Premium
KSHV DNA viremia correlates with low CD4+ cell count in Italian Males at the time of diagnosis of HIV infection
Author(s) -
Parisi Saverio G.,
Boldrin Caterina,
Andreis Samantha,
Ferretto Roberto,
Fuser Rodolfo,
Malena Marina,
Manfrin Vinicio,
Panese Sandro,
Scaggiante Renzo,
Dori Luca,
Sarmati Loredana,
Biasolo Maria A.,
Nicastri Emanuele,
Andreoni Massimo,
Cruciani Mario,
Palù Giorgio
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.21987
Subject(s) - viremia , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , virology , viral load , immunology , biology , virus , medicine , in vitro , biochemistry
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. J. Med. Virol. 83:384–390, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.