MYCOPLASMA-PENETRANS INFECTION IN MALE-HOMOSEXUALS WITH AIDS - HIGH SEROPREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATION WITH KAPOSIS-SARCOMA

Antibodies to Mycoplasma penetrans were found at an unusually high fre quency in male homosexuals with AIDS (55 of 149; 37%) and in human imm unodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected asymptomatic homosexuals (13 of 49; 26.5%) but not in intravenous drug users (3 of 308; 1%) and hemophili acs (1 of 165; 0.6%) with or without HIV-1 infection. Thus, both M. pe netrans and Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) occur primarily in male homosexuals and rarely in other groups of patients at high risk of AIDS. Among 414 HIV-1-infected patients, statistical analysis revealed those with M. penetrans antibody were 11.7 times more likely to develop KS. Furtherm ore, among 198 HIV-infected homosexuals (149 with AIDS and 49 without AIDS), those with KS had M. penetrans-specific antibody at a significa ntly higher frequency (28 of 47; 59.6%) than did those without KS (27 of 102 with AIDS [26.5%] as well as 13 of 49 without AIDS [26.5%]; odd s ratio = 4.1, P < .001). M. penetrans is apparently transmitted sexua lly through homosexual activity and is epidemiologically linked to for mation of KS in homosexual men with AIDS. Parallel tests with M. genit alium revealed no similar link to KS in the same study sample.