\n\nPATIENTS AND METHODS: According to the European Consensus definition, Late Presenters (LP) were defined as subjects presenting for care with a CD4+ T-cell count below 350 cells/mu l or this website with an AIDS-defining event, regardless of CD4+ T-cell count; patients with advanced HIV disease (Very Late Presenters) (VLP) were those presenting with a CD4+ T-cell count below 200 cells/mu l or with an AIDS-defining event, regardless of CD4+ T-cell count.\n\nRESULTS: 620 patients were included in the study. 345 (55.6%) subjects were LP, 35% of them were asymptomatic; 246 (39.7%) were VLP.

In univariate analysis, late presentation was related to age (p < 0.001), to heterosexual exposure to HIV infection (70% of heterosexual subjects were LP) (p < 0.005) and to being diagnosed during the calendar period from 1991 to 2000 (p < 0.001). Very late presentation was related to age (p < 0.001), male sex (p < 0.01), heterosexual risk (p < 0.001) and to being diagnosed during the calendar period from 1991 CYT387 to 2000 (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, age (p < 0.0001), being older than 50 years old (p = 0.02), years of diagnosis 1991-1995 (p < 0.005) and 1996-2000 (p < 0.05) in the subgroup of late presenters and age (p < 0.0001), being older

than 50 years old (p < 0.005), male sex (p < 0.0001), years of diagnosis 1991-1995 (p < 0.05) and 1996-2000 (p < 0.005) in the subgroup of very late presenters maintained statistical significance.\n\nThe survival probability within LP and VLP group was statistically lower than no LP/VLP (log rank test p < 0.0005 and p < 0.0001, respectively). For both LP (p < 0.002) SNX-5422 and VLP (p < 0.0001), survival probability was significantly lower in the pre-HAART era, in comparison with the period of mono/dual therapy and the HAART era.\n\nCONCLUSIONS: More than fifty percent of patients in our setting were diagnosed late with HIV

infection and, consequently, treated late. Late and very late presentation were associated with lower survival probability. The implementation of strategies focused on targeted prevention efforts and HIV testing programs appears fundamental to diagnose and treat HIV infection as early as possible.”
“Mycobacterium tuberculosis depends on aerobic respiration for growth and utilizes an aa(3)-type cytochrome c oxidase for terminal electron transfer. Cytochrome c maturation in bacteria requires covalent attachment of heme to apocytochrome c, which occurs outside the cytoplasmic membrane. We demonstrate that in M. tuberculosis the thioredoxin-like protein Rv3673c, which we named CcsX, is required for heme insertion in cytochrome c. Inactivation of CcsX resulted in loss of c-type heme absorbance, impaired growth and virulence of M.