Quantitative and qualitative correlates of cervicovaginal herpes simplex virus type 2 shedding among HIV-infected women in the women's interagency HIV study

B. Aumakhan, S. J. Gange, C. Beyrer, C. A. Gaydos, H. Minkoff, D. J. Merenstein, M. H. Cohen, K. Anastos, R. Greenblatt, M. J. Nowicki, T. C. Quinn

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Summary: We identified demographic, clinical and biological determinants of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) shedding among HIV-infected participants in the Women's HIV Interagency Study (WIHS). Cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) specimens from 369 HIV-infected HSV seropositive women were tested with TaqMan polymerase chain reaction (PRC) for detection HSV-2 DNA. Seven percent of women tested positive for HSV-2 DNA in CVL. Significant correlates of the presence of HSV-2 DNA in CVL were being younger, African American or Hispanic race/ethnicity and injecting drugs in the past six months (P < 0.05). A borderline significant trend for reduced viral shedding with higher CD4+ T cell counts was observed (P = 0.08). All women who were never observed with any genital lesions and had consistently negative self-reported history of genital sores throughout the follow-up (n = 29, 8%) were negative for CVL HSV-2 DNA. HSV-2 DNA quantity was significantly associated with having frequent subsequent lesion recurrences (Spearman rho = 0.48, P = 0.016; adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 2.5, P = 0.012). Increasing the age of the host was inversely correlated with decreased viral shedding over time. However, a subset of older women continued to shed significant amounts of virus despite passage of time. This study provides genital HSV-2 DNA titre as a quantitative and symptom- and sign-based measures as qualitative predictors of HSV-2 shedding from the lower genital tract among HIV-infected women.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)273-277
Number of pages5
JournalInternational Journal of STD and AIDS
Volume22
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2011

Keywords

  • Cervicovaginal lavage
  • Cervicovaginal shedding
  • Genital herpes
  • HIV
  • HSV-2 DNA
  • Herpes simplex
  • Women

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Dermatology
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Pharmacology (medical)
  • Infectious Diseases

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Quantitative and qualitative correlates of cervicovaginal herpes simplex virus type 2 shedding among HIV-infected women in the women's interagency HIV study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this