Dual infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and type 2: Impacton HIV type 1 viral load and immune activation markers in HIV-seropositivefemale sex workers in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Jn. Nkengasong et al., Dual infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and type 2: Impacton HIV type 1 viral load and immune activation markers in HIV-seropositivefemale sex workers in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, AIDS RES H, 16(14), 2000, pp. 1371-1378
To determine the impact of dual infection with HIV-1 and HIV-2 on HIV-1 vir
al load and markers of immune activation among HIV-seropositive FSWs in Abi
djan, we analyzed blood samples obtained from consenting HIV-seropositive F
SWs attending a confidential clinic between September 1996 and June 1997 in
Abidjan. Among HIV-1 and HIV-2 dually seropositive FSWs, polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) testing with HIV-1 and HIV-2 primers was used to differentia
te between FSWs who were PCR positive only for HIV-1 and those positive for
both HIV-1 and HIV-2 (dually infected). Of the 203 FSWs, 151 (74%) were HI
V-1 seropositive only (median age, 26 years), 4 (2%) were HIV-2 seropositiv
e, and 48 (24%) were dually seropositive (median age, 30 years). Of the 48
dually seropositive FSWs, 33 (69%) were dually infected and 15 (31%) were d
ually seropositive. Median CD4(+) T cell counts per microliter were not sig
nificantly different among the three groups (525 for HIV-1 positive only, 5
02 for dually infected, and 416 for dually seropositive) (p = 0.14). Median
viral load (log(10) copies/ml) was not significantly different among the H
IV-1-only FSWs (4.8 log(10) copies/ml) compared with the 32 dually infected
FSWs (4.6 log(10) copies/ml) and 14 dually seropositive FSWs (4.7 log(10)
copies/ml; p = 0.95). Median levels of HLA-DR immune activation were increa
sed in both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells for the dually infected (n = 27) FSWs
compared with those infected with HIV-1 only (n = 123) (p = 0.019 and p =
0.01, respectively). Dual infection does not appear to influence levels of
HIV-1 viral load in vivo. However, levels of HLA-DR are higher among FSWs d
ually infected with HIV-1 and HIV-2 than among those infected with HIV-1 on
ly.