Characteristics of memory in MRL/1 mice and the effect of thymic peptides

By means of methods of active and passive getting rid of electrical-pain irritation we showed that in mice MRL/1--the model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)--as compared with CBA (control) the process of forming a developed habit engram (DHE) was slowed down and its keeping was impaired. Thymic peptides (thymalin--0.2 mlg/mice intraperitoneally) suppressed the process of forming DHE irrespective of mice line and improved the process of its consolidation and keeping especially in mice MRL/1. Memory impairment in mice with genetical predisposition to the development of autoimmune process (MRL/1) is considered from view of the authors' developed hypothesis about thymus as an organ of antisystem of immune control of homeostasis and RA as an adaptation disease.     

Hemoglobin May Contribute to Sex Differences in Mortality among HIV-Infected Persons in Care

Background

Some retrospective studies have found that HIV-infected women have a higher mortality risk than men after adjusting for baseline characteristics, while others have not. Anemia is a known predictor of HIV-related mortality. We assessed whether anemia contributed to the sex difference in mortality in our cohort.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study among HIV-infected persons in care at the Comprehensive Care Center (Nashville, TN) between 1998 and 2009. Cox proportional hazards models compared time from first clinic visit to death and AIDS-defining events (ADE), adjusted for baseline characteristics with and without baseline hemoglobin.

Results

Of 3,633 persons, 879 (24%) were women. Women had lower median baseline hemoglobin compared to men: 12.4 g/dL (inter-quartile range (IQR) 11.3–13.4) vs. 14.4 (IQR 13.1–15.5), respectively (P<0.001). In multivariable models without hemoglobin, the risk of death was higher among women: hazard ratio (HR) 1.46 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17, 1.82; P = 0.001). In multivariable models with hemoglobin, the risk of death in women was diminished and no longer statistically significant: HR 1.2 (95% CI 0.93, 1.55; P = 0.17). The risk of ADE was higher among women in both models, but not statistically significant: HR 1.1 (95% CI 0.85–1.42; P = 0.46) in the model without hemoglobin and 1.11 (95% CI 0.82–1.48; P = 0.50) in the model with hemoglobin. Hemoglobin was a strong predictor of death: HR 0.88 per 1 g/dL increase (95% CI 0.83, 0.93; P<0.001).

Conclusion

In our study population of HIV-infected persons in care, women had lower baseline hemoglobin, and lower hemoglobin contributed to their higher risk of ADE and death.