A. Telenti et al., EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS INFECTION IN HIV-POSITIVE PATIENTS, European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases, 12(8), 1993, pp. 601-609
The relationship between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viral load in periph
eral blood and HIV infection was determined in 103 HIV-infected patien
ts. Epstein-Barr virus was detected by polymerase chain reaction in 75
% of the patients, 21 % of whom had the more uncommon EBV subtype 2.
The highest levels of EBV were found in patients with 100-400 CD4+ cel
ls/mm3 and not in those with more profound immunosuppression. An assoc
iation was identified between EBV load and HIV proviral levels (p < 0.
001), an IgM response to EBV early antigens (p less-than-or-equal-to 0
.01) and p24 antigenemia (p < 0.01 in patients with > 100 CD4+ cells),
but not with other clinical or laboratory parameters. Combinations of
different EBV and HIV parameters identified a subgroup of patients wi
th a 2.2- to 4.8-fold risk of greater-than-or-equal-to 35 % decline in
CD4+ counts over six months. The association between EBV and HIV mark
ers may reflect a significant pathogenic interaction between the two v
iruses.