Abstract:
An update is reported on the prevalence of specific antibodies to human T lymphotropic retrovirus type III/lymphoadenopathy-associated virus (HTLV-III/LAV) in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), in patients with AIDS-related complex (ARC), in subjects at risk for AIDS, and in individuals having sexual intercourse with subjects at risk; this epidemiological survey pertains to Italy over the period 1981-1985. ELISA assay and immunofluorescence assay (IFA) were performed to evaluate the sera. The study was carried out in people living in large as well as small cities in different regions in Italy. Serum samples of 29 patients with AIDS, of 520 patients with ARC, and of 2,059 individuals at risk for these diseases were analyzed. Fifteen out of 25 AIDS patients were positive by the indirect IFA, while 25/29 were positive by the ELISA assay. Antibodies against HTLV-III were positive in 369/520 sera of patients with ARC. The highest percentage of positive sera (100%) was found by either assay among ARC patients who were hemophiliacs. Positive sera in individuals at risk for AIDS or ARC ranged from 20.7% in homosexuals to 26.6% in drug abusers and 27.4% in hemophiliacs. No positive sera were observed, in 1984, by IFA, among 660 normal individuals, relatives of patients with AIDS and/or ARC, or among people at risk living in small cities. On the contrary, in 1985, by the ELISA assay, 7 positive sera were found among 8,979 blood donors and 9 positive sera among relatives of seropositive individuals at risk for AIDS and ARC. These data confirm that HTLV-III infection is mainly diffused in the categories at risk for AIDS, but, at the present time, the infection seems to spread through heterosexual transmission in subjects not considered to be at risk for AIDS. (13 Refs)
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/TRANSMISSION Antibodies, Viral/*ANALYSIS AIDS-Related Complex/EPIDEMIOLOGY Blood Transfusion Cell Line Cross-Sectional Studies Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Female Fluorescent Antibody Technique Homosexuality Human IgM/ANALYSIS Immunoglobulin Idiotypes/ANALYSIS Italy Male Risk Sarcoma, Kaposi's/EPIDEMIOLOGY Skin Neoplasms/EPIDEMIOLOGY MEETING PAPER
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