High prevalence of a variant of SENV in intravenous drug user HIV-infected patients

The prevalence, route of transmission, and clinical significance of SEN virus (SENV) infection was evaluated in 715 samples obtained from 150 blood donors, 165 patients infected by HIV, 150 with HCV/HBV infection, 80 with autoimmune diseases, 40 with Primary Immunodeficiency, 40 with sexually transmitted diseases, 40 polytransfused, and from 50 unselected patients. The identification of SENV-DNA was performed by polymerase chain reaction and hybridization, followed by an immunoenzymatic method that identify different SENV strains. SENV-A variant is largely represented among HIV-infected patients, being found in 71% of HIV+ intravenous drug users and in 26% of individuals that had acquired HIV through sex. A high prevalence of SENV-A was observed also in HIV-polytransfused (27%) or in patients with sexually transmitted diseases (30%). These percentages are significantly higher than those observed in an unselected population and in blood donors. Prevalence of SENV-A is, therefore, high among HIV+ patients with parental risk of exposure, but this infection does not appear to influence the clinical or immune status of HIV+ patients. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.