Human T cell leukemia virus type I and Epstein-Barr virus antibodies in homosexuals and hemophilia patients from Venezuela.

The presence of serum antibodies to human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma Virus-I (HTLV-I) and to Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) was studied in homosexuals and hemophilia patients from the State of Zulia (Venezuela), a highly endemic area for HTLV-I infection. No serum antibodies to HTLV-I were detected despite the presence of alterations in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets. Anti-EBV antibodies in homosexuals were indicative of persistent infection with this virus. Our results suggest that HTLV-I does not play a role in the immunological alterations in homosexuals or hemophiliacs in an area of high prevalence for this virus.