Immunological Predictors of Survival in HIV Type 2-Infected Rural Villagers in Guinea-Bissau

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Abstract
We investigated the association between beta2-microglobulin, neopterin, serum levels of soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), CD4 count, and plasma viremia with survival in 133 HIV-2-infected villagers and 160 controls living in rural Guinea-Bissau. Subjects were recruited in 1991 and visited at home every 3-6 months until 1998. Median beta2-microglobulin, neopterin, and suPAR were significantly higher and CD4% significantly lower among HIV-2-infected individuals than controls. Thirty-one HIV-2-infected individuals died and 7 were lost to follow-up. beta2-Microglobulin, CD4%, and plasma viral load were associated independently with survival in multivariate analyses. Neopterin and suPAR did not reach statistical significance. These findings suggest that immune activation is central to the pathogenesis of HIV. They also have important implications for resource-poor settings where CD4 count and plasma viral load are unaffordable.

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