The Effect of Antiretroviral Combination Treatment on Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Genome Load in HIV-Infected Patients

• Main Authors: Anna M. C. Friis, Katarina Gyllensten, Anna Aleman, Ingemar Ernberg, Börje Åkerlund
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2010-03-01
• Series: Viruses
• Subjects: Epstein-Barr virus; HIV-1; antiretroviral treatment; host virus relationship
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/2/4/867/

We evaluated the effect of combination anti-retroviral treatment (cART) on the host control of EBV infection in moderately immunosuppressed HIV-1 patients. Twenty HIV-1 infected individuals were followed for five years with repeated measurements of EBV DNA load in peripheral blood lymphocytes in relation to HIV-RNA titers and CD4+ cell counts. Individuals with optimal response, i.e. durable non-detectable HIV-RNA, showed a decline of EBV load to the level of healthy controls. Individuals with non-optimal HIV-1 control did not restore their EBV control. Long-lasting suppression of HIV-replication after early initiation of cART is a prerequisite for re-establishing the immune control of EBV.