Abstract |
The prevalence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody and the human T cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) antibody was examined in 116 adults with sickle cell disease. Eighty-eight of them had received a mean of 18.6 transfusions of red blood cells between 1978 and 1985, and none was positive for the HIV antibody. Of 116 patients, 9 (7.8%) tested positive for HTLV-I antibodies. HTLV-I-positive patients were similar to those without HTLV-I antibody with respect to age, number of transfusions, and proportion of patients with greater than 40 transfusions. However, 3 of the 9 HTLV-I-positive patients came from West Africa or from the Caribbean, whereas this proportion was much lower (7/107) in the HTLV-I-negative group (x2, 7.564; P less than .01). Our analysis suggests that the risk of HIV infection in transfused sickle cell disease patients is low. Although HTLV-I antibodies in these patients may not be related to blood transfusions, it seems prudent to screen blood donors for HTLV-I infection.
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Authors | O Castro, C Saxinger, S Barnes, S Alexander, R Flagg, W Frederick |
Journal | The Journal of infectious diseases
(J Infect Dis)
Vol. 162
Issue 3
Pg. 743-5
(Sep 1990)
ISSN: 0022-1899 [Print] United States |
PMID | 2387998
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)
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Chemical References |
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Topics |
- Adult
- Aged
- Anemia, Sickle Cell
(complications, therapy)
- Blood Transfusion
- Erythrocytes
- Female
- HIV Seropositivity
- HTLV-I Antibodies
(blood)
- HTLV-I Infections
(etiology)
- Humans
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Prospective Studies
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