Safety and immunogenicity of multiple conventional immunizations administered during early HIV infection

Article Abstract:

Patients with AIDS and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection have various degrees of immune deficiency. When these patients receive vaccinations to protect them against common diseases, their antibody response is often inadequate, making the vaccination ineffective. In addition, the general safety of vaccinations in these patients is not clear. Twenty-one asymptomatic subjects who had tested positive for HIV antibodies and who had received a standard battery of vaccinations upon joining the Army were compared with 21 subjects who received the same vaccinations but who were not HIV-seropositive. Subjects were matched for age, sex, and race. All received a complete physical evaluation and blood work, and their response to each vaccine was measured. HIV-infected individuals, though asymptomatic, showed significantly weaker responses to vaccinations than did matched non-HIV-infected controls. This was true whether the vaccination depended on the action of T-cells (which are killed by HIV) or not. However, HIV-seropositive patients responded to booster immunizations (follow-up shots after previous vaccination) similarly to controls, indicating that response to vaccination may decrease as the disease progresses. It is recommended that HIV-infected patients be immunized as early as possible in the course of their disease so that a maximal immunological response can be obtained. There is no clear evidence that doing so is harmful to patients. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Care and treatment, Usage, Physiological aspects, HIV patients, Vaccines, Immunization

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Risk factors for prevalent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in active duty Army men who initially report no identified risk: a case-control study

Article Abstract:

The majority of men infected with HIV, the AIDS virus, are homosexuals or intravenous drug users. A much smaller number are recipients of blood transfusions or clotting factors. Some men, however, are infected with HIV despite their apparent lack of association with any risk group. In an effort to identify those factors most likely to lead to infection with HIV, a case-controlled study of 26 soldiers infected with HIV, but belonging to no identified risk group, and 74 healthy controls was conducted. When interviews were conducted with a guarantee of anonymity, the greatest risk factor was found to be sex with other men. It seems clear that under the normal conditions of follow-up for HIV infection in the military, soldiers are reluctant to admit to behavior which is grounds for dismissal. Other significant risk factors were found to be engaging in sexual acts which cause bleeding, and having sex with a prostitute or an intravenous drug user. All 26 men reported at least one act known to involve risk, and 20 men were found to engage in behaviors officially defined as risk factors for HIV infection by the Centers for Disease Control. This study has illustrated, however, that under the appropriate interview conditions, accurate self-reports of high risk behavior may be obtained from military personnel. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Psychological aspects, Risk factors, Medical examination, Soldiers, AIDS (Disease), Medicine, Military, Military medicine

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