Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) - September 25, 2003
Rebound: Immune activation caused by infection with syphilis can stimulate latent reservoirs of HIV and cause viral load to rebound to low levels, according to a recent report on Aids. Researchers say syphilis should be considered as a cause of low-level rebound in patients with previously undetectable viral load.
The case concerned a gay man who had maintained an undetectable viral load for 18 months after starting highly active anti-retroviral therapy. However, low-level HIV viral load was detected on three instances at four-weekly intervals in 2001. Without a change in HIV-treatment regimen the manÆs viral load again became undetectable and has remained so for 17 months.
Coinciding with the low rebound in viral load, the patient reported low-grade fevers after several unprotected casual sexual contacts and syphilis was diagnosed.
Researchers say the manÆs low-level rebound may have originated from activated reservoirs of previously infected cells.
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