title: Clinical and biological characteristics of human immunodeficiency virus-infected and uninfected intravascular drug users in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
abstract: To define the medical characteristics of intravascular drug users in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, we examined 280 men, of whom 235 were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), being treated in a rehabilitation center. The patients used mainly opium, often in shooting galleries (50%). The prevalence of oral candidiasis (58%) and zoster infection (20%) was high in HIV-seropositive patients, whereas oral hairy leukoplasia and Kaposi's sarcoma were absent. The prevalence of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was 24%. More than 80% of the patients had infections with hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, cytomegalovirus, or human T cell lymphotropic virus type-1. The CD4+ cell counts correlated well with viral load. Only HIV-1 subtype E was detected in the 30 patients tested. A cohort study of HIV-infected subjects in this population seems feasible, and would permit introduction of anti-retroviral therapy The large number of HIV-seronegative subjects sharing the same at-risk practices as the HIV-infected subjects raises the possibility of natural protection in this population.
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Follézou
authors.forename: N Y
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: T X
authors.initials: TX
authors.lastname: Lien
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lafon
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Tram
authors.forename: P V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Aknine
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lowenstein
authors.forename: N V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Ngai
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Theodorou
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Delfraissy
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Debré
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Fleury
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barré-Sinoussi
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Chi
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral