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1. Prevalence of AIDS-associated retrovirus and antibodies among male homosexuals at risk for AIDS in Greenwich Village.

Author

Casareale D, Dewhurst S, Sonnabend J, Sinangil F, Purtilo DT, and Volsky DJ

Subjects
Cell Line, Cells, Cultured, Collodion, Cross-Sectional Studies, Deltaretrovirus immunology, Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel methods, Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Humans, Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy blood, Lymphocytes cytology, Lymphocytes microbiology, Male, New York City, Paper, Probability, RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase metabolism, Retroviridae analysis, Retroviridae metabolism, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome immunology, Antibodies, Viral analysis, Homosexuality, Retroviridae immunology
Abstract

LAV/HTLV-III has been closely linked to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We have studied and correlated the prevalence of AIDS-associated retrovirus and retroviral antibodies in several groups of male homosexuals from Greenwich Village. Retrovirus was detected in cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes by testing for reverse transcriptase (RT) and confirmed by establishment of virus-producer cell lines, and electron microscopy. Seventy-six percent of patients with AIDS, 93% with AIDS-related complex (ARC), 69% with generalized lymphadenopathy (LAS), and 35% of asymptomatic homosexuals were positive for virus in the RT assay. Transmission of the virus from RT-positive lymphocytes into the CEM cell line was successful in 10 of 11 randomly chosen cases. No virus isolates were obtained from lymphocytes of 8 heterosexual individuals. Serum antibodies against AIDS-associated virus were detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay and confirmed by Western blotting, using an LAV/HTLV-III-producer cell line, LAV-N1, which we established. LAV/N1 virus was purified by ultracentrifugation through sucrose gradient and the pattern of its proteins was determined by SDS-gel electrophoresis and Western blotting using sera from an AIDS patient. The major polypeptides of LAV/HTLV-III (19, 25-27, 32, 42 and 54 kilodalton) were present. These proteins did not react in Western blots with sera positive for Adult T cell leukemia virus (ATLV). thus, LAV-N1 and ATLV were not antigenically related. In our assay for LAV/HTLV-III antibodies, 18 (100%) of patients with AIDS, 13 (100%) of patients with ARC, 24 (69%) of 35 patients with LAS and 9 (39%) of 23 asymptomatic homosexuals were sero-positive. Heterosexual controls were negative. All IF-positive sera tested by Western blot contained antibodies against specific viral proteins. High titers (greater than or equal to 1:1280) of serum antibodies against LAV/HTLV-III virus were detected in 71% of AIDS patients, 62% with ARC, 38% LAS and 13% among asymptomatic homosexuals. Our data show that the presence of LAV/HTLV-III antibodies correlates with the presence of infectious virus. Antibody titers may also correlate with progression toward AIDS.

Published
1984
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2. A comparison of Web- with paper-based surveys of gay and bisexual men who vacationed in a gay resort community

Author

Janet S. St. Lawrence, Salvatore Seeley, and David K. Whittier

Subjects
Male, Paper, Safe Sex, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Health (social science), Substance-Related Disorders, media_common.quotation_subject, education, Applied psychology, Population, HIV Infections, Survey methodology, Risk-Taking, Web page, Humans, Homosexuality, Homosexuality, Male, Life Style, media_common, Holidays, education.field_of_study, Internet, business.industry, Data Collection, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, United States, Infectious Diseases, Survey data collection, Bisexuality, Residence, The Internet, business, Psychology, Social psychology, Inclusion (education)
Abstract

Internet Web page survey responses were compared with those collected using traditional paper-and-pencil strategies to assess relative inclusion of a geographically dispersed population and comparativeness in responses. Three hundred and seven gay or bisexual men who had vacationed in a particular gay community completed Web-based and 244 paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Each questionnaire contained the same wording and question order. More Internet respondents than paper reported bisexual identity, nonmetropolitan residence, greater numbers of nonmain male partners for unprotected anal intercourse, and alcohol use than did paper-and-pencil respondents. Few other differences were identified. Assessing the reach of survey distribution can add to our knowledge base of surveys fielded using the Internet. Similarly, examining the potential biases in modes of administering convenience surveys can assist researchers to select the survey data collection method most appropriate to their research goals and design studies to assess the effect of the methods that are used.

Published
2004