Maria Cristina Uccelli
University of Brescia
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Publication
Featured researches published by Maria Cristina Uccelli.
Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes | 2006
Carlo Torti; Giuseppe Lapadula; Massimo Puoti; Salvatore Casari; Maria Cristina Uccelli; Graziella Cristini; Daniele Bella; Giuseppe Pastore; Nicoletta Ladisa; Lorenzo Minoli; Giovanni Sotgiu; Sergio Lo Caputo; Stefano Bonora; Giampiero Carosi
Background:The independent role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3 in liver transaminase elevation following highly active antiretroviral regimens is still controversial. Methods:Analysis of data from a cohort of 492 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients was conducted using an intention-to-treat approach. Incidence of grade ≥III liver transaminase elevation was estimated per 100 patient-years of follow-up. Univariate and multiple proportional hazards regression analysis of factors that may predict liver enzyme elevation was performed. Results:The incidence of grade ≥III hepatotoxicity was 25 per 100 patient-years among patients coinfected with HCV genotype 3 and 11 per 100 patient-years among those with other genotypes. On multiple proportional hazard regression analysis, time-to-grade ≥III liver enzyme elevation was directly correlated with HCV genotype 3 (hazards ratio [HR]: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.3 to 2.9; P = 0.001), male gender (HR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.3 to 5.7; P = 0.007), chronic hepatitis B virus infection (HR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.5 to 5.9; P = 0.002), and alanine aminotransferase level at baseline (per 10 IU/L HR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.15; P < 0.001). In the same model, higher CD4+ T-cell counts at baseline were inversely correlated with risk of hepatotoxicity (HR: 0.998; 95% CI: 0.997 to 0.999; P = 0.036). Moreover, among patients experienced to antiretroviral drugs, previous grade ≥III hepatotoxicity (HR: 2.8; 95% CI: 1.8 to 4.3; P < 0.001) was an adjunctive independent risk factor. Conclusions:HIV-positive patients coinfected with HCV genotype 3 displayed a higher risk of relevant hepatotoxicity, independently from other clinical variables. The impact of HCV genotype outweighed the role of drugs in determining hepatotoxicity.
Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism | 2006
Maria Cristina Uccelli; Carlo Torti; Giuseppe Lapadula; Lorena Labate; Giuliana Cologni; Valeria Tirelli; Francesca Moretti; Silvia Costarelli; Eugenia Quiros-Roldan; Giampiero Carosi
Background: Homocysteinemia (Hcy) increase and risk factors in HIV-positive patients are not clear yet. Methods: HIV-positive patients on stable highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens for at least 6 months were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Among other factors, vitamin B12, folate and length of exposure to protease inhibitors (PIs) were evaluated for their possible correlation with hyper-Hcy (>13 µmol/l in females; >15 µmol/l in males) by logistic regression analysis. Results: Ninety-eight HIV-positive patients were recruited. Twenty-eight (28.6%) had hyper-Hcy. Length of exposure to antiretroviral therapy and PIs did not result to be significantly associated with hyper-Hcy risk. Normal folate level was the only factor associated with the outcome, resulting protective from hyper-Hcy, either at univariate (OR = 0.22; CI 95% = 0.06–0.86; p = 0.029) and multivariable (OR = 0.24; CI 95% = 0.06–0.94; p = 0.04) logistic regression analysis. Folate predictive value of hyper-Hcy risk was driven by levels in the lowest quartiles of the study population (i.e. <10.9 nmol/l). Conclusions: No significant correlations were observed between hyper-Hcy and length of exposure to antiretroviral therapy or PIs. Folate could be a confounding factor in the association between hyper-Hcy and PI exposure found by others. The potential value of folate supplementation, in those who are deficient and in those with hyper-Hcy, merits study.
Viral Immunology | 2004
Carlo Torti; Giuliana Cologni; Maria Cristina Uccelli; Eugenia Quiros-Roldan; Luisa Imberti; Paolo Airò; Silvia Pirovano; Andrea Patroni; Valeria Tirelli; Giampiero Carosi
Correlates of immune reconstitution after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) are not completely understood, in particular as far as viro-immunological discordant responses are concerned. HIV-positive patients on stable HAART for > or = 1 year were recruited. Viro-immunological responses were categorized according to positive or negative area under the curve (AUC) variations for HIV plasma viral load (pVL) and CD4+ T-cell counts measured at least every 4 months. The following parameters were evaluated: lymphocyte spontaneous apoptosis (LSA), intracellular Bcl-2 expression in both CD4-CD45RA+ and CD4-CD45R0+, IL-7 and IL-15 plasma concentrations, and lymphocyte TRECs levels. Sixty-one patients were enrolled. A significant inverse correlation was found between CD4+ T-cell count and pVL AUC (r = 0.45; p = 0.0003). Patients with pVL response had higher levels of Bcl-2 in CD4-CD45R0+ (mean 65,409 MESF vs. 54,018 MESF; p = 0.089) and higher IL-15 (mean 1.34 pg/mL vs. 1.05 pg/mL; p = 0.069, respectively). Higher LSA and lower TRECs levels were found in viro-immunological non-responder patients with respect to those who had viro-immunological response (mean 24.84% vs. 14.89%; p = 0.01, and mean 17,796 copies/10(6) cells vs. 29,251 copies/10(6) cells; p = 0.68, respectively). Virological suppression may allow Bcl-2 and IL-15 hyperexpression during incomplete immune-reconstitution phase, while more complete immune reconstitution appeared to be marked by both high TRECs and low LSA levels, possibly indicating both central and peripheral CD4+ T-cell repopulations at this stage.
AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses | 2000
Paolo Airò; Carlo Torti; Maria Cristina Uccelli; Fabio Malacarne; Loredana Palvarini; Giampiero Carosi; Francesco Castelli
The mechanism causing the increasing number of peripheral T cells after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is still unclear. The bcl-2 oncogene prevents spontaneous apoptosis (SA) in lymphocytes. Spontaneous apoptosis could be a determinant of HIV immunodeficiency and can be reversed by HAART including protease inhibitors (PI-HAART). The aims of our study were to measure Bcl-2 protein expression in memory (CD45RO+) and naive (CD45RO-) CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes of HIV+ patients and to correlate it with efficacy of PI-HAART. Forty-nine HIV+ patients (cases) and 26 HIV- individuals (controls) were evaluated. Patients receiving PI-HAART, and who had undetectable HIV plasma viral load (VL-, n = 21), had higher levels of Bcl-2 than did VL+ patients (n = 28), both in CD4+ cells (p < 0.0001) and in CD8+ cells (p < 0.001). VL+ patients had lower Bcl-2 levels than did controls in CD8+ cells (p = 0.02), but not in CD4+ cells (p > 0.05). Interestingly, VL- patients had higher Bcl-2 expression than did controls both in CD4+ cells (p < 0.0001) and in CD8+ cells (p = 0.03). In a subcohort of the same patients, Bcl-2 was significantly higher in VL- patients (n = 10) than in controls (n = 12), both in naive CD4+ cells (p < 0.0001) and in naive CD8+ cells (p = 0.01). Naive CD4+ cells had higher Bcl-2 expression in VL- than in VL+ patients (p = 0.01). In a subsequent longitudinal study of nine HIV patients, naive CD4+ cells increased after effective PI-HAART (p = 0.03), which paralleled an increase in Bcl-2 expression in the same cells (p = 0.02). In conclusion, upregulation of bcl-2 could be a mechanism of immune reconstitution of naive CD4+ T cells induced by PI-HAART.
AIDS | 2003
Maria Cristina Uccelli; Carlo Torti; Eugenia Quiros-Roldan; Carmine Tinelli; Andrea Patroni; Francesco Castelli; Giampiero Carosi; Paolo Airò
International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents | 2007
Carlo Torti; Giuseppe Lapadula; Maria Cristina Uccelli; Eugenia Quiros-Roldan; Mario Regazzi; Nicoletta Ladisa; Valeria Micheli; Anna Orani; Andrea Patroni; Sergio Lo Caputo; Valeria Tirelli; Simona Di Giambenedetto; Giuliana Cologni; Silvia Costarelli; Franco Gargiulo; Nino Manca; Giampiero Carosi
Antiviral Therapy | 2006
Giuseppe Lapadula; Carlo Torti; Giuseppe Paraninfo; Filippo Castelnuovo; Maria Cristina Uccelli; Silvia Costarelli; Nicoletta Ladisa; Renato Maserati; Massimo Di Pietro; Annalisa De Silvestri; Carmine Tinelli; Massimo Puoti; Giampiero Carosi
Journal of Clinical Virology | 2006
Carlo Torti; Maria Cristina Uccelli; Eugenia Quiros-Roldan; Franco Gargiulo; Valeria Tirelli; Giuseppe Lapadula; Mario Regazzi; Piera Pierotti; Carmine Tinelli; Andrea De Luca; Andrea Patroni; Nino Manca; Giampiero Carosi
Aids Patient Care and Stds | 2007
Eugenia Quiros-Roldan; Carlo Torti; Giuseppe Lapadula; Nicoletta Ladisa; Valeria Micheli; Andrea Patroni; Maria Cusato; Piera Pierotti; Valeria Tirelli; Maria Cristina Uccelli; Simona Di Giambenedetto; Filippo Castelnuovo; Franco Gargiulo; Nino Manca; Giampiero Carosi
Medical Science Monitor | 2003
Carlo Torti; Francesca Moretti; Maria Cristina Uccelli; Valeria Tirelli; Eugenia Quiros-Roldan; Franco Gargiulo; Giampiero Carosi; Paola Nasta