Pongsakdi Chaisilwattana

Laparoscopic hysterectomy versus abdominal hysterectomy for severe pelvic endometriosis.

To compare the surgical outcomes of laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) versus abdominal hysterectomy (AH) in patients with severe pelvic endometriosis.

High prevalence of cervical squamous cell abnormalities among HIV-infected women with immunological AIDS-defining illnesses†

Aim:  To assess the results of Pap smear at postpartum scheduled visit, especially the prevalence of squamous cell abnormalities including association with CD4+ T‐lymphocyte count (CD4+ count) levels at delivery among HIV‐infected women between the years 1996 and 2004.

Lack of resistant mutation development after receiving short-course zidovudine plus lamivudine to prevent mother-to-child transmission

A short-course regimen of zidovudine plus lamivudine starting from 34 weeks’ gestation in pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child HIV infection, and discontinued after delivery, was evaluated for the development of resistance at 6 weeks postpartum. No resistant mutation was found in 32 women. One of the three infected infants carried the M184V and K219Q mutations.

Association between HSV-2 and HIV-1 viral load in semen, cervico-vaginal secretions and genital ulcers of Thai men and women.

We studied the association between herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) and HIV-1 viralload in plasma, semen, cervico-vaginal secretions and genital ulcers. Forty-seven (68%) men and 57 (80%) women were HSV-2 antibody positive, of whom 12 (26%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 20, 32) and five (8%, 95% CI 4, 12), respectively, had HSV-2 genital shedding detected by polymerase chain reaction. The mean HIV-1 seminal and cervico-vaginal viral loads did not differ significantly according to the presence of HSV-2 shedding. Eleven men and 15 women presented with genital ulcers; all ulcers were due to HSV-2. Ten men and nine women were followed up over six days: the mean (95% CI) HIV-1 log viral load copies/mL in the genital ulcers at baseline and final visits were 2.5 (2.3, 2.7) and 3.1 (2.0, 4.2) for men and 3.0 (2.6, 3.4) and 2.7 (2.3, 3.1) for women. These findings do not support the hypothesis that HSV-2 increases the HIV-1 viral load in genital secretions.

Lack of Association between Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Antibody in Cervicovaginal Lavage Fluid and Plasma and Perinatal Transmission, in Thailand

To determine the association between human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV)-specific antibody and RNA levels in cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) samples and plasma, zidovudine treatment, and perinatal transmission, HIV subtype E gp160-specific IgG and IgA were serially measured in a subset of 74 HIV-infected women in a placebo-controlled trial of zidovudine, beginning at 36 weeks of gestation. HIV IgG was detected in 100% of plasma and 97% of CVL samples; HIV IgA was consistently detected in 62% of plasma and 31% of CVL samples. Antibody titers in CVL samples correlated better with the RNA level in CVL samples than with plasma antibody titers. Zidovudine did not affect antibody titers. Perinatal HIV transmission was not associated with antibody in CVL samples or plasma. HIV-specific antibody is present in the cervicovaginal canal of HIV-infected pregnant women; its correlation with the RNA level in CVL fluid suggests local antibody production. However, there was no evidence that these antibodies protected against perinatal HIV transmission.