Abstract

To identify the prevalence and risk factors for primary Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-positive adult treatment-naïve patients between January 2018 and December 2019 in a state of the Brazilian Amazon region. A total of 268 HIV-1 positive patients and 65 blood donors participated in the study. Epidemiological data were obtained from medical records and through a designed questionnaire. EBV infection was screened by the semiquantitative detection of anti-viral capsid antigen (VCA) EBV IgM and IgG, followed by molecular detection of the EBNA-3C gene. The plasma viral loads of HIV-1 and EBV were quantified using a commercial kit. The prevalence of primary coinfection was 7.12%. The associated risk factors were education level, family income, history of illicit drug use and sexually transmitted infections, homosexual contact and condom nonuse. Approximately 58.5% had late initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy, which influenced the risk of HIV-EBV 1/2 multiple infection (odds ratio (OR): 4.76; 95% CI 1.51–15.04) and symptom development (p = 0.004). HIV viral load was associated with patient age (OR: 2.04; 95% CI 2.01–2.07; p = 0.026) and duration of illicit drug use (OR: 1.57; 95% CI 1.12–2.22; p = 0.0548). EBV viral load was associated with younger age (OR: 0.82; 95% CI 0.79–1.03; p = 0.0579). The replication of both viruses was associated with symptom development (HIV = OR: 2.06; 95% CI 1.22–3.50; p = 0.0073; EBV = OR: 8.81; 95% CI 1–10; p = 0.0447). The prevalence of HIV/EBV coinfection was lower than that observed in other studies, and social vulnerability and promiscuous sexual behavior were associated risk factors. A long time of HIV-1 infection, without therapy, influenced the risk of coinfection and disease progression. The viral loads of both viruses may be associated with some epidemiological aspects of the population.

Details

Title
Epidemiological risk factors associated with primary infection by Epstein–Barr virus in HIV-1-positive subjects in the Brazilian Amazon region
Author
Pereira Leonn Mendes Soares 1 ; dos Santos França Eliane 2 ; Costa Iran Barros 2 ; Lima, Igor Tenório 2 ; Freire Amaury Bentes Cunha 3 ; de Paula Ramos Francisco Lúzio 3 ; Monteiro Talita Antonia Furtado 2 ; Macedo Olinda 4 ; Sousa Rita Catarina Medeiros 5 ; Freitas, Felipe Bonfim 4 ; Costa, Igor Brasil 6 ; Vallinoto Antonio Carlos Rosário 7 

 Federal University of Pará, Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Belém, Brazil (GRID:grid.271300.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2171 5249) 
 Evandro Chagas Institute, Epstein-Barr Virus Laboratory, Virology Section, Ananindeua, Brazil (GRID:grid.419134.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0620 4442) 
 Evandro Chagas Institute, Department of Epidemiology and Surveillance, Ananindeua, Brazil (GRID:grid.419134.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0620 4442) 
 Evandro Chagas Institute, Laboratory of Retroviruses, Ananindeua, Brazil (GRID:grid.419134.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0620 4442) 
 Evandro Chagas Institute, Epstein-Barr Virus Laboratory, Virology Section, Ananindeua, Brazil (GRID:grid.419134.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0620 4442); Federal University of Pará, School of Medicine, Belém, Brazil (GRID:grid.271300.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2171 5249) 
 Evandro Chagas Institute, Epstein-Barr Virus Laboratory, Virology Section, Ananindeua, Brazil (GRID:grid.419134.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0620 4442); Federal University of Pará, Graduate Program in Biology of Infectious and Parasitic Agents, Institute of Biological Sciences, Belém, Brazil (GRID:grid.271300.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2171 5249) 
 Federal University of Pará, Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Belém, Brazil (GRID:grid.271300.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2171 5249); Federal University of Pará, Graduate Program in Biology of Infectious and Parasitic Agents, Institute of Biological Sciences, Belém, Brazil (GRID:grid.271300.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2171 5249) 
Publication year
2021
Publication date
2021
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2573134893
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. corrected publication 2022. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.