Despite the high prevalence of infection by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in South Africa, information on its association with cancer is sparse. Our study was carried out to examine the relationship between HIV and a number of cancer types or sites that are common in South Africa. A total of 4,883 subjects, presenting with a cancer or cardiovascular disease at the 3 tertiary referral hospitals in Johannesburg, were interviewed and had blood tested for HIV. Odds ratios associated with HIV infection were calculated by using unconditional logistic regression models for 16 major cancer types where data was available for 50 or more patients. In the comparison group, the prevalence of HIV infection was 8.3% in males and 9.1% in females. Significant excess risks associated with HIV infection were found for Kaposi's sarcoma (OR=21.9, 95% CI=12.5–38.6), non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (OR=5.0, 95%CI=2.7–9.5), vulval cancer (OR=4.8, 95%CI=1.9–12.2) and cervical cancer (OR=1.6, 95%CI=1.1–2.3) but not for any of the other major cancer types examined, including Hodgkin disease, multiple myeloma and lung cancer. In Johannesburg, South Africa, HIV infection was associated with significantly increased risks of Kaposi's sarcoma, non‐Hodgkin lymphoma and cancers of the cervix and the vulva. The relative risks for Kaposi's sarcoma and non‐Hodgkin lymphoma associated with HIV infection were substantially lower than those found in the West. Int. J. Cancer 88:489–492, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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Haemophilus inzuenzae type b strains isolated from children with meningitis, septicaemia and pharyngitis were studied for their ability to undergo genetic transformation by two chromosomal markers, streptomycin resistance and nalidixic acid resistance. Fifty-eight percent of the strains were non-transformable while the remaining 42% showed considerable strain variation with regard to their transformation frequencies, which ranged from 8 x to 1 xThe effect of type b capsule on competence development and transformation activity was studied by comparing encapsulated strains with their non-encapsulated variants. Type b capsule did not inhibit either competence development or transforming efficiency. The lack of transformability in the majority of strains was not due to the presence of a capsule.