Pre-deployment Year Mental Health Diagnoses and Treatment in Deployed Army Women.

We estimated the prevalence of select mental health diagnoses (MHDX) and mental health treatment (MHT), and identified characteristics associated with MHT during the pre-deployment year (365 days before deployment) in active duty Army women (N = 14,633) who returned from Iraq or Afghanistan deployments in FY2010. Pre-deployment year prevalence estimates were: 26.2 % for any select MHDX and 18.1 % for any MHT. Army women who had physical injuries since FY2002 or any behavioral health treatment between FY2002 and the pre-deployment year had increased odds of pre-deployment year MHT. During the pre-deployment year, a substantial percentage of Army women had MHDX and at least one MHT encounter or stay. Future research should determine if pre-deployment MHDX among Army women reflect vulnerability to future MHDX, or if pre-deployment MHT results in protection from chronic symptoms.

Missed opportunity for alcohol problem prevention among army active duty service members postdeployment.

OBJECTIVES: We identified to what extent the Department of Defense postdeployment health surveillance program identifies at-risk drinking, alone or in conjunction with psychological comorbidities, and refers service members who screen positive for additional assessment or care. METHODS: We completed a cross-sectional analysis of 333 803 US Army active duty members returning from Iraq or Afghanistan deployments in fiscal years 2008 to 2011 with a postdeployment health assessment. Alcohol measures included 2 based on self-report quantity-frequency items-at-risk drinking (positive Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test alcohol consumption questions [AUDIT-C] screen) and severe alcohol problems (AUDIT-C score of 8 or higher)-and another based on the interviewing provider's assessment. RESULTS: Nearly 29% of US Army active duty members screened positive for at-risk drinking, and 5.6% had an AUDIT-C score of 8 or higher. Interviewing providers identified potential alcohol problems among only 61.8% of those screening positive for at-risk drinking and only 74.9% of those with AUDIT-C scores of 8 or higher. They referred for a follow-up visit to primary care or another setting only 29.2% of at-risk drinkers and only 35.9% of those with AUDIT-C scores of 8 or higher. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified missed opportunities for early intervention for at-risk drinking. Future research should evaluate the effect of early intervention on long-term outcomes.

Rationale and methods of the Substance Use and Psychological Injury Combat Study (SUPIC): a longitudinal study of Army service members returning from deployment in FY2008-2011.

The Substance Use and Psychological Injury Combat Study (SUPIC) will examine whether early detection and intervention for post-deployment problems among Army Active Duty and National Guard/Reservists returning from Iraq or Afghanistan are associated with improved long-term substance use and psychological outcomes. This paper describes the rationale and significance of SUPIC, and presents demographic and deployment characteristics of the study sample (N = 643,205), and self-reported alcohol use and health problems from the subsample with matched post-deployment health assessments (N = 487,600). This longitudinal study aims to provide new insight into the long-term post-deployment outcomes of Army members by combining service member data from the Military Health System and Veterans Health Administration.

Association of military deployment of a parent or spouse and changes in dependent use of health care services.

BACKGROUND: U.S. Armed Forces members and spouses report increased stress associated with combat deployment. It is unknown, however, whether these deployment stressors lead to increased dependent medication use and health care utilization. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the deployment of Army active duty members (sponsors) is associated with changes in dependent health care utilization. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental, pre-post study of health care patterns of more than 55,000 nonpregnant spouses and 137,000 children of deployed sponsors and a comparison group of dependents. MEASURES: Changes in dependent total utilization in the military health system, and separately in military-provided and purchased care services in the year following the sponsors' deployment month for office visit services (generalist, specialist); emergency department visits; institutional stays; psychotropic medication (any, antidepressant, antianxiety, antistimulant classes). RESULTS: Sponsor deployment was associated with net increased use of specialist office visits (relative percent change 4.2% spouses; 8.8% children), antidepressants (6.7% spouses; 17.2% children), and antianxiety medications (14.2% spouses; 10.0% children; P<0.01) adjusting for group differences. Deployment was consistently associated with increased use of purchased care services, partially, or fully offset by decreased use of military treatment facilities. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that emotional or behavioral issues are contributing to increased specialist visits and reliance on medications during sponsors' deployments. A shift to receipt of services from civilian settings raises questions about coordination of care when families temporarily relocate, family preferences, and military provider capacity during deployment phases. Findings have important implications for the military health system and community providers who serve military families, especially those with children.

Prometheus payment model: application to hip and knee replacement surgery.

The Prometheus Payment Model offers a potential solution to the failings of the current fee-for-service system and various forms of capitation. At the core of the Prometheus model are evidence-informed case rates (ECRs), which include a bundle of typical services that are informed by evidence and/or expert opinion as well as empirical data analysis, payment based on the severity of patients, and allowances for potentially avoidable complications (PACs) and other provider-specific variations in payer costs. We outline the methods and findings of the hip and knee arthroplasty ECRs with an emphasis on PACs. Of the 2076 commercially insured patients undergoing hip arthroplasty in our study, PAC costs totaled $7.8 million (14% of total costs; n = 699 index PAC stays). Similarly, PAC costs were $12.7 million (14% of total costs; n = 897 index PAC stays) for 3403 patients undergoing knee arthroplasty. By holding the providers clinically and financially responsible for PACs, and by segmenting and quantifying the type of PACs generated during and after the procedure, the Prometheus model creates an opportunity for providers to focus on the reduction of PACs, including readmissions, making the data actionable and turn the waste related to PAC costs into potential savings.

Higher testosterone levels are associated with increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in men with cardiovascular disease: results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study.

AIM: To study the relationship between circulating androgens (total testosterone [TT], free testosterone [fT] and dihydrotestosterone [DHT]) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in men with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses included 1 661 baseline samples from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS), a population-based cohort of men ages 40-70 years. Serum hormones were measured by radioimmunoassay and HDL-C was determined following precipitation of the lower density lipoproteins. CVD was determined by self-report. Analyses were performed using multiple linear regression. RESULTS: TT and HDL-C were positively correlated in the entire sample (r=0.11, P=0.0001). After adjusting for confounders, we found this relationship was mostly limited to the 209 men with CVD. Among men with CVD, TT (P=0.0004), fT (P=0.0172) and DHT (P=0.0128) were all positively correlated with HDL-C, whereas in men without CVD only TT correlated with HDL-C (P=0.0099). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that if androgens contribute to CVD in middle-aged men, the effect is not related to a suppressive effect of endogenous T on HDL-C.

Testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, and frailty in older men.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether testosterone (T) levels are associated with frailty or its components. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study conducted in three waves (T1: 1987-1989, T2: 1995-1997, T3: 2002-2004). SETTING: Communities in the Boston, Massachusetts, area. PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred forty-six men aged 50 to 86 at T(3) with complete data on frailty components and hormone measurements. MEASUREMENTS: The frailty phenotype was defined as the presence of three or more of the following: weight loss, exhaustion, low physical activity, slowness, and weakness. Men were classified as frail (> or = 3 components), intermediate (1-2 components), and nonfrail (0 components). Whether total and free T or sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels were associated cross-sectionally with frailty and with degree of frailty was determined. Potential confounders such as age, chronic disease, lifestyle factors, diet, and physical activity were considered. RESULTS: No association was observed between total or free T and the frailty phenotype after adjusting for confounders. Conversely, a significant association was observed between SHBG and frailty phenotype with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.25 (95% confidence interval=1.06-1.46) per 10-nM increase in SHBG levels. Associations between hormones and degree of frailty were similar to those for overall frailty. Of frailty components, grip strength and physical activity, but not exhaustion, slow walking, or weight loss, were associated with total T levels, whereas SHBG was related to weight loss, exhaustion, and physical activity. CONCLUSION: Total and free T levels were not associated with frailty phenotype, but SHBG was. Furthermore, T and SHBG levels were associated with some, but not all, components of frailty. Therefore, T trials in older men should focus on men experiencing decreases in strength.

Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Deployment Binge Drinking among Male and Female Army Active Duty Service Members Returning from Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom.

This study examines whether the relationship between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-deployment binge drinking is independent of screening positive for mental health problems among male and female service members. Data are from the Substance Use and Psychological Injury Combat Study of Army members returning from deployment to Afghanistan or Iraq in fiscal years 2008-2011. The sample consists of 240,694 male and 26,406 female active duty members who completed initial and follow-up questionnaires. The initial questionnaire, completed at the end of deployment, included screens for TBI and mental health problems (post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, harmful thoughts). The dependent variable, frequent binge drinking (six or more drinks on one occasion, at least monthly), was assessed on the follow-up questionnaire on average 3-9 months post-deployment. More than 21% of males and 7% of females reported frequent binge drinking. Male members were more likely to screen positive for TBI, compared with females (7.5% vs. 4.4%). Females with both TBI and mental health positive screens had more than double the risk of frequent binge drinking, compared with those without either problem (15.8% vs. 6.6%), and males with both problems had almost double the risk, compared with males with neither problem (33.6% vs. 19.7%). In multivariable logistic regression models, having a TBI and a comorbid positive mental health screen was associated with increased odds of frequent binge drinking among both males and females (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.59, CI: 1.50-1.69, and AOR = 2.11, CI: 1.57-2.83, respectively), compared with those with neither condition. More research is needed on the interaction of gender and binge drinking, especially when TBI and mental health problems co-exist.

The effect of changes in adiposity on testosterone levels in older men: longitudinal results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study.

OBJECTIVE: Changes in adiposity affecting total testosterone (TT) and free testosterone (FT) levels have not been examined in a population-based survey. We aimed to determine whether changes in adiposity predict follow-up levels and rates of change in TT, FT and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in men. DESIGN: The Massachusetts Male Aging Study is a randomly sampled, population-based cohort interviewed at baseline (T(1), 1987-1989; n = 1,709; aged 40-70 years) and followed-up approximately 9 years later (T(2), 1995-1997; n = 1,156). Men were categorized as overweight (body mass index (BMI) >or= 25 kg/m(2)) or having obesity (BMI >or= 30 kg/m(2)), waist obesity (waist circumference >or= 102 cm), or waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) obesity (WHR>0.95). For each adiposity group, we constructed four categories to represent changes between T(1) and T(2): overweight (or obese, etc.) at neither wave, T(1) only, T(2) only, or both waves. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding variables, men who were overweight at T(2) only, or at both waves, had significantly lower mean T(2) TT and SHBG levels than men in the neither group (P<0.05). Mean FT did not differ between any overweight group and the neither group. Men who were obese at both times, had the highest mean BMI, the highest fraction of severely obese men, and significantly greater rate of decline in FT than the neither group. CONCLUSIONS: In men who become overweight, the greater rate of decline in TT, but not FT, is related mostly to a lesser age-related increase in SHBG. Since weight gain is highly prevalent in older men, over-reliance on TT levels in the diagnosis of androgen deficiency could result in substantial misclassification.

Predictors of Positive Illicit Drug Tests After OEF/OIF Deployment Among Army Enlisted Service Members.

OBJECTIVE: To identify characteristics associated with testing positive for illicit drugs postdeployment among Army enlisted members. METHODS: Army active duty and National Guard/Reserve enlisted members returning from Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom deployments in fiscal years 2008 to 2011, who submitted urine specimens for random and other illicit drug tests up to 3 years postdeployment, were included. Multiple logistic regression models, stratified by component, identified demographic and deployment characteristics associated with any positive drug test (cocaine, heroin, tetrahydrocannabinol [marijuana], or amphetamine) during the 3 years postdeployment. RESULTS: Among Army active duty and National Guard/Reserve enlisted members, respectively, 3.46% (95% confidence interval 3.40-3.52) and 3.84% (confidence interval 3.74-3.94) tested positive for 1+ illicit drugs during the 3 years postdeployment; the vast majority for marijuana. Relative to other groups, increased odds of a positive drug test were found for members with a combat specialist occupation, or first deployers. CONCLUSION: Almost 4% of Army members tested positive for illicit drug use within 3 years of return from deployment. Early identification and intervention with enlisted members who are more likely to test positive for illicit drug use should be explored to see if it will enhance health and reduce illegal drug use after deployment to a war zone.

Army Active Duty Members' Linkage to Veterans Health Administration Services After Deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan and Following Separation.

This study described the rate and predictors of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom active duty Army members' enrollment in and use of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) services (linkage), as well as variation in linkage rates by VHA facility. We used a multivariate mixed effect regression model to predict linkage to VHA, and also calculated linkage rates in the catchment areas of each facility (n = 158). The sample included 151,122 active duty members who deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan and then separated from the Army between fiscal years 2008 and 2012. Approximately 48% of the active duty members separating utilized VHA as an enrollee within one year. There was significant variation in linkage rates by VHA facilities (31-72%). The most notable variables associated with greater linkage included probable serious injury during index deployment (odds ratio = 1.81), separation because of disability (odds ratio = 2.86), and various measures of receipt of VHA care before and after separation. Information about the individual characteristics that predict greater or lesser linkage to VHA services can be used to improve delivery of health care services at VHA as well as outreach efforts to active duty Army members.

Reproductive hormones in the early menopausal transition: relationship to ethnicity, body size, and menopausal status.

We measured serum reproductive hormone concentrations in a community-based, multiethnic population of premenopausal and early perimenopausal women to determine whether there are ethnic differences in hormones that can be explained by host factors. We studied 2930 participants in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation who were aged 42-52 yr and self-identified as African-American (27.6%), Caucasian (47.1%), Chinese (7.4%), Hispanic (8.8%), or Japanese (9.0%) at 7 clinical sites. Outcome measures from this baseline assessment of a longitudinal study were serum estradiol (E2), FSH, testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and SHBG concentrations and calculated estimates of free steroid availability, free testosterone index, and free E2 index from serum collected primarily in the early follicular phase of a spontaneous menstrual cycle. The primary explanatory variables were race/ethnicity, menopausal status, age, body mass index, day of the cycle, smoking, alcohol use, and physical activity. Chinese women had lower unadjusted E2 and SHBG levels, and Hispanic women had lower unadjusted T levels than other ethnic groups. Unadjusted serum FSH levels did not differ by race/ethnicity. E2 levels adjusted for host characteristics, particularly body size, did not differ by race/ethnicity. Adjusted FSH levels were higher, and adjusted T levels were lower in African-American and Hispanic women. Serum E2 and FSH concentrations were highly variable. Serum FSH levels, but no other hormone concentrations, were positively correlated with menopausal status. Serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels were negatively correlated with age, but not menopausal status. All hormone concentrations were significantly correlated with body mass index. We conclude that serum sex steroid, FSH, and SHBG levels vary by ethnicity, but are highly confounded by ethnic disparities in body size.

Hepatitis B and C viral load changes following initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in patients with advanced HIV infection.

Chronic infection with either hepatitis B (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) is frequently present in patients seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) because of shared routes of transmission. With the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens capable of controlling HIV replication and dramatically prolonging the survival of HIV-infected patients, the impact of co-morbid infections such as HBV and HCV has come into focus. Several studies have monitored HBV or HCV viral loads following initiation of HAART, with disparate results. The effects of HAART on hepatitis B and C plasma viral loads (n = 9 and 32, respectively) and on liver enzyme levels were studied in a large cohort of prospectively studied subjects with advanced stage HIV disease. Comparing the mean pre- and post-HAART levels, there was an estimated increase of (a) 1.40 log(10) from 4.83 to 6.24 log(10) for HBV plasma viral load (P = 0.07), (b) 0.74 log(10) from 6.38 to 7.12 log(10) for HCV plasma viral load (P = 0.001), and (c) 19.4 U/L from 37.4 to 56.8 U/L for serum alanine aminotransferase (P < 0.001). While the number of subjects co-infected with HIV and HBV was limited, these data collected in a population of advanced stage HIV-infected patients raises questions regarding the interactions of these viruses with each other and the host immune system and has implications regarding the order in which antiviral therapies are initiated.

Changes in sexual function in middle-aged and older men: longitudinal data from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe within-individual change in sexual function over a 9-year period and to determine whether the amount of change differs by age group. DESIGN: Cohort study; participants interviewed at baseline (1987-89) and follow-up (1995-97). SETTING: Population-based; communities surrounding Boston, Massachusetts. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand eighty-five men aged 40 to 70 at baseline (born between 1917 and 1947) with complete baseline and follow-up sexual function data. MEASUREMENTS: Within-person change (follow-up minus baseline) in the following sexual function variables: sexual intercourse, erection frequency, sexual desire, ejaculation with masturbation, satisfaction with sex, and difficulty with orgasm. RESULTS: Unadjusted analyses showed significant longitudinal changes over the 9-year period in all domains of sexual function except frequency of ejaculation with masturbation, which showed no change between baseline and follow-up. Adjusted for baseline sexual function, within-person change in all outcomes was strongly related to age, with decline in sexual function becoming more pronounced with increasing age. For example, over the 9-year study period, sexual intercourse or activity frequency decreased by less than once per month, two times per month, and three times per month in men in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, respectively. Number of erections per month declined by 3, 9, and 13 in men in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, respectively. CONCLUSION: This research fills a major gap in the literature by providing age-specific estimates of change in sexual functioning over a 9-year period in a cohort of unselected men.

Predictors of Army National Guard and Reserve members' use of Veteran Health Administration health care after demobilizing from OEF/OIF deployment.

This study described rates and predictors of Army National Guard and Army Reserve members' enrollment in and utilization of Veteran Health Administration (VHA) services in the 365 days following demobilization from an index deployment. We also explored regional and VHA facility variation in serving eligible members in their catchment areas. The sample included 125,434 Army National Guard and 48,423 Army Reserve members who demobilized after a deployment ending between FY 2008 and FY 2011. Demographic, geographic, deployment, and Military Health System eligibility were derived from Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System and "Contingency Tracking System" data. The VHA National Patient Care Databases were used to ascertain VHA utilization and status (e.g., enrollee, TRICARE). Logistic regression models were used to evaluate predictors of VHA utilization as an enrollee in the year following demobilization. Of the study members demobilizing during the observation period, 56.9% of Army National Guard members and 45.7% of Army Reserve members utilized VHA as an enrollee within 12 months. Demographic, regional, health coverage, and deployment-related factors were associated with VHA enrollment and utilization, and significant variation by VHA facility was found. These findings can be useful in the design of specific outreach efforts to improve linkage from the Military Health System to the VHA.

Gender differences in substance use treatment utilization in the year prior to deployment in Army service members.

Although military men have heavier drinking patterns, military women experience equal or higher rates of dependence symptoms and similar rates of alcohol-related problems as men at lower levels of consumption. Thus, gender may be important for understanding substance use treatment (SUT) utilization before deployment. Military health system data were analyzed to examine gender differences in both substance use diagnosis (SUDX) and SUT in 152,447 Army service members returning from deployments in FY2010. Propensity score analysis of probability of SUDX indicated that women had lower odds (AOR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.86-0.96) of military lifetime SUDX. After adjusting for lifetime SUDX using propensity score analysis, multivariate regression found women had substantially lower odds (AOR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.54-0.70) of using SUT the year prior to deployment. Findings suggest gender disparities in military-provided SUT and a need to consider whether military substance use assessment protocols are sensitive to gender differences.

Normal, bound and nonbound testosterone levels in normally ageing men: results from the Massachusetts Male Ageing Study.

OBJECTIVE: There is little consensus on what androgen levels are 'normal' for healthy, ageing men. Using data from the Massachusetts Male Ageing Study (MMAS), we estimated age-specific, normal androgen levels for men aged 40-79 years while accounting for health status and behavioural factors known to influence hormone levels. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study. PATIENTS: Community-based random sample of men aged 40-79 years: n = 1677 men studied at T1 (1987-1989), n = 1031 at T2 (1995-1997) and n = 631 at T3 (2002-2004), for a total of 3339 observations. The average number of years between the T1 and T2 interviews was 8.8 (range 7.1-10.4 years) and 6.4 (range 5.6-7.9 years) between T2 and T3. MEASUREMENTS: Serum total testosterone (T) and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) were measured on nonfasting blood samples collected within 4 h of subject's awakening. Free and bio-available T were calculated from T and SHBG using the Sodergard equation. Trained interviewers administered an in-home questionnaire of health, medication and lifestyle. Participants were considered apparently healthy if all of the following were met: (i) absence of self-reported chronic disease (diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, ulcer); (ii) not on prescription medication believed to affect hormone levels; (iii) body mass index (BMI) not exceeding 29 kg/m2; (iv) alcohol consumption less than or equal to six drinks/day; and (v) nonsmoking. RESULTS: Chronic disease and high BMI significantly decreased whereas smoking tended to increase total, free and bio-available T concentrations. Apparently healthy men had significantly higher median hormone concentrations at most time points than did not apparently healthy men. Due to the opposite effects of smoking and the other components of the definition, apparently healthy men were compared to nonsmoking, apparently unhealthy men. The former group had significantly higher androgen levels (Wilcoxon rank-sum P-values ranged from 0.01 to 0.0001) for all hormones at all interviews. Ninety-five percent of apparently healthy men in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s would be expected to have total T in the range (2.5-97.5th percentile): 8.7-31.7, 7.5-30.4, 6.8-29.8 and 5.4-28.4 nm (251-914, 216-876, 196-859, 156-818 ng/dl), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Age, health and lifestyle factors impact androgen levels and should be accounted for in calculations of normal reference ranges. We propose the following age-specific thresholds, below which a man is considered to have an abnormally low total T: 8.7, 7.5, 6.8 and 5.4 nm (251, 216, 196 and 156 ng/dl) for men in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s, respectively. These cutoffs correspond to the 2.5th percentile in our data; thus, approximately 2.5% of men aged 40-79 years would have abnormally low T levels based on hormone levels alone.

Absence of activation of CMV by blood transfusion to HIV-infected, CMV-seropositive patients.

BACKGROUND: The Viral Activation Transfusion Study (VATS) afforded an opportunity to determine whether blood transfusions, and in particular exogenous WBCs, "activate" CMV replication in HIV-infected, CMV-seropositive patients, and whether such patients can be superinfected by additional strains of CMV transmitted via blood transfusions. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 531 patients were randomized to receive either WBC-reduced (WBCR) or non-WBC-reduced (NWBCR) RBC units. Plasma CMV PCR assays were performed before transfusion and weekly after transfusion for 4 weeks. NWBCR cases with evidence of possible reactivation and/or superinfection were further studied for donor viremia by DNA PCR of frozen retention segments and new genotype acquisition using gB envelope sequence analysis of pre- and posttransfusion recipient specimens. RESULTS: VATS patients received a median of two RBC units during their initial transfusion. Whether positive or negative for CMV DNA at baseline, there were no significant treatment-arm differences in the percentage of patients who had positive qualitative CMV PCR or increases in CMV viral load at follow-up. Of 50 recipients randomized to NWBCR RBC and meeting criteria for possible CMV superinfection, 25 had sufficient CMV DNA load in a baseline and one or more viremic follow-up sample to permit comparison of gB genotypes. Only two recipients showed genotype shifts. Of 125 WBC pellets prepared from the seropositive units transfused into these 50 cases, only 1 tested weakly PCR positive for CMV DNA (insufficient copy number for genotyping). CONCLUSION: There was no evidence of "activation" of CMV by blood transfusion. Among the NWBCR RBC recipients, there was little evidence of possible transmission of new CMV strains. Hence, the current policy for transfusion support of HIV-infected patients, which allows transfusion of CMV-antibody-positive blood to CMV-seropositive patients, is appropriate.

Cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B groups in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with incident retinitis.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) strains may be categorized into 4 different groups on the basis of glycoprotein B (gB) genotype. gB genotypes in CMV polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive samples from case patients who were diagnosed with retinitis during prospective follow-up were compared with genotypes in CMV PCR-positive samples from an equal number of retinitis-free matched control subjects. All patients were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and CMV. Control subjects and their plasma samples were matched with case patients according to baseline CD4(+) T cell count, transfusion history, HIV risk factor, and follow-up time. CMV DNA was genotyped by restriction-enzyme digestion. Eighteen patients met our case definition. Approximately one-third of patients had gB genotype 1, and half had gB genotype 2. These rates were similar among case patients and control subjects and were similar by risk group. The CMV gB2 genotype is not a major determinant of retinitis pathogenicity but appears to be highly prevalent among HIV-infected patients.