Three surveys of HIV-1 prevalence and risk factors among men working at a sugar estate in Malawi.

Background: HIV-1 surveys in defined populations identify underlying risks and trends useful to mount interventions.

Goal: The goal of the study was to determine HIV-1 prevalence and risk factors among men working at a Malawian sugar estate.

Study Design: Three independent surveys were conducted in 1994, 1997, and 1998.

Impact of vitamin A supplementation on anaemia and plasma erythropoietin concentrations in pregnant women: a controlled clinical trial.

Introduction: Although studies suggest that vitamin A or its metabolites influence the synthesis of erythropoietin in vitro and in animal models, it is unclear whether vitamin A supplementation increases plasma erythropoietin concentrations in humans.

Objective: To determine whether daily vitamin A supplementation increases plasma erythropoietin concentrations in pregnant women with a high prevalence of anaemia.

Methods: A randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial was conducted to examine the effect of daily vitamin A (3000 microg retinol equivalent), iron (30 mg), and folate (400 microg) versus iron (30 mg) and folate (400 microg) (control) on haemoglobin and plasma erythropoietin concentrations in 203 pregnant women in Malawi, Africa.

HIV-1 incidence among male workers at a sugar estate in rural Malawi.

Objectives: To determine incidence of HIV and associated risk factors in two cohorts of men working at a sugar estate in rural Malawi.

Design: Prospective studies.

Methods: After counseling and obtaining informed consent, male workers were tested for HIV-1 and syphilis.

Iron status and indicators of human immunodeficiency virus disease severity among pregnant women in Malawi.

The relationships among hemoglobin, ferritin, and transferrin receptor levels and 2 markers of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease severity--HIV load and CD4(+) lymphocyte count--were characterized among 483 pregnant women in Malawi, Africa. The only significant correlation was an inverse correlation between hemoglobin level and plasma HIV load (r=-.104; P<.

Plasma and breast milk vitamin A as indicators of vitamin A status in pregnant women.

Breast milk vitamin A is not well characterized as an indicator of vitamin A status in women with infections. A controlled trial of vitamin A, 3 mg retinol equivalent/day, was conducted among 697 pregnant women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in Malawi which allowed comparison of plasma versus breast milk vitamin A as indicators of vitamin A status. Retinol concentrations were measured in plasma at baseline (18-28 weeks) and 38 weeks gestation and breast milk at 6 weeks post-partum.