Detection of human herpesvirus 7 DNA in peripheral blood reflects mainly CD4+ cell count in patients infected with HIV

✍ Scribed by David Boutolleau; Olivia Bonduelle; Amélie Sabard; Laure Devers; Henri Agut; Agnès Gautheret-Dejean

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 93 KB
• Volume: 76
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.20345

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The opportunistic behavior and the potential interactions of human herpesvirus 7 (HHV‐7) with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐1 in HIV‐1‐infected patients were investigated in comparison with HHV‐6, another human roseolovirus. Roseolovirus DNAs were detected and quantified in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 198 HIV‐seronegative healthy blood donors, 38 HIV‐1‐infected patients classified as long‐term non‐progressors, and 99 HIV‐1‐infected patients classified as progressors. The rate of HHV‐7 DNA detection was higher in healthy donors (78%) than in long‐term non‐progressors (47%; P = 0.0003) or in progressors (52%; P < 0.0001). HHV‐7 cell load was higher in healthy donors (median: 212 EqCop/10^6^ PBMCs) and in long‐term non‐progressors (median: 105 EqCop/10^6^ PBMCs) than in progressors (median: 48 EqCop/10^6^ PBMCs; P < 0.0001 and P = 0.015, respectively). Among progressors, HHV‐7 detection was correlated positively with the CD4^+^ T‐lymphocyte count (P = 0.028). Neither HHV‐7 detection rate nor cell load was correlated with the HIV‐1 plasma load. As a whole, HHV‐6 detection rate and cell load were lower than the HHV‐7 counterparts, albeit exhibiting similar differences between healthy donors, long‐term non‐progressors, and progressors. In conclusion, HHV‐7 infection does not appear to be stimulated by HIV‐1 infection, nor interact with it. Rather, HHV‐7 detection rate and cell load reflect CD4^+^ T‐lymphocyte count, with higher values in healthy donors and long‐term non‐progressors than in progressors. J. Med. Virol. 76:223–228, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.