs from HIV-infected individuals: use of zidovudine, antibacterials and antiparasitics was associated with increased adhesion, while haemophilia, heterosexuality, bisexuality, increased age, decreased CD4 + count and use of folate were associated with a decreased candidal adhesion (all P < 0.05). Our data suggest that the quality of BECs including their receptivity to Candida may play an important part in increasing the oral yeast carriage in HIV infection.