Epstein-Barr virus genome load is increased by therapeutic vaccination in HIV-l carriers, and further enhanced in patients with a history of symptomatic primary infection

Objective

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection is an established risk factor for B-cell lymphomas in Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infected patients. A disturbed EBV-host relationship is seen in patient groups with a high risk for EBV-associated lymphomas. We have analysed this relationship by measuring EBV-DNA in the blood of HIV-1 carriers.

Method

EBV-DNA load in B-cells was monitored by PCR in non- or insufficiently antiretroviral treated and rgp160-vaccinated HIV-patients.

Results

Both asymptomatic HIV-infected and AIDS-patients showed a 25–40-fold increase in the number of B cell associated EBV-DNA copies compared to healthy controls. Patients included in a vaccine trial with recombinant HIV gp160 showed a 5-fold increase of EBV load compared to non-immunised patients and a 50-fold increase compared to healthy controls. There was no difference whether they received vaccine or “placebo”. Vaccinated patients with a history of symptomatic primary HIV-1 infection (PHI) had a 280-fold increase in median EBV load compared to healthy controls, thus suggesting a synergistic effect between the vaccination and PHI, which hypothetically could affect lymphoma risk.

Conclusions

We recommend analysis of EBV-load and long term follow up of lymphoma risk in all therapeutic HIV-1 vaccination trials.