SEROLOGICAL MARKERS FOR HEPATITIS-B AND TREPONEMAL INFECTION AMONG HIV CARRIERS FROM ETHIOPIA

A group of 52 HIV carriers among immigrants who arrived in Israel from Ethiopia in Operation Solomon, 1991, is described. A control group wa s randomly chosen from the same population. HBV serology and treponema l antibodies were obtained from both groups. The frequency of HBV mark ers was similar in both groups (70% among the HIV carriers and 78.8% i n the controls). HBsAg was more frequently found among HIV carriers (2 0%) than in the control group (8.6%). Treponemal antibodies were commo n among HIV carriers (31%), and infrequent in the controls (3%). These data indicate that HIV infection in this community is linked to trepo nemal infection and that these carriers handle HBV less efficiently th en HIV-negative subjects.