Current clinical issues in the management of herpes simplex virus infections in patients with HIV.
BACKGROUND
A recent study done in Baltimore showed HSV-2 seroprevalence of 81% among 64 HIV-positive homosexual or bisexual men.


OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to examine HSV-2 as a risk factor for acquiring HIV infection, as well as to explore the possibility that acyclovir, an agent that inhibits the replication or infectivity in herpesviruses, might have a survival benefit to patients with HIV infection.


METHODS
Studies were undertaken among HIV-positive patients to see if concomitant treatments including acyclovir offered a survival benefit.


RESULTS
A Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study held at four university-affiliated clinics and two landmark analyses demonstrated that acyclovir offered a significant survival advantage for HIV-positive patients. Another study had less conclusive results.


CONCLUSIONS
Enough evidence of a survival benefit in HIV-positive patients on long-term acyclovir therapy warrants consideration of long-term prophylactic therapy with suppressive doses of acyclovir as routine intervention for HIV-positive patients.
Conant
M
M
University of California Medical Center, San Francisco 94117, USA.
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000212:Acyclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001727:Bisexuality; D018890:Chemoprevention; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D014774:Virulence / Q000187:drug effects; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000212:Acyclovir