Short report: analysis of anti-malaria immune response during human immunodeficiency virus infection in adults in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Co-infection of human immunodeficiency virus and malaria is not uncommon in people living in sub-Saharan Africa. Since HIV infection results in immune deficiency, it may alter the ability of HIV patients to mount proper immune responses against malaria parasites. We measured specific malaria antibodies in 47 specimens from 25 couples from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to their HIV status, and investigated probable interaction between malaria and HIV infection.

[Prevalence and incidence of HIV-1 infection among employees of a large textile business and their wives in Kinshasa, 1991-1996].

Background: The Democratic Republic of Congo has been experiencing a critical economic situation for several years, resulting in a favorable context for the spread of HIV-infection. A study was performed in a large textile factory in Kinshasa, to determine prevalence and incidence of HIV-infection among employees and their wives.

Methods: From February to November 1996, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 2010 employees (1859 males, 151 females) of the factory and their 1198 female partners.

Gonorrhoea: auxotypes, serovars, and clinical manifestations among female sex workers from Kinshasa, Zaïre.

The main question in this paper was to look at the distribution of auxotypes and serovars of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and check whether they correlate with clinical symptoms/signs among female sex workers (FSW) from Kinshasa, Zaïre. The subject were 1233 FSW enrolled in a cross sectional study on STDs and HIV infection in 1988; 771 of them were followed prospectively for a median duration of 23 months. At each visit, clinical symptoms and signs of cervicitis were recorded and the subjects were screened for gonococcal and chlamydial infection.

Increasing resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in west and central Africa. Consequence on therapy of gonococcal infection.

Background And Objectives: Antimicrobial resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae have spread with remarkable rapidity in many African countries. Chromosomal resistance to penicillin, tetracycline, and thiamphenicol is frequent now, and reported prevalences of penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae isolates vary between 15% and 80%.

Signs and symptoms of prevalent and incident cases of gonorrhea and genital chlamydial infection among female prostitutes in Kinshasa, Zaire.

Most studies that have examined the clinical features of gonorrhea and chlamydial infection have been based on prevalent cases (cases of undetermined onset). In our investigation, we compared signs and symptoms of incident (new) cases of these infections with those observed in prevalent cases (involving the same women) that were diagnosed at enrollment in a prospective study of female prostitutes in Kinshasa, Zaire. Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Chlamydia trachomatis was present at enrollment in 29.

Similar serological response to conventional therapy for syphilis among HIV-positive and HIV-negative women.

Objectives: To compare characteristics of syphilis serological reactivity in HIV positive (+) and HIV negative (-) female sex workers, as well as the serological response to therapy after treatment with intramuscular benzathine penicillin, 2.4 million U weekly, for three consecutive weeks.

Methods: Rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) results of 72 HIV-positive and 121 HIV-negative women reactive in both tests were assessed.

HTLV-I infection among prostitutes and pregnant women in Kinshasa, Zaïre: how important is high-risk sexual behavior?

High-risk sexual behavior as risk factor for human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection was assessed in cross-sectional studies with 1,183 prostitutes and 1,166 pregnant women in Kinshasa, Zaire. Eighty six (7.3%) prostitutes were positive for HTLV-I.

Condom promotion, sexually transmitted diseases treatment, and declining incidence of HIV-1 infection in female Zairian sex workers.

The control of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV-1, among sex workers and their clients in urban areas in developing countries, is considered a valuable and cost-effective intervention to contain the spread of HIV-1. The effect of a programme of STD treatment combined with condom promotion on HIV-1 incidence has so far not been measured. During an intervention including condom promotion, as well as monthly sexually transmitted disease screening and treatment among 531 initially HIV-1 negative female sex workers in Kinshasa, Zaire, 70 became infected with HIV-1 (incidence of 8.

Clinical algorithms for the screening of women for gonococcal and chlamydial infection: evaluation of pregnant women and prostitutes in Zaire.

A substantial proportion of women with gonococcal and/or chlamydial infection are asymptomatic. Thus active case detection is problematical, particularly in developing countries, where facilities and materials for laboratory testing are limited. We assessed the diagnostic validity of the hierarchical clinical algorithms recommended by the World Health Organization as well as that of a nonhierarchical scoring system, using data for 1,160 pregnant women (a low-prevalence group) and 1,222 prostitutes (a high-prevalence group) in Kinshasa, Zaire.

Non-ulcerative sexually transmitted diseases as risk factors for HIV-1 transmission in women: results from a cohort study.

Objectives: The heterosexual spread of HIV-1 is occurring at different rates in different parts of the world. The transmission probability of HIV-1 per sexual contact is low, but may be greatly enhanced by several cofactors. Sexually transmitted diseases (STD), especially genital ulcers, may be such factors.

Genital papillomavirus infection and cervical dysplasia--opportunistic complications of HIV infection.

Certain human genital papillomaviruses (HPV) are strongly associated with cervical dysplasia and cancer. Evidence is accumulating that HPV infection and ano-genital cancers are more common in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The objective of our study was to evaluate the extent to which HPV infection and associated cervical disease constitute opportunistic complications of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in a population of sexually promiscuous, HIV-infected women in Kinshasa, Zaire.

High prevalence of antibodies to the gp120 V3 region principal neutralizing determinant of HIV-1MN in sera from Africa and the Americas.

Neutralizing antibodies (NA) against HIV-1MN and HIV-1IIIB, and antibodies binding to synthetic peptides (BA) derived from the gp120 envelope V3 region principal neutralizing determinants (PND) of the HIV-1MN, HIV-1IIIB, and HIV-1Z3 virus strains were assayed in HIV-1 antibody-positive sera from the United States, Haiti, Brazil, Zaire, and Zimbabwe. The ability of soluble PND peptide to block neutralization of the corresponding virus by representative sera was also tested. In each country, NA and BA titers were highest against the HIV-1MN strain, and compared with other countries, NA and BA titers against HIV-1MN were higher in sera from the United States and Haiti.

Comparison of five commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and Western immunoblotting for human immunodeficiency virus antibody detection in serum samples from Central Africa.

Detection by five different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) of antibody to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in sera from three Zairian populations consisting of 1,998 individuals with various risks for HIV infection was evaluated. Sera that were reactive by at least one assay and 10% of the nonreactive serum samples were analyzed by Western blot (immunoblot) by using U.S.

HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases among female prostitutes in Kinshasa.

In 1988, 1233 prostitutes from different geographic areas of Kinshasa participated in a cross-sectional survey on HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Despite relatively good knowledge about AIDS and STDs, the reported preventive behaviour was poor. Only 12% of the women reported regular use of condoms, while greater than 50% of the women reported regular use of antibiotics and 38% reported doing nothing specific to prevent STDs.

Detection of salivary HIV-1-specific IgG antibodies in high-risk populations in Zaire.

Saliva and blood samples were tested for human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) antibodies in two high-risk populations in Kinshasa, Zaire. In a seroprevalence study of 458 sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic attendees, 142 of 145 seropositive individuals had enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-positive saliva samples (97.9% sensitivity).

Cutaneous delayed-type hypersensitivity in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection in Zaire.

Cutaneous delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions were assessed by the CMI-Multitest (Merieux, Lyon, France) in patients with different stages of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in Kinshasa, Zaire. Skin tests were read after 48-72 h. A reaction to an antigen was considered positive if there was induration of greater than 2 mm.