Incidence of apoptosis in HIV‐myelopathy, myelodysplastic syndromes and non‐specific inflammatory lesions of the bone marrow

Abstract

Myelodysplastic syndromes, AIDS-related myelopathy and non-specific inflammatory reactions (mostly rheumatoid myelitis) are characterized by normo- to hypercellular bone marrow, but frequently display cytopenias in the peripheral blood. In the current study we have addressed the question whether this situation reflects an increased programmed cell death in haemopoiesis. For this purpose, the in situ end-labelling technique was applied to formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded trephine biopsies derived from patients and a control group without any haematological disorder. Results were evaluated by morphometry. Significantly more apoptotic cell death was observed in the haemopoietic marrow of patients with either disease. Using double-immunohistochemistry with the monoclonal antibody PG-MI (CD68), we were able to demonstrate that approximately one third of the apoptotic cells were ingested by macrophages. Our findings are in keeping with previously published data that postulated increased frequencies of macrophages in these disorders as well as raised serum levels of TNF-alpha.

Asymptomatic bacteriuria among HIV positive pregnant women

“…It is not, therefore, surprising the high prevalence found in this study. 6,14,19,20 The present study demonstrated a significant and independent association between the presence of ASB and both CD4 counts and viral load. These results imply that the more morbid the patients the higher the risk of asymptomatic bacteriuria and, possibly, the more vulnerability to bacterial and other opportunistic infections.…”

“…However, the result is similar to those seen in patients with other immune suppressive clinical conditions like diabetes mellitus and sickle cell disease. 19,20 The risk factors for ASB in this patients were low CD4 counts and high viral load.…”

Early Bone Marrow Hematopoietic Defect in Simian/Human Immunodeficiency Virus C2/1-Infected Macaques and Relevance to Advance of Disease

“…Several possibilities have been noted as the cause of such hematological abnormalities: the apoptosis of virusinfected cells, changes in the hematological environment, dysfunction of the thymus or the lymphoid system, change of cell division, or dysfunction of hematopoietic progenitor cells (1). Furthermore, a few reports have shown that the bone marrow of patients with AIDS displays morphological alterations similar to those of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (2,31). The term "HIV myelopathy" has been used for this bone marrow pathology by some investigators (10,22).…”

Apoptotic index by Annexin V flow cytometry: Adjunct to morphologic and cytogenetic diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndromes

“…A high apoptotic rate, however, is by no means unique to MDS and has been reported in other conditions including aplastic anemia (15), Fanconi's anemia (16), beta thalassemia (17), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) myelopathy, and other inflammatory myelitis (18).…”