Lifestyle and antiviral antibody studies among homosexual men in Denmark

Two-hundred and fifty-nine male homosexuals (HS) of a large and a small Danish town were studied for antibodies to various virus and their statistical relationship to sex habits, drug use and other lifestyle factors. Prevalence rates against cytomegalovirus (CMV) were 86.7% of HS men from Copenhagen and 73.3% of HS men from the smaller community of Aarhus, against 30% of a control group. Antibody prevalence in homosexuals was significantly related to number of years of homosexual activity (p less than 0.0001), number of partners (p less than 0.01), nitrite inhalant use in the past year (p less than 0.01), and independently to venereal disease during the past year (p less than 0.01). Titer levels correlated with number of years of HS activity (p less than 0.001), number of partners (p less than 0.01), and independently with nitrite use in the past year (p less than 0.01). The association between lifestyle and antibodies was not detectable for VCA-IgG, VCA-IgA, VCA-IgM, and EA antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) or for antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2, parvovirus and rotavirus. In a subset of 78 HS men, T-helper/T-suppressor ratio was determined. No correlation was found between level of ratio and either prevalence or titer of antibodies against CMV, EBV-components or herpes type 1 and 2.