title: Seroepidemiology of human T-lymphotropic virus type III among homosexual men with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or generalized lymphadenopathy and among asymptomatic controls in Boston.
abstract: We studied a cohort of 45 homosexual men with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, 78 with persistent unexplained generalized lymphadenopathy, and 160 asymptomatic homosexual controls for serologic evidence of infection with human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III). Study participants were recruited from a community-based health center and a university hospital practice. Ninety-eight percent of men with the syndrome and greater than 90% of men with generalized lymphadenopathy had antibody to HTLV-III, while 21% of the controls were positive (p less than 0.001). Six patients with generalized lymphadenopathy developed the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome over 2 years; all were seropositive for HTLV-III. Thirty-six asymptomatic controls had had sexual contact with a man with the syndrome; receptive anal intercourse in this group was associated with seropositivity for HTLV-III. These data suggest that persistent generalized lymphadenopathy and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome are part of a clinical spectrum of HTLV-III infection and that most high-risk homosexual men in some regions of the United States have not yet been infected with this virus.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Groopman
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Sarngadharan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ayotte
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Devico
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Finberg
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Sliski
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Gallo
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology*; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001900:Boston; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral