title: HTLV-II/HIV-1 coinfection and risk for progression to AIDS among intravenous drug users.
abstract: To determine whether coinfection with HTLV-II influences the course of HIV-1 infection, we evaluated the progression from asymptomatic HIV infection (CDC group II) to persistent generalized lymphadenopathy (CDC group III) to AIDS-related complex (CDC group IVA) to full-blown AIDS (CDC group IVC) to death from AIDS in two groups of HIV-seropositive intravenous drug users (IVDUs). The first group consisted of 123 patients infected with HIV-1 only, and the second comprised 22 patients with serological and molecular evidence of HTLV-II/HIV-1 coinfection. Results of the immunological and clinical follow-up indicated a greater likelihood of developing persistent generalized lymphadenopathy among individuals infected with HIV-1 alone than among those coinfected with HTLV-II. However, no statistical difference was detected between the two groups in the depletion of CD4+ cells, the temporal decrease of the CD4/CD8 ratio, or the progression to ARC or AIDS or to death from AIDS. These findings suggest that HTLV-II may have no effect on the clinical evolution of HIV infection in IVDUs, which may be explained by the lack of pathogenicity of the HTLV-II coinfecting strain(s) and/or other still unclear biological or immunological cofactors or mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Visconti
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Visconti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bellocco
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Binkin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colucci
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vernocchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amendola
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ciaci
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000150:complications; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D007136:Immunoglobulins