title: Detection of HIV-1 DNA in needle/syringes, paraphernalia, and washes from shooting galleries in Miami: a preliminary laboratory report.
abstract: Shared use of injection equipment (needle/syringes), registering, booting, and backloading are practices among injection drug users (IDUs) that increase the risk for transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). The sharing of injection paraphernalia (including cookers and cottons) and washwater for rinsing used needle/syringes and dissolving drugs could be potential sources for secondary transmission of HIV-1. Laboratory rinses were made from needle/syringes, cottons, and cookers obtained from shooting galleries, and washwaters were obtained from shooting galleries in Miami. Three rinses were analyzed and antibodies to HIV-1 proteins were detected by using Western blot and HIV-1 DNA was detected by using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specific for the gag and envelope genes of HIV-1. Antibodies to HIV-1 proteins were detected in 12 (52%) of 23 rinses from visibly contaminated needle/syringes, in three (18%) of 17 rinses from cottons, in three (14%) of 21 rinses from cookers, and in one (6%) of 17 washwaters. No antibodies were detected in laboratory rinses from visibly clean needles. Using nested PCR followed by Southern blot confirmation of the amplified targets, HIV-1 gag gene DNA was detected in 16 (84%) of 19 and envelope gene DNA in 17 (85%) of 20 laboratory rinses from visibly contaminated needle/syringes. We detected gag and envelope gene DNA, respectively, in three (27%) and four (36%) of 11 cottons, in six (46%) and seven (54%) of 13 cookers, and in five (38%) of 13 and in 10 (67%) of 15 washwaters from shooting galleries. No HIV-1 DNA was detected in laboratory rinses from visibly clean needles. These results indicate that HIV-1 might be present in contaminated cottons, cookers, and washwaters as well as in contaminated needle/syringes at shooting galleries. Reduction of risks of exposure to HIV-1 among IDUs may require modification of behaviors that are ancillary to the act of injection, such as the use of common cookers, cottons, and washwater.
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Drug Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Miami, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shapshak
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Rivers
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Weatherby
authors.forename: K Q
authors.initials: KQ
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Chitwood
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mash
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vlahov
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: McCoy
mesh_terms: D015139:Blotting, Southern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D015752:Genes, env; D015750:Genes, gag; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016485:Needle Sharing; D009339:Needles; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous; D013594:Syringes
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral