title: Association between active GB virus-C (hepatitis G) infection and HIV-1 disease in Uganda.
abstract: Although not linked to a disease, GB virus-C viraemia has been associated with an improved prognosis in HIV-1-co-infected individuals. Most studies have been conducted on men (men who have sex with men or injection drug users) infected with HIV-1 subtype B, whereas here we report on both male and female subjects from rural Uganda, predominantly infected via the heterosexual route with HIV-1 subtypes A and D. In a longitudinal study of 272 participants, 47 were GBV-C positive and 181 negative, as determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, in both of two plasma samples taken a median of 5.0 years apart. The remainder either acquired (25) or cleared (19) infection. Multilevel regression analyses and Cox survival analyses revealed that participants chronically infected with GBV-C had a slower decline in CD4(+) T cells (P<0.001) and increased survival time (P=0.041) compared with GBV-C RNA-negative, HIV-positive adults. We show that the association between active GBV-C co-infection and improved survival of HIV-1-infected adults is not restricted to HIV subtype B, but is also observed in both males and females infected with HIV subtypes A and D.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Research Unit on AIDS, c/o Uganda Virus Research Institute, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda. dave.yirrell@nhs.net
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Yirrell
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Shafer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van der Paal
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kaleebu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grosskurth
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Whitworth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D029407:GB virus C / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012424:Rural Population; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology