PRESENCE OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS (HIV) AND T-LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS TYPE-I AND TYPE-II (HTLV-I II) IN A HEMOPHILIAC POPULATION IN BELO-HORIZONTE, BRAZIL, AND CORRELATION WITH ADDITIONAL SEROLOGICAL RESULTS/

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of human immunod eficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and human T lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-I/II) infections in 226 haemophiliac patients treated at Fundacao Hemominas in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, and to verify association with other serological results. Patients positiv e for HTLV-I/II had also a neurological, haematological and ophthalmol ogical evaluation. Fundacao Hemominas offers comprehensive care for al l haemophiliac patients in Minas Gerais. Thirty-six (15.9%) of the 226 patients showed reactive results to HIV-I [ELISA, Abbott, USA, confir med by Western blot (WB), Cambridge Biotech, USA, and/or immunofluores cence, Fiocruz, Brazil] and 16 (7.1%) had reactive sera to HTLV-I/II ( ELISA, Ortho). Eleven of these 16 (4.9%) were positive, 3/16 (1.3%) we re indeterminate and 2/16 (0.9%) were negative in the HTLV WB (Cambrid ge Biotech). Neurological, haematological and ophthalmological examina tion of 9/16 patients revealed no abnormality suggestive of HTLV disea se. Of the 16 patients reactive to HTLV-I/II ELISA test, six (37.5%) w ere also positive to HIV-1 (chi(2) = 5.92; P = 0.01). Seropositivity f or HTLV-I/II and HIV-1 was associated with advancing age and positive results for hepatitis C virus (HCV), Chagas' disease (T. cruzi infecti on) and syphilis. No association between the presence of HTLV with typ e and severity of haemophilia and hepatitis B results was detected. Th e prevalence of antibodies against HIV-1 is approximately three times that of HTLV-I/II and a patient positive for HTLV-I/II had a significa ntly increased risk of being positive for HIV-1, HCV and T. cruzi.