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Biomedical subjects

M Melbye

Publications and source records attributed to M Melbye.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

[Sexual behavior and knowledge of AIDS. A study among young people in Greenland].

All of the tenth grade pupils in schools in Greenland participated in an investigation about the sexual behaviour of young Greenlanders and their knowledge about AIDS. This formed part of monitoring of the stop-AIDS campaign in Greenland. The investigation was carried out by distribution of anonymous questionnaires in the schools on 17.10.1988-21.10.1988. All of the pupils present (440 out of 539) participated. The investigation revealed that nearly all had heard about AIDS. Many know how the infection is spread and how the infection can be prevented. A great deal of information is still required and, perhaps to a great extent, information in the Greenlandic language. Greenlandic girls are somewhat more sexually active than boys of the corresponding ages in the same class but, in general, the number of sexual partners is relatively high when this age group is considered. The investigation will be repeated in exactly the same way at a later date to provide insight about how behaviour and knowledge are altered in relation to the AIDS campaign.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1988

Diffusion of HIV-1 virus into non-habitual categories at risk in European countries.

The ECP Working Group on AIDS has evaluated the available data on seropositivity to HIV-1 supplied by research groups in 12 Eastern and Western European countries. The period covered is 1985 and 1986. A significantly elevated incidence of seropositives was observed in both females and males in heterosexual contact with members of high risk groups. In contrast heterosexuals with no such contact had an incidence below 1%. For male homosexuals from Italy, Denmark and Switzerland the trend was no detectable increase in prevalence from 1985 to 1986. Hungary and Poland now have a few per cent seropositive male homosexuals, but no seropositives were found in a group of Polish drug abusers.

Bisexuality↗
PubMed1988

Hepatitis B virus infection in Danish dentists. A case-control and follow-up study.

The authors determined the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus markers among Danish dentists in 1985 in an effort to assess occupational risk factors. A case-control study approach was applied using pedodontists as zero-exposure controls. The study further allowed serologic and epidemiologic follow-up of dentists who participated in a similar study in 1976. The authors sought to determine whether exposure to hepatitis B virus in this population sometimes leads to immunization without infection (antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) positivity only). A total of 922 dentists (22% of all Danish dentists) gave blood; of these, 254 (28%) participated in the 1976 study. Serum samples were tested using commercial solid phase radioimmunoassays. The prevalences of anti-HBs and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were 7.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.7-9.0) and 5.2% (95% CI = 3.8-6.6), respectively. Twenty-one dentists (31%) only had anti-HBs (without prior vaccination). Age-standardization of the two data sets (1976 and 1985) indicated no substantial change in seroprevalence. Private practitioners, especially those working in Copenhagen, had an increased odds ratio (OR) of being seropositive compared with that of pedodontists (OR = 3.0 (95% CI = 1.3-6.8) adjusted for age and sex and OR = 2.4 (95% CI = 1.1-5.2) adjusted for age and site of practice). The proportion attributable to occupational exposure was approximately 50%. In a logistic regression model, site of practice and type of specialty were associated with hepatitis B virus seropositivity (p = 0.01 and 0.05, respectively), whereas age, sex, hours of oral surgery per week, and use of gloves were not. Four persons had become seropositive in the follow-up study, for a seroconversion rate of 0.2% per year. Seven out of 18 dentists who were anti-HBs positive in 1976 were found to be anti-HBs negative in 1985. Most of these dentists had values below 10.0 units by S/N ratio (ratio of counts per minute of sample compared with the mean number of counts per minute of negative controls). The findings do not justify institution of a large-scale vaccination program for dentists, but there are certain subgroups of dentists which constitute candidates for vaccination.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Antibody to human papilloma virus in Danish dentists.

The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of antibody to human papilloma virus (HPV) among Danish dentists in order to determine whether this virus constitutes an occupational hazard for dentists. Serum samples from 452 Danish dentists were tested for antibody against a common capsid antigen to HPV by a complement fixation reaction. Nine (2.0%) were seropositive. Dentists' odds ratio for seropositivity was after adjustment for age 0.6 (90% confidence interval: 0.3-1.4) compared to that of voluntary blood donors. In conclusion, Danish dentists do not seem to be at an increased risk of becoming infected with HPV.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1987

Risk of AIDS after herpes zoster.

In a closed internal medicine practice for homosexual men in Central Manhattan herpes zoster developed in 112 men between 1980 and mid-1986. In these patients the incidence of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was high: Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated cumulative incidences of AIDS of 22.8% within 2 years after herpes zoster, 45.5% within 4 years, and an estimated 72.8% after 6 years. Severity of zoster (relative risk, RR = 4.6), degree of pain (RR = 3.4), and zoster of the cranial or cervical dermatomes (RR = 2.2) were all associated with a poor outcome. Oral thrush, oral hairy leucoplakia, amoebiasis, and superficial (tinea) fungal infections also indicated an increased risk of AIDS among zoster patients. Oral thrush and oral hairy leucoplakia manifestations were diagnosed an average of 1.2 and 1.1 years, respectively, after the diagnosis of herpes zoster; thus zoster is an early indicator of an impaired immunity. Herpes zoster can be used as a predictor of AIDS and in AIDS risk groups should be regarded as a poor prognostic sign.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

HLA studies of endemic African Kaposi's sarcoma patients and matched controls: no association with HLA-DR5.

In the search for a genetic factor involved in the etiology of Kaposi's sarcoma, several studies have recently focused on a significantly increased HLA determinant, DR5, as well as a decreased DR3, among patients with both the classical and the AIDS-related form of Kaposi's sarcoma. To test the consistency of this phenomenon, we analysed the frequencies of HLA immunogenetic markers in 23 histologically confirmed Kaposi's sarcoma patients from Central Africa, where this tumor is endemic, and a local sex- and tribe-matched control group. No definite association was observed for any of the HLA antigens, including DR5 and DR3. We were not able to support the hypothesis that the same HLA-associated immune susceptibility factors are involved in all types of Kaposi's sarcoma.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

Effect of T4 count and cofactors on the incidence of AIDS in homosexual men infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

We prospectively evaluated potential markers and cofactors for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in 86 homosexual men who were seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus antibodies. During three years of follow-up, 19 men developed AIDS. Risk of AIDS was clearly predicted by the total number of circulating OKT4-positive lymphocytes (T4 count) at enrollment, while the corresponding T8 count was unrelated to subsequent AIDS development. Subjects in Manhattan had a higher risk of Kaposi's sarcoma than did subjects in Washington, DC, and the risk of AIDS tended to increase with numerous homosexual partners. Several of 40 potential cofactors defined ex post facto, including receptive fellatio, enemas, methaqualone use, and high levels of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen, appeared to be associated with Kaposi's sarcoma but not with Pneumocystis pneumonia. Our data suggest that potent cofactors for Pneumocystis pneumonia were not prominent, pointing to the need for effective drug therapies, particularly to reduce the high AIDS risk of persons with human immunodeficiency virus infection and low T4 counts.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

Cancer in a group at risk of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) through 1984.

Using a proportional morbidity analysis method, the authors examined changes in the risk of malignancy among never-married men 20-49 years old (a surrogate population for homosexual men) in a high AIDS-risk area (City of San Francisco) and other lower AIDS-risk areas. This approach easily detected increases in Kaposi's sarcoma (odds ratio (OR) comparing 1973-1978 to 1984: 2,479-fold, proportional increase = 99.9%) and in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (OR = 4.2-fold in 1984, p for trend less than 0.0001, proportional increase = 70%) in the City of San Francisco, with excesses especially in the Burkitt-like lymphomas and immunoblastic lymphomas. Extranodal lymphomas of the brain, but not other sites, were especially prominent (proportional increase = 96%). In addition, nonsignificant increases were seen for Hodgkin's disease (p for trend = 0.13) and for hepatoma (p for trend = 0.08). A posteriori, the authors noted increases in urinary tract tumors and acute lymphoblastic leukemia which warrant monitoring. Other tumors suggested to be AIDS-associated did not occur excessively in this population. Among single young men outside of San Francisco, Kaposi's sarcoma also increased significantly (OR = 182 in 1984), suggesting a lag of about three years behind the increases in the City of San Francisco. Some tumors may require a longer latent period before an association becomes manifest. In the meantime, however, these data indicate that the increases in AIDS-related cancers are limited to only a few malignancies.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1986

Evidence for heterosexual transmission and clinical manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus infection and related conditions in Lusaka, Zambia.

In a hospital-based survey in Lusaka, Zambia, 189 (17.5%) of 1078 subjects had antibodies against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The prevalence of antibodies was low in subjects aged less than 20 or greater than 60 years; in men the peak prevalence (32.9%) occurred in those aged 30-35 years, and in women (24.4%) it occurred in the 20-25 year age-group. There was no significant difference in prevalence by sex after adjusting for age. High educational level was independently associated with HIV seropositivity; the antibody against HIV was found in 18.4% of blood donors and in 19.0% of hospital workers. Among patients the antibody prevalence ranged from 8.7% in antenatal women and 9.3% in orthopaedic patients to 29.2% in those attending sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics (the prevalence being 37.3% in previous attenders and 22.8% in first-time attenders). Seropositivity rates were higher in patients with an infectious problem (23.4%) than in those without (11.4%, p = 0.0002). Herpes zoster, oral thrush, diarrhoea, tuberculosis, and weight loss were independently correlated with seropositivity. The data strongly suggest that HIV infection is prevalent in Africa and is transmitted heterosexually. The restricted distribution of seropositivity to the sexually active age-groups indicates that the epidemic, at least in this part of Africa, is newly introduced; this has substantial implications for prevention.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1986

Three-year incidence of AIDS in five cohorts of HTLV-III-infected risk group members.

The incidence of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) among persons infected with human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) was evaluated prospectively among 725 persons who were at high risk of AIDS and had enrolled before October 1982 in cohort studies of homosexual men, parenteral drug users, and hemophiliacs. A total of 276 (38.1 percent) of the subjects were either HTLV-III seropositive at enrollment or developed HTLV-III antibodies subsequently. AIDS had developed in 28 (10.1 percent) of the seropositive subjects before August 1985. By actuarial survival calculations, the 3-year incidence of AIDS among all HTLV-III seropositive subjects was 34.2 percent in the cohort of homosexual men in Manhattan, New York, and 14.9 percent (range 8.0 to 17.2 percent) in the four other cohorts. Out of 117 subjects followed for a mean of 31 months after documented seroconversion, five (all hemophiliacs) developed AIDS 28 to 62 months after the estimated date of seroconversion, supporting the hypothesis that there is a long latency between acquisition of viral infection and the development of clinical AIDS. This long latency could account for the significantly higher AIDS incidence in the New York cohort compared with other cohorts if the virus entered the New York homosexual population before it entered the populations from which the other cohorts were drawn. However, risk of AIDS development in different populations may also depend on the presence of as yet unidentified cofactors.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1986

Seropositivity to LAV/HTLV-III in 11 European countries.

The ECP Working Group on AIDS has evaluated data on seropositivity to LAV/HTLV-III supplied by members in II Western European countries. The period covered is 1981-84. The rise in LAV/HTLV seropositivity parallels the incidence of cases of AIDS in the different countries. LAV/HTLV now spreads freely within Europe and spread has become less dependent upon promiscuity. The epidemic is about to enter Eastern Europe. Intravenous drug abusers appear to be the risk group experiencing the most rapid spread at present. Furthermore, seropositivity in males and females outside the traditional risk groups seems on the rise, and as in the US the percentage seronegative in individuals with PGL is quite high. AIDS is rapidly becoming a major cause of cancer in young adults. A coordinated European preventive effort is urgently needed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1986

Long-term seropositivity for human T-lymphotropic virus type III in homosexual men without the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: development of immunologic and clinical abnormalities. A longitudinal study.

The long-term effects of seropositivity for human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) on T-lymphocyte subsets and health status were evaluated in longitudinal studies of 250 initially healthy homosexual men. The relative risk of having an inverted T-lymphocyte helper-to-suppressor ratio rose from 14.3-fold among short-term seropositive subjects (less than 19 months) to 46.9-fold among long-term seropositive subjects (greater than 29 months) in comparison with the risk among seronegative subjects. Overall, 91.7% of long-term seropositive men had inverted ratios, compared with 12.9% of seronegative men. None of the seropositive men who developed an inverted ratio later reestablished a normal ratio. Both decreased T-helper cell number and percentage (p = 0.003) and increased T-suppressor cell number and percentage (p = 0.03) were significantly correlated with duration of seropositivity. Among seropositive persons, lymphadenopathy was a highly significant short-term as well as long-term consequence, whereas diarrhea, oral thrush, and herpes zoster were correlated with long-term seropositivity. Overall, 50% of long-term seropositive men compared with 16% of seronegative men developed at least one of five clinical symptoms (p less than 0.003). We conclude that a high proportion of persons infected with HTLV-III will develop measurable immunologic and clinical abnormalities.

Antibodies, Viral↗