Effects of multiple virus coinfections on disease progression in HIV-positive patients.
OBJECTIVE
Since virus infections in AIDS patients are mostly inevitable and as they frequently cause disease deterioration and therapeutic failures, a comprehensive investigation was made of the influence of the coinfections of 9 well-known viruses on disease progression in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV).


METHODS
A cross-sectional study of 62 HIV-positive patients was conducted to correlate the prevalence rates for the 9 viruses with the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and CD4 cell counts of the patients.


RESULTS
The rates of HIV-positive patients infected with the 9 viruses are significantly higher than those of the control groups. Furthermore, almost one third of the patients in the studied group was coinfected with transfusion-transmitted virus (TTV) and manifested significantly higher ALT levels (p = 0.020), and these were raised further if coinfection with TTV and human hepatitis C virus had occurred (p = 0.010). By analyzing CD4 cell counts, the only significant effect on AIDS progression which could be detected was coinfection with human herpesvirus 8.


CONCLUSIONS
This result confirmed that immune-suppressed persons are more vulnerable to common virus infections. Unlike hepatitis B or C virus, TTV seems to accelerate the progression of chronic hepatitis in HIV-infected patients.
Shieh
Biehuoy
B
Department of Biochemistry, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
Chang
Ming-Jen
MJ
Ko
Wen-Chien
WC
Chen
Eng-Jun
EJ
Wu
Jaw-Ching
JC
Lee
Chia-Fang
CF
Chang
Ting-Tsung
TT
Li
Ching
C
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000209:etiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D022783:Torque teno virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology
D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase