title: Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infection in alcoholics.
abstract: To verify the prevalence of infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in alcoholics we studied 131 alcoholic patients (119 males and 12 females) with a mean age of 44.3 +/- 10.8 years. Serum samples were collected from this group and analysed, by ELISA, for antibodies against HIV as well as for serological markers for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). As we have previously described, we found a high prevalence of HBV (26.4%) and HCV (4.2%) markers as compared to the prevalence of these markers in samples of normal blood donors from Uberlândia's Hemocentro Regional, which are 4% and 0.4%, respectively. Of the 131 patients, four (3%) had antibodies against HIV, three (75%) of which were injecting drug users (IDU). In the HIV-negative group, only one patient was an IDU. The prevalence of HIV in our population, according to data from the city's Health Secretary, varies from 3.1% to 6.2%. We conclude that, at least for the moment, alcoholism per se, did not constitute an important risk factor for HIV infection. However, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a rather recent disease as compared to hepatitis B and C and, as the transmission routes are similar for HIV and hepatitis viruses, an increase in the incidence of HIV infection in alcoholics may be just a question of time.
authors: Departamento de Clínica Médica, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, 38400-902, Brasil. oliveiralcm@ufu.br
authors: L C
authors: LC
authors: de Oliveira
authors: R G
authors: RG
authors: Pereira
authors: U C
authors: UC
authors: Reis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies