TY - JOUR
T1 - Antibodies to Mycoplasma fermentans in HIV-positive heterosexual patients
T2 - Seroprevalence and association with AIDS
AU - Horowitz, S.
AU - Horowitz, J.
AU - Hou, L.
AU - Fuchs, E.
AU - Rager-Zisman, B.
AU - Jacobs, E.
AU - Alkan, M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by a grant from the Selma and Melvin Maisel Foundation. We are grateful to Prof. M. N. Lowenthal for his helpful comments on the manuscript.
PY - 1998
Y1 - 1998
N2 - There are conflicting reports concerning the prevalence of Mycoplasma fermentans in HIV-positive patients and its association with AIDS. Serum antibodies to M. fermentans were measured by a modified immunoblotting technique in 48 HIV-positive heterosexual patients and in 30 HIV-negative heterosexual controls. Antibodies to M. fermentans were detected in 19 (40%) of HIV-positive patients and in three (10%) of the HIV-negative controls (P = O-01). The prevalence of antibodies to Mycoplasma hominis and to Ureaplasma urealyticum was similar in both groups. In the HIV-positive group, 16/19 (84%) M. fermentans-positive patients developed AIDS, compared to eight of 29 (28%) M. fermentans-negative patients (P = 0.0004). The HIV-positive patients with antibodies to M. fermentans had a lower CD4+ cell count and a higher prevalence of antibodies to the other mycoplasma tested (P=0.007 and P = 0.03, respectively), as compared to the patients without antibodies to M. fermentans. These findings may suggest that the presence of antibodies to M. fermentans indicate an opportunistic infection. Of the 19 M. fermentans-positive patients, 11 were positive on the first examination, and eight became positive during the follow-up period. Seven out of these eight patients developed antibodies to M. fermentans before the development of AIDS. Therefore, the possibility exists that M. fermentans might influence the development of AIDS.
AB - There are conflicting reports concerning the prevalence of Mycoplasma fermentans in HIV-positive patients and its association with AIDS. Serum antibodies to M. fermentans were measured by a modified immunoblotting technique in 48 HIV-positive heterosexual patients and in 30 HIV-negative heterosexual controls. Antibodies to M. fermentans were detected in 19 (40%) of HIV-positive patients and in three (10%) of the HIV-negative controls (P = O-01). The prevalence of antibodies to Mycoplasma hominis and to Ureaplasma urealyticum was similar in both groups. In the HIV-positive group, 16/19 (84%) M. fermentans-positive patients developed AIDS, compared to eight of 29 (28%) M. fermentans-negative patients (P = 0.0004). The HIV-positive patients with antibodies to M. fermentans had a lower CD4+ cell count and a higher prevalence of antibodies to the other mycoplasma tested (P=0.007 and P = 0.03, respectively), as compared to the patients without antibodies to M. fermentans. These findings may suggest that the presence of antibodies to M. fermentans indicate an opportunistic infection. Of the 19 M. fermentans-positive patients, 11 were positive on the first examination, and eight became positive during the follow-up period. Seven out of these eight patients developed antibodies to M. fermentans before the development of AIDS. Therefore, the possibility exists that M. fermentans might influence the development of AIDS.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0031605761&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0163-4453(98)93306-0
DO - 10.1016/S0163-4453(98)93306-0
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C2 - 9515674
AN - SCOPUS:0031605761
SN - 0163-4453
VL - 36
SP - 79
EP - 84
JO - Journal of Infection
JF - Journal of Infection
IS - 1
ER -
