Association between cervical shedding of herpes simplex virus and HIV-1.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between the cervical shedding of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and HIV-1.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study on 200 women seropositive for both HSV-2 and HIV-1 was conducted in a family planning clinic at the Coast Provincial General Hospital, Mombasa, Kenya.


METHODS
Quantities of HSV DNA (types 1 and 2) and HIV-1 RNA as well as the presence or absence of HIV-1 proviral DNA in cervical secretions were determined and compared.


RESULTS
There was a significant correlation between the quantities of HSV DNA and HIV-1 RNA in the cervical secretions of HSV-shedding women (Pearson's r = 0.24, P = 0.05). A 10-fold increase in the quantity of cervical HSV DNA was associated with 1.35-fold higher cervical HIV-1-RNA levels (95% CI 1.00-1.81; P = 0.05), and with 1.36-fold greater odds of detection of HIV-1 proviral DNA (95% CI 1.05-1.75; P = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Higher levels of cervical HSV were associated with higher levels of expressed HIV-1 and with the more frequent detection of HIV-1-infected cells in cervical secretions. Prospective studies are needed to explore further the association between non-ulcerative cervical HSV reactivation and HIV-1 shedding. Such a relationship may have important implications for interventions designed to slow the spread of HIV-1.
McClelland
R Scott
RS
International AIDS Research and Training Program, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Box 359909, 325 9th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, USA. mcclell@u.washington.edu
Wang
Chia C
CC
Overbaugh
Julie
J
Richardson
Barbra A
BA
Corey
Lawrence
L
Ashley
Rhoda L
RL
Mandaliya
Kishorchandra
K
Ndinya-Achola
Jeckoniah
J
Bwayo
Job J
JJ
Kreiss
Joan K
JK
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D019562:Viral Load; D017201:Virus Shedding
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral