No direct relationship between HIV1/2 infection and HHV-6 antibody response in a large-scale European and African trial.
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.
Ranger-Rogez
S
S
Department of Virology, CHU Dupuytren, 87042 Limoges, France.
Vidal
E
E
Weinbreck
P
P
Sangare
A
A
M'Boup
S
S
Denis
F
F