[Rapid spread of HIV infections among narcotic addicts]. / Gwaltowny wzrost zakazen HIV wsród narkomanów w Polscé.

In the Institute of Venereology, 5351 patients (75.1% of males, 24.9% females), intravenous drug users (IVDU), have been tested for the presence of HIV antibodies in the period from Jan 1986 to Dec 31 1989. They were patients of detoxication wards and/or pensioners of drug treatment centers. HIV antibodies were determined by the EIA method (Abbott Recombinant HIV-1 EIA test), and positive results were confirmed by the western-blot technique. HIV antibodies were found in 292 patients: 228 males (78.1%) and 64 females (21.9%), which accounts for 5.5% of tested IVDU. In 1986-1987 all tests were negative, although the first HIV infection was confirmed in 1985 in homosexual group. The first positive HIV test in drug addicts was detected in Aug 1988 after testing of 2254 patients. In 1989 276 sera were positive for HIV antibodies (11.2%) among 2471 patients studied. Our study indicates that HIV infection is spreading rapidly in IVDU population. Infections of drug addicts with HIV represent 66% of total detected cases of HIV antibody-positive individuals in Poland; among 30 diagnosed AIDS cases 5 were drug users.

[Difficulties in serological diagnosis of HIV infection]. / Trudnosci serologicznej diagnostyki zakazen HIV.

Using Abbott's kits for immunoenzymatic diagnosis of antibodies to the recombinant antigens of the HIV-1 retrovirus (EIA-II test which was higher valued than the EIA-I test of the previous generation of the same production) 16,480 examinations of the sera of high risk groups and foreign students were done. All positive or doubtful results of the EIA test were verified by the Western blot technique. The obtained results positive and doubtful are presented, and only four were not in agreement by both methods. Attention is called to the possibility of erroneous results of tests when the instructions of the producer are not followed, if the sera are incorrectly prepared for the test, and if inactivated sera are used.

[Prevention of HIV infection among drug addicts]. / Zapobieganie zakazeniom HIV u narkomanów.

The studied group comprised 2651 patients from detoxication centres and dehabituation treatment institutions who were addicts taking intravenous drugs (71.5% males and 28.5% females). In 12 patients, including one foreign (from Spain) anti-HIV antibodies were found (0.5%). In the years 1986-1987 all tests gave negative results, the first positive result was obtained in 1988, after testing of nearly 1900 patients. In the second half of 1988 positive results were more frequent, since in a group of 400 subjects tested between August and November 10 were positive (2.5%). This shows that the infection spreads rapidly in this population. At the end of November infections among drug addicts accounted for 12.2% of the total number of HIV-positive cases found in Poland. The authors predict a further rapid spreading of this infection in this risk group and postulated gratuitous providing of addicts with dispensable syringes and needles and condoms, and providing systematic intensive training of the personnel of dehabituation treatment institutions as well as extensive informational education of the addicts.