TY - JOUR KW - Adult KW - Antibodies, Bacterial KW - Antigens, Bacterial KW - Cross Reactions KW - Deltaretrovirus Infections KW - Female KW - Gene Products, gag KW - Gene Products, pol KW - Glycolipids KW - HIV Antibodies KW - HIV Envelope Protein gp120 KW - HIV Infections KW - Humans KW - leprosy KW - Lipopolysaccharides KW - Male KW - Middle Aged KW - Mycobacterium leprae AU - Kashala O AU - Marlink R AU - Ilunga M AU - Diese M AU - Gormus B AU - Xu K AU - Mukeba P AU - Kasongo K AU - Essex M AB -

To determine the association between leprosy and human retroviral infections, 57 leprosy patients, 39 leprosy contacts, and 500 pregnant women were investigated serologically for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) and human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) types I and II. Antibodies to Mycobacterium leprae phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I), and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) were also analyzed. A low prevalence of HIV-1 infection was observed among leprosy patients (3.5%), leprosy contacts (0), and pregnant women (3.6%). Antibodies to HTLV-I but not -II were found more often in leprosy patients (8.7%) and contacts (12.8%) than in pregnant women (0). Sera from leprosy patients and leprosy contacts were often false-positive for HIV-1 by ELISA and were indeterminate by Western blot. LAM IgM and PGL-I IgM antibodies in sera from leprosy patients yielded significant cross-reactivities with HIV-1 pol and gag proteins. These data suggest that mycobacterial cell wall antigens may share common epitopes with HIV. Caution should be exercised when interpreting HIV-1 ELISA and Western blot data from regions where leprosy or other mycobacterial diseases are endemic.

BT - The Journal of infectious diseases C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7906291?dopt=Abstract DA - 1994 Feb DO - 10.1093/infdis/169.2.296 IS - 2 J2 - J. Infect. Dis. LA - eng N2 -

To determine the association between leprosy and human retroviral infections, 57 leprosy patients, 39 leprosy contacts, and 500 pregnant women were investigated serologically for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) and human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) types I and II. Antibodies to Mycobacterium leprae phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I), and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) were also analyzed. A low prevalence of HIV-1 infection was observed among leprosy patients (3.5%), leprosy contacts (0), and pregnant women (3.6%). Antibodies to HTLV-I but not -II were found more often in leprosy patients (8.7%) and contacts (12.8%) than in pregnant women (0). Sera from leprosy patients and leprosy contacts were often false-positive for HIV-1 by ELISA and were indeterminate by Western blot. LAM IgM and PGL-I IgM antibodies in sera from leprosy patients yielded significant cross-reactivities with HIV-1 pol and gag proteins. These data suggest that mycobacterial cell wall antigens may share common epitopes with HIV. Caution should be exercised when interpreting HIV-1 ELISA and Western blot data from regions where leprosy or other mycobacterial diseases are endemic.

PY - 1994 SP - 296 EP - 304 T2 - The Journal of infectious diseases TI - Infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and human T cell lymphotropic viruses among leprosy patients and contacts: correlation between HIV-1 cross-reactivity and antibodies to lipoarabinomannan. VL - 169 SN - 0022-1899 ER -