title: Epstein-Barr virus infection in HIV-positive patients.
abstract: The relationship between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viral load in peripheral blood and HIV infection was determined in 103 HIV-infected patients. Epstein-Barr virus was detected by polymerase chain reaction in 75% of the patients, 21% of whom had the more uncommon EBV subtype 2. The highest levels of EBV were found in patients with 100-400 CD4+ cells/mm3 and not in those with more profound immunosuppression. An association was identified between EBV load and HIV proviral levels (p < 0.001), an IgM response to EBV early antigens (p < or = 0.01) and p24 antigenemia (p < 0.01 in patients with > 100 CD4+ cells), but not with other clinical or laboratory parameters. Combinations of different EBV and HIV parameters identified a subgroup of patients with a 2.2- to 4.8-fold risk of > or = 35% decline in CD4+ counts over six months. The association between EBV and HIV markers may reflect a significant pathogenic interaction between the two viruses.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Telenti
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Uehlinger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marchesi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Germann
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malinverni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Matter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000737:chemistry; D001483:Base Sequence; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002452:Cell Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens