Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infection in alcoholics
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
;
96(1): 21-23, Jan. 2001. tab
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-281627
RESUMO
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 percent) and HCV (4.2 percent) markers as compared to the prevalence of these markers in samples of normal blood donors from Uberlândia's Hemocentro Regional, which are 4 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively. Of the 131 patients, four (3 percent) had antibodies against HIV, three (75 percent) 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 percent to 6.2 percent. 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
Full text:
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Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
HIV Infections
/
Alcoholism
Type of study:
Prevalence study
/
Risk factors
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
South America
/
Brazil
Language:
English
Journal:
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
Journal subject:
Tropical Medicine
/
Parasitology
Year:
2001
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil
Institution/Affiliation country:
Universidade Federal de Uberlândia/BR
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