Short report: Evaluation of hepatic fibrosis in persons co-infected with Schistosoma mansoni and human immunodeficiency virus 1.
To investigate whether infection with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) affects fibrosis development in patients infected with Schistosoma mansoni, we evaluated schistosomiasis-induced pathology in the livers of Kenyan patients co-infected with HIV-1. Compared with persons with schistosomiasis alone (n = 58), there were no significant differences in distribution of ultrasound-detectable pathology in persons with HIV-1 co-infection (n = 23). Similarly, serum aspartate aminotransferase levels were not significantly different in HIV-1+ individuals. Hepatic fibrosis was associated with significantly decreased CD4+ T cell counts, even in the absence of HIV-1 infection. These data suggest that HIV-1 co-infection does not significantly alter the proportion of patients experiencing schistosomiasis-induced fibrosis, but pathology associated with S. mansoni infections leads to CD4+ T cell reductions and thereby may exacerbate the effects of HIV-1 in co-infected individuals.
Mwinzi
Pauline N M
PN
Center for Vector Biology and Control Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya. pmwinzi@kisian.mimcom.net
Karanja
Diana M S
DM
Kareko
Ireri
I
Magak
Phillip W
PW
Orago
Alloys S S
AS
Colley
Daniel G
DG
Secor
W Evan
WE
D000328:Adult; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000150:complications*
D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases