15th International AIDS Conference Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. A10045)

Benetucci J, Fellner MD, Durand K, Correa RM, Alonio LV, Teyssie AR, Redini L, Yampolsky C, Sevlever A, Zala N, Picconi MA
Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas-ANLIS 'Dr. Carlos G. Malbran', Buenos Aires, Argentina

BACKGROUND: EBV reactivation is frequent in immunosuppressed patients with a subsequent more susceptibility to develop lymphoproliferations. In transplant recipients a relationship between high EBV load and lymphoma developement has been established. We aimed to study the EBV load during HIV infection and its relationship with lymphoma development.

METHODS: We analyzed PBMC from 26 healthy EBV carriers (HC) and 129 HIV and EBV infected patients: A) 23 HIV stage A, B) 12 stage B, C) 85 stage C, D) 9 with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). EBV load was determined by a semiquantitative PCR method. CD4+ T cells were counted by flow cytometry. Statistical analyses: Mann-Whitney U test (PEPI 4.0).

RESULTS: In HC the reciprocal limiting dilution (RLD) ranged between non-detected (ND) and 1, the median RLD was ND, equivalent to a viral load of<1 cp/105 PBMC. Among HIV population the medians RLD (range) were: A) 1 (ND-1024), equivalent to 1-16 cp/105 PBMC. B) 4 (ND-256), 4-64 cp/105 PBMC. C) ND (ND-4096),<1 cp/105 PBMC. D) ND (ND-64),<1 cp/105 PBMC. Statistically significant lower loads (p<0.05) were found between: HC vs (A+B+C+D); HC vs A; HC vs B; HC vs C; C vs A and D vs A; C vs B and D vs B. Analyzing EBV load by CD4+, we observed statistically significant lower loads in patients with<50 CD4+ /mm³.

CONCLUSIONS: During initial stages of HIV infection EBV load increased, while it decreased when HIV infection progressed and CD4+ T cells diminished below 50/mm³. EBV load in AIDS patients with PCNSL was not different from that observed during advanced stages of HIV infection.

040711
A10045

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