title: Prospective study of HIV infection among parenteral drug abusers.
abstract: Male heterosexual i.v. drug abusers in methadone maintenance treatment were surveyed for HIV disease and followed prospectively in Richmond, Virginia. Five of 50 (10%) had both positive ELISA and Western Blot antibodies initially, although none had other clinical manifestations. Forty-two (84%) were restudied 1 year later. None had developed clinical manifestations of HIV disease, or seroconverted from negative to positive. Thirty-nine Control i.v. drug abusers seeking methadone or inpatient detoxification showed a similar low seropositivity rate (3%), indicating that Richmond had low endemicity for HIV during the year. An unexpected finding in the followup of the 5 with initial seropositivity was that only 1 retained both ELISA and Western Blot positivity. The difference in serological reaction was unexplained.
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Virginia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cushman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Escobar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004219:District of Columbia; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014768:Virginia / Q000453:epidemiology