Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) antibodies in healthy populations and renal transplanted patients in the north-east of Brazil.

The seroprevalence of human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection was investigated in Brazilians (570): native inhabitants (298) and descendants from Japanese (272) living in Recife and its neighborhoods--North-east of Brazil. Furthermore, polytransfused renal transplanted patients (54) were also examined for the serological status to this virus. The seropositivity to HTLV-1, screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), was low: 1.34% for the local population and 0.73% for the descendants from Japanese. However, the seropositivity for the renal transplanted patients was found to be 11.1%. This higher value suggests that this retrovirus infection seems to be of importance in this clinical condition.

[Simultaneous occurrence of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus on the hands, mouth and feces of asymptomatic carriers]. / Ocorrência simultânea de Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxigênicos nas mãos, boca e fezes em portadores assintomáticos.

One hundred and twelve asymptomatic individuals were analysed with regard to the simultaneous incidence of Staphylococcus aureus on their hands and in their nose, mouth and stools, in the city of S. Paulo (Brazil). A total of 40 (35.7%) individuals were detected as carriers of this microorganism. Among these carriers, 27 (67.5%) were positive in only one of the four niches studied, 8 (20.0%) in two and 5 (12.5%) in three niches. They were identified 113 Staphylococcus aureus strains, and 28 (24.8%) of these strains, isolated from 9 (22.5%) carriers, produced enterotoxin. Of these strains, 7 (25.0%) produced type A enterotoxin, 6 (21.4%) of type B, 11 (39.3%) type C and 4 (14.3%) produced both type A and C. The phage typing of the 113 Staphylococcus aureus strains revealed the predominance of the strains lysed by phages belonging to the Group I/III/NC (16.8%). The results obtained did not demonstrate the simultaneous incidence of Staphylococcus aureus strains in samples collected from mouth, hands and stools of the group studied.

Prevalence of cytomegalovirus antibodies in Brazilian and Japanese populations in the north-east of Brazil.

The serological status to cytomegalovirus (CMV) was examined for 616 Brazilians and 399 Japanese immigrants living in the North-East of Brazil. The sera were screened for IgG antibodies to CMV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The overall prevalence of CMV antibodies was higher in the Japanese population (83.7%) than in the Brazilian population (69.8%). The seropositivity was analyzed by factors of age, sex, ethnic background, and socioeconomic status. Mother-baby contact seems to be a factor of significance in the seroepidemiology of CMV infection.