NITRITE INHALANTS - HISTORY, EPIDEMIOLOGY, AND POSSIBLE LINKS TO AIDS

Nitrite inhalants have been commonly abused substances in the United S tates. Nitrite inhalants and AIDS was a popular topic in the early 198 0s, when the cause of AIDS was not known. With the discovery of HIV, c oncern about nitrite use in the USA waned. However, nitrite inhalant u se is associated with behavioral relapse and HIV transmission among ga y men, with decreased lymphocyte counts and natural killer cell activi ty in a few laboratory studies, and it remains a candidate cofactor in the pathogenesis of AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma. Discouraging nitri te use continues to be a worthwhile public health goal.