title: Hepatitis C viremia is associated with cytomegalovirus IgG antibody levels in HIV-infected women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Individuals with HIV infection exhibit high cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG levels, but there are few data regarding the association of hepatitis C virus (HCV) with the immune response against CMV.
  
  
  METHODS
  Associations of HCV with CMV seropositivity and CMV IgG levels were studied in 635 HIV-infected women, 187 of whom were HCV-seropositive, with adjustment in multivariable models for age, race/ethnicity, and HIV disease characteristics. Eighty one percent of the women reported receipt of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) prior to or at CMV testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In adjusted models women with chronic HCV had higher CMV IgG levels than those without HCV RNA (β = 2.86, 95% CI:0.89 - 4.83; P = 0.004). The association of HCV RNA with CMV IgG differed by age (P(interaction) = 0.0007), with a strong association observed among women in the low and middle age tertiles (≤ 45.3 years of age; β = 6.21, 95% CI:3.30 - 9.11, P<0.0001) but not among women in the high age tertile. CMV IgG levels were not associated with non-invasive measures of liver disease, APRI and FIB-4, or with HCV RNA level and adjustment for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) IgG levels did not affect the association between HCV and CMV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CMV IgG levels are higher in HCV/HIV co-infected women than in HIV mono-infected women. Further research on the association of HCV with CMV IgG is indicated because prior studies have found CMV IgG to be associated with morbidity and mortality in the general population and subclinical carotid artery disease in HIV-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America. mark.kuniholm@einstein.yu.edu
authors.forename: Mark H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kuniholm
authors.forename: Christina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Parrinello
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Anastos
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Augenbraun
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plankey
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nowicki
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Elizabeth T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Golub
authors.forename: Nell
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lurain
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Landay
authors.forename: Howard D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Strickler
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014766:Viremia / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012367:RNA, Viral