-transparent.png){kind=logo}
The prevalence of specific antibodies to HTLV-III/LAV retrovirus was investigated during 1985 in a large group of subjects at risk for AIDS living in the Florence area. Two hundred and thirty-two of 774 (29.9%) intravenous drug users (IDU), 40 of 164 homosexuals (24.3%), 43 of 147 hemophiliacs (29.2%), 7 of 10 children born from IDU mothers and 4 of 88 heterosexual partners of IDU were found to be seropositive using different ELISA kits. The positivity in all serum samples showing low antibody titres and/or discordant results with different sandwich ELISA kits was confirmed by a competition ELISA assay and the Western blot technique. Serum samples from 4 of 210 hemodialyzed and from one of 17 polytransfused patients also showed positive reactions in the assays based on the sandwich principle, but gave negative results in both the competition ELISA assay and the Western blot technique. In addition, all these sera showed positive reactions using immunofluorescence and ELISA procedures that control for reactivity with H9 human cell line material used for culturing the HTLV-III/LAV retrovirus. These data demonstrate that exposure to HTLV-III/LAV retrovirus is widespread in groups of subjects at risk for AIDS living in the Florence area. Furthermore, the results of the present study suggest that, in addition to the Western blot technique, the competition ELISA assay as well as assays that control reactivity with H9 human cell line material may be of value for detecting false positive reactions due to antibody cross-reactive with human cellular components.
E De Majo, and
A Ravina, and
L Ricciarelli, and
F Parri, and
M Mazzetti, and
M Di Pietro, and
M G Colao, and
D Milo, and
S Romagnani
November 1987,
Zeitschrift fur Hautkrankheiten,
E De Majo, and
A Ravina, and
L Ricciarelli, and
F Parri, and
M Mazzetti, and
M Di Pietro, and
M G Colao, and
D Milo, and
S Romagnani
October 1985,
Lancet (London, England),
E De Majo, and
A Ravina, and
L Ricciarelli, and
F Parri, and
M Mazzetti, and
M Di Pietro, and
M G Colao, and
D Milo, and
S Romagnani
January 1987,
International archives of allergy and applied immunology,
E De Majo, and
A Ravina, and
L Ricciarelli, and
F Parri, and
M Mazzetti, and
M Di Pietro, and
M G Colao, and
D Milo, and
S Romagnani
July 1986,
The Alabama journal of medical sciences,
E De Majo, and
A Ravina, and
L Ricciarelli, and
F Parri, and
M Mazzetti, and
M Di Pietro, and
M G Colao, and
D Milo, and
S Romagnani
February 1987,
Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950),
E De Majo, and
A Ravina, and
L Ricciarelli, and
F Parri, and
M Mazzetti, and
M Di Pietro, and
M G Colao, and
D Milo, and
S Romagnani
January 1986,
AIDS research,
E De Majo, and
A Ravina, and
L Ricciarelli, and
F Parri, and
M Mazzetti, and
M Di Pietro, and
M G Colao, and
D Milo, and
S Romagnani
July 1986,
Quintessenz Journal,
E De Majo, and
A Ravina, and
L Ricciarelli, and
F Parri, and
M Mazzetti, and
M Di Pietro, and
M G Colao, and
D Milo, and
S Romagnani
January 1986,
Pennsylvania medicine,
E De Majo, and
A Ravina, and
L Ricciarelli, and
F Parri, and
M Mazzetti, and
M Di Pietro, and
M G Colao, and
D Milo, and
S Romagnani
November 1986,
The American journal of medicine,
E De Majo, and
A Ravina, and
L Ricciarelli, and
F Parri, and
M Mazzetti, and
M Di Pietro, and
M G Colao, and
D Milo, and
S Romagnani
March 1986,
Lancet (London, England),
