Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Loads in Adult Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Infected Patients Receiving Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

Patients with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection are at high risk of developing Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated lymphoma. However, little is known of the EBV DNA loads in patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Using a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, we demonstrated that significantly more HIV-1-infected patients receiving HAART than HIV-1-uninfected volunteers had detectable EBV DNA in blood (57 [81%] of 70 vs. 11 [16%] of 68 patients; P = .001) and saliva (55 [79%] of 68 vs. 37 [54%] of 68 patients; P = .002). The mean EBV loads in blood and saliva samples were also higher in HIV-1-infected patients than in HIV-1-uninfected volunteers (P = .001). The frequency of EBV detection in blood was associated with lower CD4⁺ cell counts (P = .03) among HIV-1-infected individuals, although no differences were observed in the EBV DNA loads in blood or saliva samples in the HIV-1-infected group. Additional studies are needed to determine whether EBV-specific CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ cells play a role in the pathogenesis of EBV in HIV-1-infected patients receiving HAART.