RESUMO
To investigate the association of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) with various DNA viruses, including hepatitis B virus (HBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus, (EBV), simultaneous detection of HIV p24 antigen, HBV surface antigen and DNA, CMV-DNA and EBV-DNA expression was performed in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear (PBMC) culture supernatants obtained from 54 individuals at risk for HIV infection. HIV expression in PBMC culture supernatants never occurred alone; expression of other viruses was always detected in the 24 samples expressing HIV antigen in vitro. Furthermore, in 16 patients expression of other viruses was detected without HIV expression, and in 14 patients none of the tested viruses were detected. These results indicate a strong association between the presence of HIV antibody and expression of DNA viruses in vitro (p = 0.0001). The coexpression of these viruses could be related to the evolution of HIV infection and AIDS.
Assuntos
Citomegalovirus/isolamento & purificação , Infecções por HIV/virologia , Vírus da Hepatite B/isolamento & purificação , Herpesvirus Humano 4/isolamento & purificação , Células Cultivadas , Citomegalovirus/genética , Citomegalovirus/imunologia , DNA Viral/análise , Proteína do Núcleo p24 do HIV/análise , Vírus da Hepatite B/genética , Vírus da Hepatite B/imunologia , Herpesvirus Humano 4/genética , Herpesvirus Humano 4/imunologia , Humanos , Leucócitos Mononucleares/virologiaRESUMO
The behavior of the hepatitis B virus was investigated in mononuclear cell cultures in nine patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus. Although only one of them was a carrier of HBsAg and four had anti-HBs in their sera, HBsAg was detected in the supernatant of the cultures from all patients. These results suggest that mononuclear cells might act as a reservoir for hepatitis B virus, and that the concomitant infection by this virus and human immunodeficiency virus may alter the natural evolution of any of both conditions.
