HIV-1 RNA load in needles/syringes from shooting galleries in Miami: a preliminary laboratory report

We quantified HIV-1 RNA load in rinses from needles/syringes (N/S) obtained at shooting galleries in Miami and also analyzed the rinses for antibodies for viral proteins. In rinses from 36 N/S that contained visible blood, 14 (39%) had detectable amounts of HIV-1 RNA. Numbers of copies of HIV-I RNA ranged from the detection limit (400 copies/ml) to 268,000 copies/ml. We al so detected antibodies to HIV-I polypeptides in 34/36 (94%) of rinses from visibly contaminated N/S using Western blots specific for the HIV-I protein s. No antibodies were detected in laboratory rinses from six visibly clean needles. The presence of HIV-1 RNA in N/S is an important indication of the risk created by N/S sharing as well as by shared paraphernalia and wash wa ters by injecting drug users. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.