KSHV DNA viremia correlates with low CD4+ cell count in Italian males at the time of diagnosis of HIV infection.
To evaluate the relevance and the virological and immunological markers of Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus 8 (KSHV) viremia in Italian male patients at the time of diagnosis of infection with HIV-1, 481 men infected with HIV were recruited consecutively. The presence of KSHV DNA was evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in plasma and correlated with demographic and viro-immunological parameters. Seventy-four patients had KSHV DNA detected in PBMCs. By univariate analysis, the presence of KSHV DNA was associated significantly with unprotected homosexual relationships (P=0.003) and it was significantly higher in patients with CD4+ cell <350 (P=0.025). By multivariate analysis, homosexual relationships were associated independently with KSHV DNA in PBMCs (OR: 3.25; 95% CI: 1.1-9.7; P=0.035). Among the 74 patients with KSHV DNA detected in PBMCs, plasma samples from 60 were analyzed and 33 were positive for KSHV DNA. The CD4+ cell counts and percentages were significantly lower in patients with KSHV DNA in both PBMCs and plasma as compared to patients with only KSHV DNA in PBMCs (P=0.006 and P=0.019, respectively). Among the patients with KSHV DNA detected in PBMCs, all 13 patients with CD4+ cells count <200 had detectable levels of KSHV in their plasma. By multivariate analysis adjusted for the epidemiologic and virological parameters, low CD4+ cell count was the only independent variable associated with the presence of KSHV DNA in plasma (OR, 0.001; 95% CI: <0.001-0.001; P=0.03). In HIV-positive antiretroviral therapy-naïve males, KSHV active replication as detected by KSHV DNA in plasma was associated significantly with low CD4+ cell count.
Department of Histology, Microbiology and Medical Biotechnology, Padova University, Padova, Italy. saverio.parisi@unipd.it
Saverio G
SG
Parisi
Caterina
C
Boldrin
Samantha
S
Andreis
Roberto
R
Ferretto
Rodolfo
R
Fuser
Marina
M
Malena
Vinicio
V
Manfrin
Sandro
S
Panese
Renzo
R
Scaggiante
Luca
L
Dori
Loredana
L
Sarmati
Maria A
MA
Biasolo
Emanuele
E
Nicastri
Massimo
M
Andreoni
Mario
M
Cruciani
Giorgio
G
Palù
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology
D004279:DNA, Viral