Mycoplasma species in rapid and slow HIV progressors

We determined the relationship between the presence of Mycoplasma fermentan s and Mycoplasma penetrans and the rate of progression of HIV-associated di sease in a nested case-control study based on a cohort of 159 HIV-infected patients with different rates of disease progression. Study participants we re divided into 3 progression groups: non-progressors who had been HIV-1 se ropositive for at least 9 years and had remained asymptomatic with a CD4 ce ll count of > 500/mm(3); slow progressors who had been HIV-1 seropositive f or at least 9 years and whose CD4 cell count had fallen below 500 cells, an d who had developed symptomatic disease or AIDS; and rapid progressors who had developed AIDS within 5 years of HIV infection. Peripheral blood mononu clear cells (PBMCs) were collected at enrolment and examined by mycoplasma polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Three (7%) of 46 non-progressors, 3 (3%) of 86 slow progressors, and 2 (7%) of 27 rapid progressors were M. fe rmentans positive. The PBMCs from 91 subjects were tested for M. penetrans DNA and none was positive. The small proportion of M. fermentans-positive p atients indicates that the mycoplasma cannot be important in the developmen t of AIDS in the large majority of patients. Furthermore, no association wa s found between its presence and more rapid HIV disease progression.