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Biomedical subjects

S H Weiss

Publications and source records attributed to S H Weiss.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Serologic, immunologic, and clinical features of parenteral drug users from contrasting populations.

We screened inpatient and outpatient parenteral drug users with no clinical evidence of AIDS for immunodeficiency and antibodies to HTLV-III by ELISA. Among 20 outpatient drug users, 5 (25%) were seropositive. Three of these (and 2 who were seronegative) had low T-cell ratios. Over 6 months, 1 seropositive patient with a low ratio developed oral thrush and weight loss. We also studied 13 parenteral drug users hospitalized for conditions other than AIDS. Eight had low T-cell ratios, and at least 6 of these developed AIDS or ARC within 4 months. Serum from 8 of 13 inpatients was available for HTLV-III testing: 6/8 were seropositive and 3 of these 6 were among those developing AIDS or ARC. Abnormal T-cell ratios among all patients were associated with abnormal HTLV-III serology (p = .02). Of the 7 patients who developed AIDS or ARC, 4 were tested for both antibodies and T-cell ratios: all 4 were seropositive and had low ratios. A low ratio (p = .0004), a positive ELISA (p = .014), and abnormalities of both tests (p = .001) were associated with the development of AIDS or ARC. Of the 26 patients without AIDS or ARC, 3 were lost to follow-up and 23 did not develop AIDS or ARC. Six of these 26 had abnormal ratios. Of the 21 patients who did not develop AIDS or ARC and who were tested for HTLV antibodies, 2 were lost to follow-up. Seven of 21 were seropositive and 2/21 were both seropositive and had a low ratio. One of these 2 seropositive patients with low ratios also had lymphadenopathy, but he was lost to follow-up. The other had no adenopathy and remained well until her death from trauma a year later. This study found two populations with very different risks. Six of 13 hospitalized parenteral drug users and only 1 of 20 healthy outpatients developed AIDS or ARC.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

Neutralizing antibodies in HIV (HTLV-III) infection: correlation with clinical outcome and antibody response against different viral proteins.

Sequential serum samples, collected over a 2-3 year follow-up period, of 28 HIV-infected individuals were tested for the presence of neutralizing antibodies against one HIV isolate, HTLV-IIIB, and titrated, by Western blotting, against different HTLV-III specific proteins. Neutralizing antibodies were found in 66% of the samples tested and highest neutralization titres observed in cases with lymphadenopathy syndrome. Antibody titres against the viral proteins also seemed to be highest in cases with LAS. Neutralization titres correlated well with antibodies to envelope glycoproteins gp41 and gp120 and to one of the core proteins, p17. An increase in neutralization titre during the follow-up period was associated with a stable clinical course. Furthermore, the occurrence of antibodies directed against the external envelope glycoprotein (gp120) in the initial serum sample correlated well with a stable clinical course. The results suggest that neutralizing activity in the serum, particularly that evoked against gp120, may have some prognostic significance, and that several distinct antigenic epitopes on the virus may be a target for neutralizing antibodies.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1986

Counterimmunoelectrophoresis for detection of human serum antibody to HTLV-III.

We examined the usefulness of a counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) technique for detecting antibodies to HTLV-III using sera that previously had been assessed for antibodies to HTLV-III by the standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We selected a subset of 53 sera from patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or the generalized lymphadenopathy syndrome (GLS) in which 81.1% were initially ELISA-positive, and 96.2% were positive by Western blot technique. In our standard HTLV-III CIE technique, 58.5% were positive and repeat testing increased the yield to 67.9%. Varying several parameters of the standard CIE assay did not improve sensitivity. We also studied 20 ELISA-negative and 10 ELISA-borderline sera from normal controls; all were negative by CIE. These results indicate that CIE may be used for detection of human serum antibodies to HTLV-III, but that the present assay was less sensitive than the HTLV-III ELISA.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1986

Prevalence of antibodies to HTLV-I, -II, and -III in intravenous drug abusers from an AIDS endemic region.

Antibody prevalences for human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) types I, II, and III were determined for 56 intravenous drug abusers from Queens, NY. While control serum samples lacked antibodies to all HTLV subgroups, seropositivity among drug users was 41% for HTLV-III, 18% for HTLV-II, and 9% for HTLV-I. Infection by HTLV-I and -II occurred independently of HTLV-III infection. Blacks had greater HTLV-III antibody prevalence than whites (54% vs 16%) and were more likely than whites to be seropositive for HTLV-I or -II (46% vs 11%). They exhibited a greater incidence than whites of double infection with HTLV-I or -II and HTLV-III (27% vs 0%), and 73% were seropositive for at least one of the viruses, compared with only 26% of the whites. The increased HTLV-I and -II infection seen in intravenous drug users suggests that once introduced into a population, these viruses may be transmitted by the same routes as HTLV-III. Transmission may have been restricted mainly to blacks in this study because of local drug use practices.

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

Excretion of cytomegalovirus in semen associated with HTLV-III seropositivity in asymptomatic homosexual men.

We studied 56 asymptomatic homosexual male volunteers in Pittsburgh for 1 1/2 yr for relationships between cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) infections. CMV was most frequently isolated from semen (8%) as compared with throat washings (5.9%) and urine (0%) on initial testing of CMV-seropositive subjects. Other viruses commonly isolated from immunosuppressed patients (herpes simplex virus, adenovirus) were rarely detected in this cohort. Seropositivity to HTLV-III was significantly associated with isolation of CMV from semen in our asymptomatic cohort (odds ratio = 9.5, p = .008). These results suggest that HTLV-III infection is associated with selective, temporal activation of CMV in the genital tract of asymptomatic homosexual men.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1986

Altered immunity in hemophilia correlates with the presence of antibody to human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III).

Twenty-nine heterosexual patients with hemophilia were investigated with histories, physical examinations, laboratory evaluations of immune function, delayed hypersensitivity skin tests, and assays for antibody to human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III). Sixteen patients were HTLV-III antibody positive and 13 were HTLV-III antibody negative. No patient had the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Patients who had antibody to HTLV-III had received significantly more units and lots of factor concentrates in the preceding 5 years than those who did not have antibody. HTLV-III antibody-positive patients had significantly fewer total T cells (Leu-1 positive) and significantly fewer helper T cells (Leu-3 positive) than HTLV-III negative patients. Antibody-positive patients also had increased amounts of IgG and decreased thymidine incorporation in response to concanavalin A in vitro. There were no differences in in vitro lymphocyte responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), pokeweed mitogen, Candida, tetanus, or purified protein derivative (PPD), no significant impairments of gamma interferon or interleukin-2 (IL-2) production, and no anergy. Ten patients with antibody to HTLV-III had immunologic studies repeated 1 year after the original evaluation. A significant increase was seen in suppressor (Leu-2-positive) T cells but not in total T-cell or helper T-cell numbers, helper/suppressor ratios, or T-cell functional assays. We conclude that the immune abnormalities in hemophiliacs are the result of contact with HTLV-III but that these abnormalities may remain stable over prolonged periods.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

The relationship of abnormalities of cellular immunity to antibodies to HTLV-III in homosexual men.

A comprehensive evaluation of the cellular immune system (total T-cell, helper cell, suppressor cell, and natural killer cell numbers; in vitro interleukin-2 production, T-cell responses to mitogens and antigens, serum beta 2 microglobulin levels, and delayed hypersensitivity skin tests) was performed on 36 HTLV-III seronegative and 16 HTLV-III seropositive healthy homosexual men, 48 asymptomatic homosexual men with the chronic lymphadenopathy syndrome, 41 patients with AIDS, and 29 heterosexual controls without any known risk factors for AIDS. Our studies demonstrate that HTLV-III seronegative homosexual men have normal cellular immunity and are comparable to heterosexual controls. The abnormalities of lymphocyte subsets observed in HTLV-III seropositive healthy homosexual men are comparable to subjects with chronic lymphadenopathy. Assays of lymphocyte function, with the exception of delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin tests, are similar in each group except patients with AIDS. Subjects with chronic lymphadenopathy were less responsive to DTH skin tests and HTLV-III seropositive healthy homosexuals were comparable to chronic lymphadenopathy subjects. We conclude that immunologic abnormalities in homosexual men are attributable to infection with HTLV-III.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1986

Association of HTLV-III with Epstein-Barr virus infection and abnormalities of T lymphocytes in homosexual men.

Homosexual men were studied for associations among human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) infection, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, and T cell abnormalities. The presence of IgG antibody to EBV capsid antigen and antibody to EBV early antigen was significantly associated with augmented counts of suppressor T cells in healthy HTLV-III-seronegative men. HTLV-III-seropositive asymptomatic subjects had significantly enhanced titers of antibody to EBV and lower ratios of helper to suppressor T cells compared with HTLV-III-seronegative homosexual men. Of three men who seroconverted to HTLV-III, two had a greater than fourfold increase in titer of IgG antibody to EBV capsid antigen after seroconversion. These results suggest that the interaction of HTLV-III and EBV and their immunologic perturbations are significant in the natural history of this retrovirus infection in homosexual men.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1986

Occurrence and distribution of serotypes of the Arizona subgroup of Salmonella strains in the United States from 1967 to 1976.

The Salmonella Arizona subgroup contains gram-negative enteric bacteria that are closely related to other salmonellae biochemically, serologically, and genetically. Although the Arizona subgroup may be isolated from a wide variety of nonhuman and human sources, the arizonae are uncommonly recognized as human pathogens, and surprisingly little is known about their epidemiology. From 1967 through 1976, the Centers for Disease Control received 858 Arizona subgroup cultures from human and nonhuman sources representing 143 different serotypes in 33 somatic groups; several serotypes had not been previously reported. The 374 cultures from humans represent 71 different serotypes; extraintestinal isolates were present in 31 (44%) serotypes. Compared with data from a previous 20 years of surveillance, the proportion of Arizona subgroup strains isolated from stools, blood, and other sites was remarkably stable, but several serotypes showed marked changes in their frequency of isolation. In total, the ratio of extraintestinal to intestinal isolates was 0.37, but marked serotype-specific variation was noted, suggesting differences in virulence associated with serotype.

Amphibians↗
PubMed1985

HTLV-III infection among health care workers. Association with needle-stick injuries.

Health care workers are caring for an increasing number of persons infected with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III), the primary etiologic agent of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We studied 361 health care and clinical laboratory personnel from institutions in several metropolitan areas with both high and moderate levels of HTLV-III infection among high-risk group members to evaluate routes of exposure to and seropositivity for HTLV-III. Protection of the privacy of subjects and prospective determination of risk factors were integral components of the study design. Six (26%) of 23 health care workers with recognized risk factors for AIDS had HTLV-III antibodies. Thirty-nine (14%) of 278 workers at one institution as well as a total of five workers from other institutions reported possible percutaneous exposure to HTLV-III, usually injuries with needles that had been used on AIDS patients. There were three HTLV-III seropositive subjects who reported possible parenteral exposure to HTLV-III but no recognized AIDS risk factors. One was a symptomatic female, subject A, and her apparent sources of HTLV-III exposure were two puncture wounds, without injection of blood, made with needles used on AIDS patients. Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III was cultured from her asymptomatic, seronegative long-term sexual partner, apparently representing female-to-male transmission. For the two other seropositive workers (subjects B and C) with nosocomial parenteral exposure, we could not rule out heterosexual transmission as a possible source of HTLV-III exposure. These latter two cases as well as the identification of seropositive health care providers from known risk groups point to the need for thorough case investigation to identify routes of exposure in health care workers. The risk of nosocomial HTLV-III transmission appears to be low and related to percutaneous exposure. Medical personnel should be trained systematically in the proper techniques and handling of instruments for phlebotomy and similar procedures to decrease occupational exposure to HTLV-III.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1985

Development and early natural history of HTLV-III antibodies in persons with hemophilia.

Antibodies to human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) were first detected in 1979 in serum samples from 30 known seropositive patients with hemophilia, over half of whom seroconverted in 1981-1982. Lymphadenopathy was present in 70% who were seropositive more than three years, compared with 10% who were seropositive three years or less. T-helper cell counts were low (307 +/- 64 cells/cu mm) in the early seroconverters, and normal in the late seroconverters. T-suppressor cell counts were not related to the year of seroconversion. The long latency period after seroconversion suggests an ongoing indolent process, rather than an acute infection. It remains to be determined whether this is an aberrant part of the immune response initiated by HTLV-III antigens or the result of a chronic active HTLV-III infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗