Document 0246
 DOCN  M9440246
 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.
 DT    9404
 AU    Kashala O; Marlink R; Ilunga M; Diese M; Gormus B; Xu K; Mukeba P;
       Kasongo K; Essex M; Department of Cancer Biology, Harvard School of
       Public Health,; Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
 SO    J Infect Dis. 1994 Feb;169(2):296-304. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/94149313
 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.
 DE    Adult  Antibodies, Bacterial/IMMUNOLOGY  Antigens, Bacterial/IMMUNOLOGY
       Cross Reactions  Female  Gene Products, gag/IMMUNOLOGY  Gene Products,
       pol/IMMUNOLOGY  Glycolipids/IMMUNOLOGY  Human  HIV Antibodies/ANALYSIS
       HIV Envelope Protein gp120/IMMUNOLOGY  HIV Infections/*COMPLICATIONS
       HTLV Infections/*COMPLICATIONS  Leprosy/*COMPLICATIONS/IMMUNOLOGY
       Lipopolysaccharides/IMMUNOLOGY  Male  Middle Age  Mycobacterium
       leprae/IMMUNOLOGY  Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).