The purpose of this study was to determine whether the clinical and microbiological characteristics of parapneumonic effusions in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were different from those observed in patients without HIV infection. One hundred and thirty seven patients with parapneumonic effusions were included and divided into two groups depending on whether they had HIV infection or not. The parapneumonic effusion rate was significantly higher in HIV-positive than in noninfected patients (21 vs 13%). Their clinical course was more severe, presenting a higher rate of bacteraemias (58 vs 18%). Pleural fluid in patients infected with HIV had significantly lower glucose levels than that of patients without HIV infection. Chest tube drainage was more frequent in parapneumonic effusions of patients infected with HIV than in those without HIV infection (71 vs 44%). Staphylococcus aureus was the most common microorganism found in the bacteriological samples of patients with CAP infected with HIV (53 vs 12%). We conclude that patients with community-acquired pneumonia and HIV infection have a higher rate of parapneumonic effusions and a more severe clinical course than non-HIV patients, and that Staphylococcus aureus predominates in their bacteriological samples.

The influence of cytokine on the progression of chronic periodontitis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients is still controversial and poorly investigated. This study aimed to analyze and compare IL-6 and IFN-α levels in the gingival crevicular fluid of HIV-1-positive and HIV-1-negative patients with chronic periodontitis and different grades of tissue destruction and inflammation. Samples from the gingival crevicular sulcus were obtained from 35 HIV-1-positive individuals with chronic periodontitis and 35 seronegative patients with chronic periodontitis. Probing depth and clinical attachment level, as well as the results of the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for confirmation of patient diagnostics, were evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed using Student t, Mann-Whitney and Spearman tests. IL-6 levels were significantly lower, while IFN-α levels were significantly higher in HIV-1 patients. Clinical attachment level was directly associated with IFN-α levels in HIV-1 carriers, connected to probing depth in these patients. Clinical data in association with gingival crevicular fluid cytokine levels may reveal a localized immunological response pattern, which may contribute to the understanding of periodontitis pathogenesis in HIV-1 carriers.