Cerebrospinal fluid viral load, virus isolation, and intrathecal immunoactivation in HIV type 2 infection.
Four patients with HIV-2 infection were followed longitudinally with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses. Two patients had positive CSF HIV-2 isolations. These two patients had CD4 cell count below 200 x 10(6)/liter and maximum CSF HIV-2 RNA viral loads above 4000 copies/ml. Intrathecal immune activation was demonstrated by elevated CSF neopterin concentrations (14-18 nmol/liter). No opportunistic infections were diagnosed. After antiretroviral treatment CSF viral counts decreased to below 125 copies/ml and CSF neopterin concentrations decreased. In two other patients who had CD4 counts within the normal range CSF virus isolations were repeatedly negative and viral CSF loads were below 125 copies/ml. However, a slightly elevated CSF neopterin concentration in one sample and pleocytosis in another might also be caused by HIV-2 in these patients. Before antiretroviral treatment HIV-2 isolations from blood were positive in all four patients. Maximum HIV-2 RNA viral loads were higher in blood than in CSF. Treatment failure in one patient with increasing viral loads in blood did not result in viral rebound in CSF.
Department of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE 416 5 Göteborg, Sweden. nicklas.arvidson@infect.gu.se
Nicklas
N
Arvidson
Magnus
M
Gisslén
Jan
J
Albert
Eleonor
E
Brandin
Bo
B
Svennerholm
Dietmar
D
Fuchs
Lars
L
Hagberg
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012367:RNA, Viral