title: Seminal plasma HIV levels in men with asymptomatic sexually transmitted infections.
abstract: The effect of asymptomatic sexually transmitted urethral infections on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA viral load in semen is poorly defined. We studied five such patients. Those on antiretrovirals (n = 2) had lower seminal plasma viral loads (SPVL) (2.11 and 1.98 log(10) copies/mL) than those not on antiretrovirals (n = 3) (2.27-3.78 log(10) copies/mL). One patient who was not taking antiretrovirals had a 94% decline in SPVL after treatment of asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis urethritis, suggesting that asymptomatic infection may be a co-factor for HIV transmission.
authors.affiliation: Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Grieg@LABioMed.org
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rieg
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Daar
mesh_terms: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002353:Carrier State; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000150:complications*; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012661:Semen / Q000821:virology*; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral