Coinfection with HIV-1 and human T-Cell lymphotropic virus type II in intravenous drug users is associated with delayed progression to AIDS.

Abstract

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) type II has spread among intravenous drug users (IDUs), many of whom are coinfected with HIV-1. We have investigated the rate of HTLV-II infection in 3574 Italian IDUs screened for HIV-1, HTLV-I, and HTLV-II from 1986 to the present. HTLV-II proviral load was determined by a real-time polymerase chain reaction specifically designed for tax amplification. The frequency of HTLV-II infection was 6.7% among HIV-1-positive subjects and 1.1% among HIV-1-negative subjects (P < 0.0001). For examination of AIDS progression, a group of 437 HIV-1-monoinfected subjects and another group of 96 HIV-1/HTLV-II-coinfected subjects were monitored. Enrollees were matched at entry by CD4 cell counts and followed for an average of 13 years. HIV-1/HTLV-II coinfection was associated with older age (P < 0.0001) and higher CD4 (P < 0.0001) and CD8 (P < 0.001) cell counts compared with monoinfected IDUs. The number of long-term nonprogressors for AIDS was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) among coinfected patients (13 [13.5%] of 96 patients) than HIV monoinfected patients (5 [1.1%] of 437 patients), showing that HTLV-II exerts a protective role. An increased incidence of liver disease and hepatitis C virus positivity among coinfected IDUs was observed. Five coinfected subjects undergoing antiretroviral therapy showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase in HTLV-II proviral load concomitant to a decrease in HIV-1 viremia, suggesting that the treatment is ineffective against HTLV-II infection.

• Authors: Marco Turci, Elisabetta Pilotti, Paola Ronzi, Giacomo Magnani, Antonio Boschini, Saverio G Parisi, Donato Zipeto, Antonella Lisa, Claudio Casoli, Umberto Bertazzoni
• Journal: Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) (J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr) Vol. 41 Issue 1 Pg. 100-6 (Jan 01 2006) ISSN: 1525-4135 [Print] United States
• PMID: 16340481 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (epidemiology)
• Adult
• CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• Disease Progression
• Female
• HIV Infections (complications, immunology, transmission)
• HIV-1 (genetics, isolation & purification)
• HTLV-II Infections (complications, immunology, transmission)
• Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 (genetics, isolation & purification)
• Humans
• Italy
• Male
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Retrospective Studies
• Substance Abuse, Intravenous
• T-Lymphocyte Subsets (immunology)
• Viremia (epidemiology)
• White People