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© 1995 Oxford University Press

research-article

Evidence of Serological Cross-Reactivities with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Types 1 and 2 and Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Types I and II in Sera of Pregnant Women in Ibadan, Nigeria

DAVID O OLALEYE*,{dagger}, COMFORT C EKWEOZOR{dagger}, ZHIJUAN SHENG* and SURAIYA RASHEED*

* Laboratory of Viral Oncology and AIDS Research. University of Southern California, School of Medicine Los Angeles, CA 90032–3626. USA
{dagger}University College Hospital, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan Nigeria

Reprint requests to: Dr S Rasheed.

Background. Our previous studies have indicated that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and human T-Iymphotropic virus (HTLV) groups of retroviruses are endemic among various populations in Nigeria These viruses are antigenically distinct and antibodies to HIV and HTLV do not cross-react, so we studied the prevalence of HIV-1, HIV-2, HTLV-I and HTLV-II antibodies in sera of pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic in Ibadan, Nigena.

Methods. In all, 364 sera were screened using three different enzyme immunoassays, Including those that distinguished HIV-1 antibodies from HIV-2, and HTLV-I antibodies from HTLV-II. All repeatedly reactive sera were confirmed by Western blots and synthetic peptide assays for the respective viruses.

Results. Overall, 71 sera (19.5%) had antibodies to HIV, HTLV or both groups of retroviruses. Most (95.8%) of the reactive samples were from women 20–29 years old. Two of five sera from individuals <20 years old reacted for HIV antibodies while one serum from a 40 year old woman was reactive for HTLV-I antibodies Of the 71 reactive sera, 29 (8%) had antibodies to HIV (HIV-1= 14, HIV-2 = 9, HIV-1/2 = 6) and 42 samples (11.5%) showed antibodles to HTLV (HTLV-I = 20, HTLV-II = 14, HTLV-I/II = 8). Seven of 71seroposilive samples (9.8%) reacted for both HIV and HTLV antibodies in various combinations, including one serum that showed antibody reactivities to all four retroviruses (i.e. HIV-1, HIV-2, HTLV-I and HTLV-II).

Conclusions. The high prevalence of antibodies to subtypes of the two entirely distinct retrovirus groups in young women has important implications for defining epidemiological patterns of diseases associated with co-infections with two or more retroviruses.

Received 1 April 1994


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