title: HIV-2 infection among prostitutes working in The Gambia: association with serological evidence of genital ulcer diseases and with generalized lymphadenopathy.
abstract: Three hundred and fifty-five prostitutes working in The Gambia were enrolled in a study of retroviral infections. Eight-seven (24.6%) were infected with HIV-2 only, two (0.6%) with HIV-1 only, four (1.1%) had sera showing double HIV-1/HIV-2 reactivity, and 37 (10.4%) were seropositive for HTLV-I. After allowing for socioeconomic and serological variables in a multivariate analysis, HIV-2 infection was associated with serological evidence of a previous episode of syphilis [a rapid plasma reagin (RPR) positive/Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) positive; odds ratio (OR) = 2.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.19-3.98], with having antibodies against Haemophilus ducreyi (OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 0.89-4.70) or against HTLV-I (OR = 2.17, 95% CI = 0.91-5.19). HIV-2-seropositive prostitutes were three times more likely [17 out of 78 (22%) versus 15 out of 219 (7%), P less than 0.001] to have generalized lymphadenopathy than those who were seronegative. These data suggest that genital ulcer diseases may facilitate the transmission of HIV-2, and that HIV-2 rapidly induces the appearance of generalized lymphadenopathy in a substantial proportion of infected individuals.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Laboratories, Fajara, The Gambia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pepin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gaye
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Egboga
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tedder
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piot
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schellenberg
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Whittle
mesh_terms: D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000150:complications; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002602:Chancroid / Q000150:complications; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005714:Gambia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015498:HIV-2; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011477:Sex Work; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D013587:Syphilis / Q000150:complications; D014456:Ulcer / Q000150:complications