title: No direct relationship between HIV1/2 infection and HHV-6 antibody response in a large-scale European and African trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tropism of both human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) for CD4+ lymphocytes, and several studies on HIV enhancer transactivation by HHV-6 have suggested that HHV-6 could be implicated as a cofactor in the progression of HIV infection to AIDS.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if there is any relationship between HHV-6 infection and the course of HIV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  527 French and 558 African sera (210 from Senegal, 348 from Ivory Coast) were tested for HHV-6 titers by immunofluorescence assay (IFA). For each country, patients studied were divided into several groups; those with AIDS, those who were HIV-seropositive but symptomless, and HIV-seronegative patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistical difference could be found between HHV-6 prevalences or HHV-6 geometric mean titers obtained for each geographical area in the different HIV-1- and/or HIV-2-positive and HIV-negative groups. HIV patients with clinical manifestations of AIDS did not differ in percent seropositivity or distribution of titers from the HIV-asymptomatic patients or HIV-seronegative patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that there is no correlation between HHV-6 antibodies and HIV seropositivity or with the stage of HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, CHU Dupuytren, 87042 Limoges, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ranger-Rogez
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weinbreck
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sangare
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: M'Boup
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Denis