Clinical Implications of HIV-1, HSV-2 Co-infection and Opportunities for Intervention

HSV-2 may have adverse consequences in HIV. I evaluated the impact of HSV-2 co-infection on (highly active antiretroviral therapy)-untreated HIV infection in a systematic review of observational studies (study 1) and a retrospective cohort (study 2). I further evaluated whether HSV reactivation rates in co-infected persons differ by use of suppressive cART (study 3).\n\nStudy 1 found modest evidence that HSV-2 seropositivity may be associated with accelerated progression to opportunistic infection or clinical AIDS, but not with increased HIV viral load. Some evidence suggests that HSV-2 disease activity is associated with increased HIV viral load and decreased CD4 counts. Study 2 compared rates of CD4 count change by HSV-2 status (Focus HerpeSelect ELISA) among 218 patients with a past period of ART-untreated follow-up using mixed linear regression models. No significant difference in the rate of CD4 count change was observed in HSV-2 seropositives at +13.6 cells/mm3/year (p=0.12) in univariate analysis, and -4.5 cells/mm3/year (p=0.68) in analysis adjusted for sex, HSV-1, oral and genital HSV symptoms, immigrant status, and immigrant*time interaction. These findings support the need for carefully designed and executed studies of HSV-2 suppression as an adjunctive management strategy for HIV disease, but raise questions regarding the exact mechanism of negative synergy between these viruses and the relative importance of HSV-2 latency and replication in driving these effects.\n\nIn Study 3, 44 cART-naïve and 41 treated (HIV RNA<50 copies/mL) HIV+ adults with HSV-1 and/or 2 co-infection collected oral, genital and anal swabs daily for 28 days. Negative binomial models were used to quantify the relationship between cART and HSV shedding (Roche LightCycler HSV1/2). Overall HSV shedding was low, at a median (IQR) of 3.6% (0, 14.3%) of days. No relationship was seen between cART and HSV-1 or 2 shedding in univariate (RR=1.55, 95%CI=0.83,2.87) or multivariate analysis adjusted for sex, baseline CD4, recent immigrant status, and time since HIV diagnosis (aRR=1.05, 95%CI=0.43,2.58). Null results were also observed for HSV-1 and HSV-2 considered separately. That HSV shedding persists despite cART suggests that trials of anti-HSV drugs for improving HIV outcomes may be warranted in such patients.

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