AEGiS-14IAC: Schistosomiasis and HIV in co-infected individuals -- egg excretion.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Schistosomiasis and HIV in co-infected individuals -- egg excretion.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. WeOrC1376)

Kallestrup P, Gomo E, Zinyama R, Pedersen BK, Vennervald BJ, Butterworth AE, Ullum H
Department of Clinical Immunology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

BACKGROUND: One objective of our ongoing study "Influence of Schistosomiasis Infection on Viral Replication, Disease Progression and Immune Activation in HIV+ Individuals" is to describe the interaction between immune function as expressed by CD4 count and S. haematobium (Sh) egg excretion in co-infected and HIV- controls. A negative association between HIV and Sh egg excretion has been suggested. The dependence on CD4 T cells for growth, maturation and egg excretion of schistosomiasis parasites has been demonstrated in mice(Science 2001, 294(5545):1358-1361).

METHODS: The randomised, controlled study is being conducted in Madziwa Area, Mashonaland Central Province of Zimbabwe. HIV status, CD4 count and number of eosinophils are determined by standard methods. Sh ova are obtained using the syringe urine filtration technique on three consecutive urine samples. 76 co-infected and 64 Sh+ HIV- participants have been included. Data are presented as means and quartiles and were analyzed by Mann-Whitney ranksum test and Spearmann correlation.

RESULTS: CD4 count was higher in the HIV-group(778, 605-1081 cells/ é L) than in the HIV+group(326, 166-588 cells/ é L, P<0.001). Mean number of Sh eggs excreted in urine did not differ between the groups(HIV+:3.5, 0.6-13.2; HIV-:3,3, 1,0-12,5;P=0,5). Futhermore did Sh eggs not correlate to CD4 count in any of the two groups(HIV+:Rs=0,05; HIV-:Rs=-0.12). A weak positive correlation between Sh eggs and eosinophils was observed in the HIV-group(Rs=0,28; P<0,05) but not in the HIV+ group(Rs=0,006).

CONCLUSIONS: The present study cannot confirm previous reports of lower excretion of Sh eggs in HIV+ individuals. We do not find defective excretion of Sh eggs in individuals with low CD4 counts. Lack of difference in egg excretion between HIV- and HIV+ participants demonstrates that low Sh egg excretion with low CD4 counts is not a universal phenomenon.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV, HIV Infections, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, Schistosomiasis, HIV Seropositivity, Antigens, CD4, Body Fluids, Ovum, Schistosomiasis haematobia, T-Lymphocytes, Schistosomiasis mansoni, Greece, Zimbabwe, Animal, Mice, pathogenicity, immunology

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