Nonurban male homosexuals: epidemiologic, immunologic and virologic characteristics. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1985. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Nonurban male homosexuals: epidemiologic, immunologic and virologic characteristics.

Am J Med Sci. 1984 Oct;288(3):109-13. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/85020173
Sherertz RJ; Peacock JE Jr; Sixbey JW; Folds JD; Bowdre JH; Huang ES; Hamilton JD; McDowell DL

Abstract: Twenty asymptomatic male homosexuals living in North Carolina were evaluated looking at epidemiologic, immunologic and virologic characteristics. In ten subjects selected for inhalant nitrite use a significantly higher frequency of multiple drug abuse and a trend toward greater sexual promiscuity was found in comparison with ten nonnitrite users. None of the 20 subjects had chronic lymphadenopathy. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) was not found in urine, blood or throat washings, but was found in 29% of the subjects' semen specimens--a finding that was significantly linked (P less than .05) to the presence of CMV IgM antibody in serum. There were no abnormal helper lymphocytes: suppressor T lymphocyte ratios (all greater than 1.3) and lymphocyte mitogen stimulations were not different from heterosexual controls in contrast to frequent abnormalities reported in male homosexuals in metropolitan areas. If these immunologic findings are reproducible, they may be important in understanding why the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome has clustered in large cities.
Keywords: Adult Cytomegalovirus Infections/EPIDEMIOLOGY *Homosexuality Human *Immunity *Life Style Lymphocytes/IMMUNOLOGY Male Nitrites North Carolina Sex Behavior Skin Tests Substance Abuse/EPIDEMIOLOGY Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Virus Diseases/*EPIDEMIOLOGY JOURNAL ARTICLE

KWDadultcytomegalovirusinfections/epidemiologyKWDhomosexualityhumanKWDimmunityKWDlifestylelymphocytes/immunologymalenitritesnorthcarolinasexbehaviorskintestssubstanceabuse/epidemiologysupport,non-uKWDsKWDgov'tsupport,uKWDsKWDgov't,pKWDhKWDsKWDvirusdiseases/KWDepidemiologyjournalarticle
850130
M8510012

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