International Journal of STD & AIDS > Volume 17, Number 10 > Pp. 681-686

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Original research articles

Association between HSV-2 and HIV-1 viral load in semen, cervico-vaginal secretions and genital ulcers of Thai men and women

Kathryn Chu, Sukhum Jiamton, Jacques Pepin, Frances Cowan, Bussakorn Mahakkanukrauh, Ruengpung Suttent, Noah J Robinson, Sylvie Deslandes, Eric Frost, Pongsakdi Chaisilwattana, Puan Suthipinittharm, Heiner Grosskurth, David Brown and Shabbar Jaffar

Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinic, Department of Dermatology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Centre for International Health, University of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; Centre for Sexual Health and HIV Research, University College London, London, UK; Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinic, Department of Dermatology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Worldwide Epidemiology, GlaxoSmithKline, Greenford, UK; Centre for International Health, University of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; Centre for International Health, University of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mahidol University, Thailand; Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinic, Department of Dermatology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Medical Research Council Programme on AIDS in Uganda, Entebbe, Uganda; Health Protection Agency, Colindale, UK; Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK

We studied the association between herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) and HIV-1 viralload in plasma, semen, cervico-vaginal secretions and genital ulcers. Forty-seven (68%) men and 57 (80%) women were HSV-2 antibody positive, of whom 12 (26%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 20, 32) and five (8%, 95% CI 4, 12), respectively, had HSV-2 genital shedding detected by polymerase chain reaction. The mean HIV-1 seminal and cervico-vaginal viral loads did not differ significantly according to the presence of HSV-2 shedding. Eleven men and 15 women presented with genital ulcers; all ulcers were due to HSV-2. Ten men and nine women were followed up over six days: the mean (95% CI) HIV-1 log viral load copies/mL in the genital ulcers at baseline and final visits were 2.5 (2.3, 2.7) and 3.1 (2.0, 4.2) for men and 3.0 (2.6, 3.4) and 2.7 (2.3, 3.1) for women. These findings do not support the hypothesis that HSV-2 increases the HIV-1 viral load in genital secretions.

Key Words: HSV-2 • HIV-1 • VIRAL LOAD • THAILAND

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