Abstract

Immune activation in HIV-1-infected individuals is reduced under antiretroviral therapies, but persists, resulting in various morbidities. To better characterize this phenomenon, using a panel of 68 soluble and cell surface markers, we measured the level of activation in circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, B cells, monocytes, NK cells, polynuclear and endothelial cells as well as of inflammation and fibrinolysis in 120 virologic responders over 45 years of age. As compared with age- and sex-matched uninfected individuals, we observed a persistence of activation in all the cell subpopulations analyzed, together with marks of inflammation and fibrinolysis. Two independent hierarchical clustering analyses allowed us to identify five clusters of markers that varied concurrently, and five patient groups, each with the same activation profile. The five groups of patients could be characterized by a marker of CD4+ T cell, CD8+ T cell, NK cell, monocyte activation or of inflammation, respectively. One of these profiles was strongly associated with marks of metabolic syndrome, particularly with hyperinsulinemia (OR 12.17 [95% CI 1.79–82.86], p = 0.011). In conclusion, our study unveils biomarkers linked to metabolic syndrome that could be tested as predictive markers, and opens the way to new therapeutic approaches tailored to each patient group.

Abstract

(Received: 2014/12/06 - Accepted: 2015/03/24)The textile industry in Ecuador is still a matter of concern because of the inappropriate disposal of their effluents into the local water supply. The present research was carried out in Pelileo (Tungurahua-Ecuador) where textile wastewaters are discharged into waterways. An environmentally friendly solution to treat highly contaminated organic textile wastewaters is herein evaluated: a remediation process of biocoagulation was performed using extracts from the Caesalpinia spinosa plant also known as guarango or tara. It was determined that using C. spinosa extracts to treat wastewater has the same statistical effect as when applying a chemical coagulant (polyaluminum chloride 15%). Activated zeolite adsorbed color residuals from treated water to obtain turbidity removal more than 90%. A mathematical model showed that turbidity removal between 50-90% can be obtained by applying 25-45 g/L of guarango extracts and zeolite per 700 mL of textile wastewater. The natural coagulation using C. spinosa extracts produced 85% less sludge than polyaluminum chloride, and removed high organic matter content in the wastewater (1050 mg/L) by 52%.