The effects of HIV-2 infection in a rural area of Guinea-Bissau.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical and immunologic effects, and pattern of mortality associated with HIV-2 infection.


METHODS
A rural community in Guinea-Bissau.


METHODS
Serologic screening of 2774 subjects aged > 14 years followed by studies of the prevalence of clinical and immunologic abnormalities among 133 subjects with HIV-2 infection and 160 seronegative controls, and surveillance of mortality among all subjects who were screened during a mean of 2 years of follow-up.


RESULTS
Generalized lymphadenopathy was the only clinical abnormality significantly associated with HIV-2 infection. Infection was associated with lower CD4 counts and higher beta 2-microglobulin and neopterin levels. During follow-up, 5.5% of infected subjects died compared with 1.8% of the seronegatives (rate ratio adjusted for age and sex, 3.5; 95% confidence interval ((CI), 1.8-6.7). Proportional hazard regression analysis showed that the rate ratio varied with age (P = 0.003) and there was some evidence that the excess of mortality in infected subjects was, in absolute terms, least in the oldest subjects (trend test; P = 0.08).


CONCLUSIONS
The findings support previous suggestions that HIV-2 is less pathogenic than HIV-1; the data also suggest that mortality associated with infection may be lower in older subjects.
Ricard
D
D
Medical Research Council Laboratories, Banjul, The Gambia.
Wilkins
A
A
N'Gum
P T
PT
Hayes
R
R
Morgan
G
G
Da Silva
A P
AP
Whittle
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006169:Guinea-Bissau / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D015498:HIV-2; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019798:Neopterin; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000032:analysis
D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D001708:Biopterins; D019798:Neopterin