Presence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and T-lymphotropic virus type I and II (HTLV-I/II) in a haemophiliac population in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and correlation with additional serological results.
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and human T lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-I/II) infections in 226 haemophiliac patients treated at Fundação Hemominas in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, and to verify association with other serological results. Patients positive for HTLV-I/II had also a neurological, haematological and ophthalmological evaluation. Fundação Hemominas offers comprehensive care for all haemophiliac patients in Minas Gerais. Thirty-six (15.9%) of the 226 patients showed reactive results to HIV-1 [ELISA, Abbott, USA, confirmed by Western blot (WB), Cambridge Biotech, USA, and/or immunofluorescence, Fiocruz, Brazil] and 16 (7.1%) had reactive sera to HTLV-I/II (ELISA, Ortho). Eleven of these 16 (4.9%) were positive, 3/16 (1.3%) were indeterminate and 2/16 (0.9%) were negative in the HTLV WB (Cambridge Biotech). Neurological, haematological and ophthalmological examination of 9/16 patients revealed no abnormality suggestive of HTLV disease. Of the 16 patients reactive to HTLV-I/II ELISA test, six (37.5%) were also positive to HIV-1 (chi 2 = 5.92; P = 0.01). Seropositivity for HTLV-I/II and HIV-1 was associated with advancing age and positive results for hepatitis C virus (HCV), Chagas' disease (T. cruzi infection) and syphilis. No association between the presence of HTLV with type and severity of haemophilia and hepatitis B results was detected. The prevalence of antibodies against HIV-1 is approximately three times that of HTLV-I/II and a patient positive for HTLV-I/II had a significantly increased risk of being positive for HIV-1, HCV and T. cruzi.
Carneiro-Proietti
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AB
Fundação Hemominas, Alameda Ezequiel Dias, MG, Brazil. aproiett@oraculo.lcc.ufmg.br
Lima-Martins
M V
MV
Passos
V M
VM
Carmo
R A
RA
Pinheiro
S R
SR
Rocha
P R
PR
Proietti
F A
FA
Ferreira
P C
PC
Rocha
V G
VG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D006678:HIV / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000821:virology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014211:Treponemal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology