title: Psychosocial modulation of antibody to Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigen and human herpesvirus type-6 in HIV-1-infected and at-risk gay men.
abstract: We investigated the effects of two behavioral interventions--aerobic exercise and cognitive behavioral stress management (CBSM)--on Epstein-Barr virus viral capsid antigen (EBV-VCA) and human herpesvirus type-6 (HHV-6) antibody modulation in 65 asymptomatic gay men measured at several time points in the 5 weeks preceding and following notification of their human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) serostatus. After accounting for potential immunomodulatory confounds, we found that HIV-1 seropositive men had higher EBV-VCA antibody titers than those diagnosed as seronegative at every time point during the study; however, no significant differences were found with respect to HHV-6. Among HIV-1 seropositive and seronegative subjects, respectively, those randomized to either behavioral intervention had significant decreases in both EBV-VCA and HHV-6 antibody titers over the course of the intervention as compared with assessment-only controls (of HIV-1 seropositive and seronegative status) whose antibody titers did not significantly change and which remained consistently higher than either serostatus-matched intervention group over subsequent time points, independent of total immunoglobulin G levels and degree of polyclonal B cell activation. In attempting to explain serostatus differences in EBV and HHV-6 values, it was found that HIV-1 seropositive men had significantly lower CD4 cells, CD4:CD8 ratio, and blastogenic response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), as well as significantly higher CD8 cells at baseline. No significant differences were found between the HIV-1 seropositive and seronegative men with respect to anxiety and depression at baseline. Since the greatest changes in EBV and HHV-6 occurred between baseline and week 10, we correlated changes in immune (CD4, CD8, CD4:CD8 ratio, PHA stimulation) and distress-related markers (state depression and anxiety) with EBV and HHV-6 change scores over this time period. No significant correlations were found between any of these immune- or distress-related variable and the antibody change scores suggesting that the mechanisms by which EBV and HHV-6 antibodies are being modulated by these interventions possibly involve other, yet to be determined, immune, neuroendocrine, and/or psychologic variables.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33124.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Esterling
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Antoni
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schneiderman
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Carver
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: LaPerriere
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ironson
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Klimas
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D000917:Antibody Formation; D015415:Biomarkers; D015444:Exercise; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers