HTLV-III antibody prevalence among young delinquent drug abusers in long-term residential treatment at a North-German drug clinic.

To date, long-term intravenous drug users studied at regional European centers of illicit drug use have had a high number of LAV/HTLV-III infections. Among 200 patients remanded by court or referred from prison to a special clinic in northern Germany for young delinquent drug abusers, 26 (17%) of 157 IV drug abusers were HTLV-III seropositive. With 40% seropositive, female patients showed a significantly higher prevalence of HTLV-III infection than males. The results of longitudinal serological, immunological, and clinical observations over periods of 12 months and 2-3 years indicate that under conditions of continuous medical surveillance, sound preventive counseling, and steady therapeutic care during long-term coeducative residential treatment of drug abusers, neither detectable HTLV-III transmission nor definite progression of HTLV-III induced impairment of immune regulatory functions must ensue.