Abstract
Nineteen Brazilian HIV-infected hemophiliacs and their stable heterosexual sexual partners were studied with the aim of assessing the rate of HIV transmission in this at risk group. The mean length of relationship between couples was 7.4 years. The hemophiliac men were Class II (n = 6), III (n = 11) and IVa (n = 2) of the CDC classification. They had decreased CD4+ and elevated CD8+ cell numbers; five had p24 antigenemia. We found 3 HIV-infected women (15.8 percent) by routine and confirmatory tests, a prevalence similar to that seen in other countries. They were asymptomatic and had no detectable p24 antigenemia. The 3 seropositive women's partners were Class II and III-CDC, and had normal CD4+ and CD8+ values and no p24 antigenemia. All seronegative women also had normal CD4+ and CD8+ numbers, except for elevated CD8+ cells in three of them, but immune abnormalities had already been seen in some seronegative partners at high risk for HIV infection. Our results reinforce previous suggestions that heterosexual transmission to stable female partners occurs preferentially early after initiation of sexual exposure, and possibly when the transmitter had high levels of viremia and regular sexual activity.
Highlights
Brazilian hemophiliacs who received coagulatiOif factor concentrates from 1980 to 1985 are at high risk for acquiring HIY. This high-risk group has rates of HIV infection in Brazil and other countries that reach 50 percent or higher.I-3 Studies in this group usually report rates of heterosexual transmission to their partners of 10-20 percent.4.5 Brazil is ranked fourth in the world in number of AIDS patients, there is no data on Address for correspondence: Alberto Jose da Silva Duarte Faculdade de Medicina - USP A v
We show the immunologic parameters of 19 patients from a hematology center in Sao Paulo: 14 with hemophilia A and 5 with hemophilia B; and their stable female sexual partners (18-49 years)
Results were compared to 15 normal adult subjects studied at the same time
Summary
Jose Eduardo Nicolau, Gil Benard, Luis Augusto Marcondes Fonseca, Jorge Simao Rosario Casseb, Maria Natomi Sato, Marcia Cianga, Mauri Massani Tanji, Therezinha Ferreira Lorenzi, Alberto Jose da Silva Duarte. HIV heterosexual transmission to stable sexual partners of HIV -infected brazilian hemophiliacs. Nineteen Brazilian HIV-infected hemophiliacs and their stable heterosexual sexual partners were studied with the aim of assessing the rate of HIV transmission in this at risk group. The hemophiliac men were Class II (n=6), III (n=11) and IVa (n=2) of the CDC classification They had decreased CD4+ and elevated CD8+ cell numbers; five had p24 antigenemia. We found 3 HIV-infected women (15.8 percent) by routine and confirmatory tests, a prevalence similar to that seen in other countries. They were asymptomatic and had no detectable p24 antigenemia.
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