title: HIV/HTLV co-infection: frequency and epidemiological characteristics among patients admitted to an Italian hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma viruses (HTLV) and HIV share identical modes of transmission and co-infections may be detected in populations that are highly exposed to common risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 599 serum samples from HIV-positive patients attending our outpatient clinic during the last semester of 2000 were tested to assess the prevalence of HTLV co-infection in both Italian (n = 472) and non-European HIV-infected patients (n = 127).
  
  
  RESULTS
  72 samples were positive for HTLV-II. Most of the HTLV-II-positive patients were Italian (71/72, 98.6%) and 98.5% of them had acquired the HIV infection through use of intravenous recreational drugs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data demonstrate a high HTLV-II exposure among HIV-positive intravenous drug users in our area which was not previously considered to be an area of endemicity for HTLV-II.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Diseases, Ospedale Civili, Pzle Spedali Civili no.1, I-25125 Brescia, Italy. kaeniaquiros@hotmail.com
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Quiros-Roldan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Casari
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beltrame
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carosi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous