Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Altered Biological Processes and Novel Markers in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Long-Term Non-Progressors

Background@#The latent reservoir of Human Immunodificiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) has been a major barrier to the complete eradication of HIV-1 and the development of HIV therapy. Longterm non-progressors (LTNPs) are a rare group of patients with HIV-1 who can spontaneously control HIV-1 replication without antiretroviral therapy. Transcriptome analysis is necessary to predict the pathways involved in the natural control of HIV-1, elucidate the mechanisms involved in LTNPs, and find biomarkers for HIV-1 reservoir therapy. @*Materials and Methods@#In this study, we obtained peripheral blood mononuclear cells from two LTNP subjects at multiple time points and performed RNA-sequencing analyses. @*Results@#We found that LTNPs and normal subjects had different transcriptome profiles. Functional annotation analysis identified that differentially expressed genes in LTNPs were enriched in several biological pathways such as cell cycle-related pathways and the transforming growth factor-beta signaling pathway. However, genes that were downregulated in LTNPs were associated with immune responses such as the interferon response and IL2-STAT5 signaling. Protein-protein interaction network analysis showed that CD8A, KLRD1, ASGR1, and MLKL, whose gene expression was upregulated in LTNPs, directly interacted with HIV-1 proteins. The network analysis also found that viral proteins potentially regulated host genes that were associated with immune system processes, metabolic processes, and gene expression regulation. @*Conclusion@#Our longitudinal transcriptome analysis of the LTNPs identified multiple previously undescribed pathways and genes that may be useful in the discovery of novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers.

Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Altered Biological Processes and Novel Markers in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Long-Term Non-Progressors

Background@#The latent reservoir of Human Immunodificiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) has been a major barrier to the complete eradication of HIV-1 and the development of HIV therapy. Longterm non-progressors (LTNPs) are a rare group of patients with HIV-1 who can spontaneously control HIV-1 replication without antiretroviral therapy. Transcriptome analysis is necessary to predict the pathways involved in the natural control of HIV-1, elucidate the mechanisms involved in LTNPs, and find biomarkers for HIV-1 reservoir therapy. @*Materials and Methods@#In this study, we obtained peripheral blood mononuclear cells from two LTNP subjects at multiple time points and performed RNA-sequencing analyses. @*Results@#We found that LTNPs and normal subjects had different transcriptome profiles. Functional annotation analysis identified that differentially expressed genes in LTNPs were enriched in several biological pathways such as cell cycle-related pathways and the transforming growth factor-beta signaling pathway. However, genes that were downregulated in LTNPs were associated with immune responses such as the interferon response and IL2-STAT5 signaling. Protein-protein interaction network analysis showed that CD8A, KLRD1, ASGR1, and MLKL, whose gene expression was upregulated in LTNPs, directly interacted with HIV-1 proteins. The network analysis also found that viral proteins potentially regulated host genes that were associated with immune system processes, metabolic processes, and gene expression regulation. @*Conclusion@#Our longitudinal transcriptome analysis of the LTNPs identified multiple previously undescribed pathways and genes that may be useful in the discovery of novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers.

Characterization of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2Stability in Multiple Water Matrices

The advent of the global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) necessitates a thorough study of the stability and transmissibility in the environment. We characterized the stability of SARS-CoV-2 in three water matrices: fresh, tap, and seawater. The minimum infective dose of SARS-CoV-2 in Vero cells was confirmed to be 10 3 PFU/mL. The stability of SARS-CoV-2 varied according to the water matrix: infective SARSCoV-2 was undetectable after treatment with fresh water and seawater, but remained detectable for 2 days in tap water, when starting with an initial concentration of 10 4 PFU/mL. When the starting concentration was increased to 10 5 PFU/mL, a similar trend was observed. In addition, viral RNA persisted longer than infectious virus in all water matrices. This study was conducted in stagnant water containing a significantly high titer of virus, thus, human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through the actual aquatic environment is expected to be rare.

Current Status of the Estimation on the Number of People Who Living with HIV and the Rate of Undiagnosed Cases

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a major public health issue worldwide. As of 2018, 37.9 million people worldwide live with HIV, 1.7 million of which are new HIV infections, and 770,000 are surmised to have died from Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) related illnesses. However, the exact number of HIV infections cannot be confirmed; The Joint Unite Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and World Health Organization (WHO) have computed and disclosed the number of HIV infections, new HIV infections, and AIDS mortality in participating countries for several years to tract and estimate the current HIV prevalence, and the organizations are striving to enhance the accuracy of estimation of current HIV infections by ameliorating various techniques. In South Korea, the government only discloses the number of new HIV infections as an official statistic, and there is no agreed method of estimating current HIV infections. Thus, in this article, we introduce various methods for estimating HIV infections and methods to reflect the number of undiagnosed HIV infections in Korea to the estimate.

A Review of HPV Prevalence Research

Human papillomavirus is known to be a major cause of cervical cancer. More than 190 HPV genotypes have been identified and classified into a high-risk group (18 genotypes) and a low-risk group (12 genotypes) depending on the risk of disease progression. This report investigated the results of domestic and overseas studies on HPV prevalence and genotype distribution; identified prevalence and genotype distribution in Korea and in the world; and described and presented the results obtained as part of an internal research project at the KNIH. Through systematic review and meta-analysis, the previous study shows that the prevalence of HPV was found to be 10.7% (worldwide) and 13.6% (Korea and China) in women with normal cytology, respectively. HPV-16, HPV-18, HPV-31, HPV-58, and HPV-52 were the five most prevalent genotypes in the world. By contrast, in East Asia, including Korea, HPV-16, HPV-18, HPV-58, HPV-52, and HPV-70 were the prevalent genotypes. In an intramural research project conducted by the KNIH, the prevalence of HPV was estimated to be about 36% according to a meta-analysis. This result provides the basic statistics of HPV infection in Korea.

Current Status of the Estimation on the Number of People Who Living with HIV and the Rate of Undiagnosed Cases

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a major public health issue worldwide. As of 2018, 37.9 million people worldwide live with HIV, 1.7 million of which are new HIV infections, and 770,000 are surmised to have died from Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) related illnesses. However, the exact number of HIV infections cannot be confirmed; The Joint Unite Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and World Health Organization (WHO) have computed and disclosed the number of HIV infections, new HIV infections, and AIDS mortality in participating countries for several years to tract and estimate the current HIV prevalence, and the organizations are striving to enhance the accuracy of estimation of current HIV infections by ameliorating various techniques. In South Korea, the government only discloses the number of new HIV infections as an official statistic, and there is no agreed method of estimating current HIV infections. Thus, in this article, we introduce various methods for estimating HIV infections and methods to reflect the number of undiagnosed HIV infections in Korea to the estimate.

A Review of HPV Prevalence Research

Human papillomavirus is known to be a major cause of cervical cancer. More than 190 HPV genotypes have been identified and classified into a high-risk group (18 genotypes) and a low-risk group (12 genotypes) depending on the risk of disease progression. This report investigated the results of domestic and overseas studies on HPV prevalence and genotype distribution; identified prevalence and genotype distribution in Korea and in the world; and described and presented the results obtained as part of an internal research project at the KNIH. Through systematic review and meta-analysis, the previous study shows that the prevalence of HPV was found to be 10.7% (worldwide) and 13.6% (Korea and China) in women with normal cytology, respectively. HPV-16, HPV-18, HPV-31, HPV-58, and HPV-52 were the five most prevalent genotypes in the world. By contrast, in East Asia, including Korea, HPV-16, HPV-18, HPV-58, HPV-52, and HPV-70 were the prevalent genotypes. In an intramural research project conducted by the KNIH, the prevalence of HPV was estimated to be about 36% according to a meta-analysis. This result provides the basic statistics of HPV infection in Korea.

Diverse Effects of Small Molecule Inhibitors on Actin Cytoskeleton Dynamics in HIV-1 Infection

The dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton plays a pivotal role in the process of cell division, the transportation of organelles, vesicle trafficking and cell movement. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) hijacks the actin dynamics network during the viral entry and migration of the pre-integration complex (PIC) into the nucleus. Actin dynamics linked to HIV-1 has emerged as a potent therapeutic target against HIV infection. Although some inhibitors have been intensely analyzed with regard to HIV-1 infection, their effects are sometimes disputed and the exact mechanisms for actin dynamics in HIV infection have not been well elucidated. In this study, the small molecules regulating HIV-1 infection from diverse inhibitors of the actin dynamic network were screened. Two compounds, including Chaetoglobosin A and CK-548, were observed to specifically bar the viral infection, while the cytochalasin family, 187-1, N-WASP inhibitor, Rho GTPase family inhibitors (EHop-016, CID44216842, and ML-141) and LIMK inhibitor (LIM domain kinase inhibitor) increased the viral infection without cytotoxicity within a range of ~ µM. However, previously known inhibitory compounds of HIV-1 infection, such as Latrunculin A, Jasplakinolide, Wiskostatin and Swinholide A, exhibited either an inhibitory effect on HIV-1 infection combined with severe cytotoxicity or showed no effects. Our data indicate that Chaetoglobosin A and CK-548 have considerable potential for development as new therapeutic drugs for the treatment of HIV infection. In addition, the newly identified roles of Cytochalasins and some inhibitors of Rho GTPase and LIMK may provide fundamental knowledge for understanding the complicated actin dynamic pathway when infected by HIV-1. Remarkably, the newly defined action modes of the inhibitors may be helpful in developing potent anti-HIV drugs that target the actin network, which are required for HIV infection.

Development of External Quality Controls for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Antigen/Antibody Tests in Korea

BACKGROUND: Quality control is important for accurate diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and proficiency testing with external quality controls is an important part of quality control. This study intended to develop and supply customized external quality controls for HIV antigen/antibody testing fitted with currently used reagents for standardization of HIV infection diagnosis and evaluation of HIV testing competency of laboratories in Korea. METHODS: Serological tests and inactivation were performed on the obtained HIV antibody positive plasma. To manufacture quality controls having the required antibody titers, dilution ratio was searched using VIDAS (bioMérieux, France), Architect (Abbott Laboratories, USA), and Cobas 8000 (Roche Diagnostics, Germany) analyzers. Diluted source plasma was divided into aliquots after filtering. Homogeneity and stability of the produced external quality controls were evaluated. RESULTS: The collected HIV antibody positive plasma was confirmed by Western blot. Dilution ratios for source plasma were produced for each analyzer showing signal-to-cut-off 2–3, 5–7, and 15–16 reactivity. Diluted plasma was made to 1 mL aliquots and total set of 1,500 external quality controls for HIV antigen/antibody were manufactured. Produced controls satisfied the required criteria of homogeneity and showed less than 10% coefficient of variation for stability except negative controls. CONCLUSIONS: Customized external quality controls were developed and qualified for HIV testing reagents used in Korea. Continuous external quality control assessment for HIV tests with controls would be required.

Characterization of Gp41 Polymorphisms in the Fusion Peptide Domain and T-20 (Enfuvirtide) Resistance-Associated Regions in Korean HIV-1 Isolates

HIV-1 gp41 is an envelope protein that plays an essential role in virus entry. The mutation of gp41 affects HIV-1 entry and susceptibility to the fusion inhibitor T-20. Therefore, we analyzed the natural polymorphism of gp41 of 163 HIV-1 isolates from T-20-naive Koreans infected with HIV-1. This study of gp41 polymorphisms showed that insertions in the fourth threonine (74.8%) and L7M substitutions (85.3%) were more frequent in the fusion peptide motif in Korean HIV-1 isolates compared with those from other countries. Minor T-20 resistance mutations such as L45M (1.2%), N126K (1.2%), and E137K (6.7%) were detected, but the critical T-20 resistance mutations were not detected in the gp41 HR1 and HR2 regions. In addition, the N42S mutation (12.9%) associated with T-20 hypersusceptibility was detected at a high frequency. These results may serve as useful data for studies considering T-20 for use in the development of a more effective anti-retroviral treatment in Korea.

The Distribution of Seropositivities for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and, Syphilis and the Gonorrhea Positive Rates in Gwangju (2002-2006)

BACKGROUND: The epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is an important public health issue in the worldwide. Therefore, we investigated the trends of the seroprevalence of HIV and, syphilis and the gonorrhea positive rates in Gwangju from 2002 to 2006. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The results of laboratory tests for HIV, syphilis and gonorrhea were collected from five public health centers and 19 hospitals in Gwangju. The number of tested patients from 2002 to 2006 was 348,202 cases for HIV, 80,115 cases for syphilis and, 103,548 cases for gonorrhea. RESULTS: HIV/AIDS infections have rapidly increased at public health centers and hospitals. Especially, most of newly HIV-infected people were patients on ambulatory care/hospitalization, and they were also found via preoperation tests and according to the clinical symptoms. The gonorrhea positive rates have gradually decreased by year while the syphilis infection rates have slightly increased from 2002 to 2006. CONCLUSIONS: We have to determine the reasons why HIV and syphilis infections, but not gonorrhea, have increases simultaneously by the year. These results should be helpful to create a more effective STD prevention policy and the treatment guidelines for the people in Gwangju in the near future.

The Distribution of Seropositivities for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and, Syphilis and the Gonorrhea Positive Rates in Gwangju (2002-2006)

BACKGROUND: The epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is an important public health issue in the worldwide. Therefore, we investigated the trends of the seroprevalence of HIV and, syphilis and the gonorrhea positive rates in Gwangju from 2002 to 2006. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The results of laboratory tests for HIV, syphilis and gonorrhea were collected from five public health centers and 19 hospitals in Gwangju. The number of tested patients from 2002 to 2006 was 348,202 cases for HIV, 80,115 cases for syphilis and, 103,548 cases for gonorrhea. RESULTS: HIV/AIDS infections have rapidly increased at public health centers and hospitals. Especially, most of newly HIV-infected people were patients on ambulatory care/hospitalization, and they were also found via preoperation tests and according to the clinical symptoms. The gonorrhea positive rates have gradually decreased by year while the syphilis infection rates have slightly increased from 2002 to 2006. CONCLUSIONS: We have to determine the reasons why HIV and syphilis infections, but not gonorrhea, have increases simultaneously by the year. These results should be helpful to create a more effective STD prevention policy and the treatment guidelines for the people in Gwangju in the near future.

Comparison of Real-time PCR Methods and pp65 Antigenemia Assay to Detect Cytomegalovirus Reactivation in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a common human pathogen that causes morbidity and mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. Early diagnosis of HCMV infection or reactivation, and setting threshold values for effective pre-emptive therapies, are required for appropriate HCMV disease prevention in HSCT recipients. We compared the HCMV infections detected by the two methods, LightCycler-based PCR (LC PCR) and in-house immediate early protein PCR (in-house IE PCR) with the results of a pp65 antigenemia assay as the reference. The sensitivity and specificity for the in-house IE PCR were 79.3% and 72.7%, respectively, and 82.9% and 40.7%, respectively, for the LC PCR. The correlation between the HCMV viral load and pp65 antigenemia in HSCT recipients was r=0.603 with in-house IE PCR and r=0.525 with LC PCR. The discordant results between methods and relatively low (r) values suggest that we need more study to set threshold values according to the using methods with clinical outcome.

Comparison of Real-time PCR Methods and pp65 Antigenemia Assay to Detect Cytomegalovirus Reactivation in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a common human pathogen that causes morbidity and mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. Early diagnosis of HCMV infection or reactivation, and setting threshold values for effective pre-emptive therapies, are required for appropriate HCMV disease prevention in HSCT recipients. We compared the HCMV infections detected by the two methods, LightCycler-based PCR (LC PCR) and in-house immediate early protein PCR (in-house IE PCR) with the results of a pp65 antigenemia assay as the reference. The sensitivity and specificity for the in-house IE PCR were 79.3% and 72.7%, respectively, and 82.9% and 40.7%, respectively, for the LC PCR. The correlation between the HCMV viral load and pp65 antigenemia in HSCT recipients was r=0.603 with in-house IE PCR and r=0.525 with LC PCR. The discordant results between methods and relatively low (r) values suggest that we need more study to set threshold values according to the using methods with clinical outcome.

Differentially Expressed Cellular Gene Profiles between Healthy HIV-infected Koreans and AIDS Patients / 대한혈액학회지

BACKGROUND: The global effect of HIV infection on the host cell gene expression profiles in healthy HIV-infected patients, as long-term non-progressors, remains largely unknown. To identify the cellular genes related with HIV infection and delayed disease progression in vivo, the host gene expression profiles between healthy HIV-infected Koreans and AIDS patients were investigated. METHODS:Differential expression gene analysis was performed via oligonucleotide microarray with using Magic-oligo 10K chip. Ten HIV-uninfected persons and 10 HIV-infected patients (healthy HIV-infected patients vs. AIDS patients. respectively) were studied. RESULTS: Only 10.8% (1,097 genes) of the total genes, that is, 331 up-regulated genes and 766 down- regulated genes were differentially expressed with more than a two-fold change in the HIV-infected persons as compared to those of the HIV-uninfected persons. Especially, 97 genes (8.8%) among 1,097 genes were commonly up- or down-regulated in both the healthy HIV-infected patients and the AIDS patients. 187 genes were differently expressed on the gene expression analysis between the healthy HIV-infected patients and the AIDS patients. Twenty-eight genes out of them showed very significant differences with a P value <0.01. Especially, tripartite motif (TRIM) 14 protein and interferon gamma receptor 2 were dramatically up-regulated in healthy HIV-infected patients, while death-associated protein, DNA directed RNA polymerase II polypeptide A and STAT were over-expressed in AIDS patients. CONCLUSION: Although this microarray study has some limitations, the above results will be helpful for performing more detailed, future functional studies on the differentially expressed genes related to HIV infection and delayed disease progression in vivo.

Initial CD4+ T Cell Counts Analysis in Newly HIV-diagnosed Koreans

BACKGROUND: In spite of active HIV/AIDS control and managements, UNAIDS estimate that 40 million people were living worldwide with HIV at the end of 2001. In Korea, The member of HIV- infected adults are continuously growing. For improvement of HIV screening and prevention, we analyzed over times the relationship between the changes in initial CD4+ T cell counts of newly HIV- diagnosed adults, sex, and exposure route. METHODS: We selected 1011 newly HIV-diagnosed adults whose initial CD4+ T cell count was determined within 6 months of HIV diagnosis between 1990 and June, 2002. Based on CD4+ T cell counts, the selected people were grouped into 4 as follows: 700 cells/mm3. The relationship between initial CD4+ T cell counts, age, sex, and HIV risk category were studied by regression statistic methods. RESULTS: The median initial CD4+ T cell counts decreased over times (P<0.001). In each major group, over 50% of initial CD4+ T cell counts were below 350 cells/mm3. For homosexually infected adults, the median age did not statistically increase (P=0.062). However, in heterosexually infected adults, the median age increased throughout the time period examined (P<0.001) with an exception of female group (P=0.427). The multi-regression analyses revealed that older age (P<0.001) and male sex (P<0.001) were independently associated with lower initial CD4+ T cell counts, but not exposure group (P=0.483). For each year cohort of newly diagnosed adults, the median initial CD4+ T cell counts in subsequent years decreased until 1998 and then increased thereafter. CONCLUSION: These results show that a large proportion of HIV-infected adults are being diagnosed late in the course of HIV infection, particularly heterosexually infected male group. Therefore, we should continuously enforce screening, prevention and prompt diagnosis of high risk groups.

Initial CD4+ T Cell Counts Analysis in Newly HIV-diagnosed Koreans

BACKGROUND: In spite of active HIV/AIDS control and managements, UNAIDS estimate that 40 million people were living worldwide with HIV at the end of 2001. In Korea, The member of HIV- infected adults are continuously growing. For improvement of HIV screening and prevention, we analyzed over times the relationship between the changes in initial CD4+ T cell counts of newly HIV- diagnosed adults, sex, and exposure route. METHODS: We selected 1011 newly HIV-diagnosed adults whose initial CD4+ T cell count was determined within 6 months of HIV diagnosis between 1990 and June, 2002. Based on CD4+ T cell counts, the selected people were grouped into 4 as follows: 700 cells/mm3. The relationship between initial CD4+ T cell counts, age, sex, and HIV risk category were studied by regression statistic methods. RESULTS: The median initial CD4+ T cell counts decreased over times (P<0.001). In each major group, over 50% of initial CD4+ T cell counts were below 350 cells/mm3. For homosexually infected adults, the median age did not statistically increase (P=0.062). However, in heterosexually infected adults, the median age increased throughout the time period examined (P<0.001) with an exception of female group (P=0.427). The multi-regression analyses revealed that older age (P<0.001) and male sex (P<0.001) were independently associated with lower initial CD4+ T cell counts, but not exposure group (P=0.483). For each year cohort of newly diagnosed adults, the median initial CD4+ T cell counts in subsequent years decreased until 1998 and then increased thereafter. CONCLUSION: These results show that a large proportion of HIV-infected adults are being diagnosed late in the course of HIV infection, particularly heterosexually infected male group. Therefore, we should continuously enforce screening, prevention and prompt diagnosis of high risk groups.

High Frequencies of the CCR2b-64I and SDF1-3'A Mutations with HIV Infection in Koreans

BACKGROUND: Host genetic polymorphisms in the HIV-1 co-receptor CCR5 and CCR2b and SDF-1, ligand for co-receptor CXCR4, have been known to be associated with the resistance of HIV infection and/or the delayed disease progression in HIV-infected patients. METHODS: We examined the frequencies of SDF1-3'A and CCR2b-64I alleles of 354 Koreans including 100 HIV-uninfected persons, 13 discordant spouses of HIV-infected persons, and 241 HIV-infected persons. The genotyping assays of SDF1 and CCR2b genes were carried out by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. RESULTS: The frequencies of CCR2b-64I and SDF1-3'A alleles in Koreans were very high compared with Caucasians and blacks. Observed frequencies of CCR2b-64I and SDF1-3'A allelic variants were 25.1% and 28.7%, respectively. The frequency of the CCR2b-64I allele in Koreans was 2~4 times higher than those of other ethnic groups with the exception of Asian. The frequencies of CCR2b-64I and SDF1- 3'A genotypes did not show the significant difference between HIV-infected and uninfected Koreans. However, the prevalence of CCR2b-64I genotype of the LTNP group was about two times higher than that of the remainder group (P < 0.05). Four (45%) out of 9 LTNPs (long-term nonprogressors) showed having the SDF1-3'A allele and 7 (78%) out of 9 LTNPs carried the CCR2b-64I allele. 3 (33%) out of 9 LTNPs had both SDF1-3'A and CCR2b-64I alleles. But none of 5 RPs (rapid progressors) appeared to have both SDF1-3'A and CCR2b-64I alleles. CONCLUSION: The different genetic backgrounds in study populations may affect the disease progression and the AIDS epidemic in each country. Further studies need to define whether high frequencies of CCR2b-64I and SDF1-3'A allelic variants may affect the HIV disease progression.

Consistency of the Low Seroprevalence of Human Herpesvirus 8 and the Rarity of Kaposi`s Sarcoma in South Korea

A putative gamma herpesvirus, termed human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), discovered in recent years, has been implicated as a possible etiologic agent for Kaposi`s sarcoma (KS). In South Korea, the incidence of KS in HIV seropositive individuals is very low. The cause of its rarity as compared with other countries is unclear. The objective of this study was performed to determine the prevalence of infection with HHV-8 and to clarify the cause of low incidence of KS in Korean populations including HIV seropositive individuals. The study population was composed of 200 blood donors, 220 voluntary visitors for sexual transmitted infection (STI)-testing in the public health centers, and 214 HIV-seropositive individuals. For the detection of HHV-8 antibodies, all blood samples were tested using Advanced Biotechnologies Inc`s enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits and the reactive samples were retested using Biotrin International SARL`s immunofluorescent assay (IFA). Also, we investigated the seroprevalence of Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV) and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) in order to get more information of HHV-8 and other human herpesviruses transmission in Korea. The prevalence of specific IgG to HHV-8 among HIV seropositive individuals was 7.0% {95% confidential interval: 4.0-11.3%}. The specific antibody to HHV-8 could be detected only in HIV seropositive men. The prevalences of antibodies to other human herpesviruses unlike HHV-8 were very high even in blood donors. These observations strongly suggest that the rarity of KS in this country may be caused by very low prevalence of HHV-8.

Immunologic Characterization of Newly Found Koreans as HIV Seropositives by the Year / 감염

BACKGROUND: Although HIV is introduced relatively late into Asia, the amount of HIV-positive population has been continuously growing in this area. UNAIDS/WHO estimate that 6.5 million people are living with HIV in the Asia/Pacific region at the end of 1999. To expect the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 21st century in Korea, it is necessary to monitor the changes of the number of newly found HIV-infected individuals and their immune status by year including their epidemiological data. METHODS: We have selected 591 HIV-infected individuals whose first CD4 count was checked within 6 months from the time of diagnosis of HIV infection from 1990 to 1999. For the measurement of CD4+T and CD8+T cells, blood samples of HIV-1 infected individuals were collected into three potassium ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (K3EDTA)-treated tubes and stained within at least 24 hours after drawing and analysed by flow cytometer (FACStar or FACScount). The immune status were classified into 4 groups as follows: group I (> or =500 CD4+T cells/mm3), group II (201~499 CD4+T cells/mm3), group III (51~200 CD4+T cells/mm3), and group IV (< or =50 CD4+T cells/mm3). RESULTS: The mean of number of CD4+T cells of HIV-infected individuals at the time of HIV diagnosis was 677 cells/mm3 and the percentage of CD4+T cells was 22.5% in 1990~1991 but 350 cells/mm3 and 14.7% in 1999, respectively. The number of newly found HIV-infected individuals belong to Group III increased rapidly from 1997 to 1999. Also, the proportion of newly found HIV-infected individuals having the CD4+T cell counts of < or =50 cells/mm3 increased slowly by the time of diagnosis of HIV infection. The proportion of newly found HIV-infected individuals who were found in general hospitals increased during the second half of the 1990s. CONCLUSION: These results show that not only the number of newly found HIV-infected individuals has increased annually but also their immune status at the time of HIV diagnosis have been more depressed by the year. Therefore, we should enforce education for prevention of HIV/AIDS about general population as well as high risk groups.