Invisible Bleeding from Clean-Shave Haircuts: Detection with Blood Specific RNA Markers
2013; Karger Publishers; Volume: 227; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1159/000353529
ISSN1421-9832
AutoresNonhlanhla P. Khumalo, Kwezikazi Mkentane, C. Muthukarapan, Diana Hardie, Stephen N.J. Korsman, Nai-Chung Hu, T. Mthebe, Lester M. Davids, J. Rousseau,
Tópico(s)Syphilis Diagnosis and Treatment
Resumo<b><i>Background:</i></b> ‘Haircut-associated bleeding' is a newly recognized entity that affects at least a quarter of African men who wear shiny clean-shave (‘chiskop') haircuts. <b><i>Aim:</i></b> This pilot study aimed to elucidate whether invisible haircut-associated bleeding was detectable using blood specific RNA markers (16 participants, 5 with unknown HIV status) and whether surface virus could be detected using PCR from scalp swabs (of 11 known HIV-positive participants). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Haircuts were performed professionally and scalps examined by a dermatologist to exclude injury. Serum samples for viral loads were also collected at the same time. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In all, 6/16 (37%) samples tested positive (>100 relative fluorescent units) for hemoglobin beta and albumin, confirming evidence of blood; of these, only 1/11 was HIV-positive but had an undetectable serum viral load. No surface HIV was detected from any scalp samples. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This study confirms the entity of haircut-associated bleeding but goes further to show for the first time that invisible bleeding from clean-shave haircuts is also common. Both a high serum viral load and evidence of bleeding should ideally be present prior to surface HIV detection. Future investigations for potential HIV (and hepatitis B) transmission through clean-shave haircuts are warranted but should not delay public education for disease prevention.
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