Herpes simplex virus type 2 and HIV disease progression: a systematic review of observational studies

BMC Infectious Diseases

Table 4 Impact of HSV-2 seropositivity on viral load ^a

Study	Population	N	HSV2 Ascertainment	Outcome: VIRAL LOAD (in log₁₀copies/mL)
Study	Population	N	HSV2 Ascertainment	Outcome	HSV2 pos	HSV2 neg	Difference	Effect^b
Studies in acute HIV seroconverters
Barnabas 2011	HIV seroconverters, Americas	88	Serology: WB	VL setpoint (mean of 8 & 12 week post-infection VL)^c	+0.3 (95% CI = −0.1,0.7)	Referent	“No significant difference”	↔
Cachay 2007	Male HIV seroconverters, USA	294	Serology: Focus + WB	VL over median of ~200 days	NR	NR	Difference “close to zero”	↔
Cachay 2008	Male HIV seroconverters, USA	9	Seroconversion to HSV2 by WB	Change in VL after vs. before HSV-2 sero-conversion over 779d	+0.17 (range −1.58, 0.49)	Reference: Before seroconversion	p = 0.57	↔
Studies in chronic HIV infection
Crum-Cianflone 2006	USA	271	Serology: Focus	Change in VL at 1 year	+0.17	+0.08	+0.1, p = 0.61	↔
Crum-Cianflone 2006	USA	221	Serology: Focus	Change in VL at 3 years	+0.46	−0.09	+0.6, p = 0.44	↑?
Roxby 2011	Postpartum women, Kenya	296	Serology: Focus	Change in VL over mean 18 months	NR	NR	No difference	↔

^aCI = confidence interval, GUD = genital ulcer disease, MSM = men who have sex with men, OR = odds ratio, SD = standard deviation, VL = viral load, WB = Western Blot.
^bArrows show directions of association with HSV-2; ‘?’ denotes borderline statistical significance or clinically significant differences not meeting statistical significance.
^cBased in part on imputed data as 47% of VL observations missing.

ISSN: 1471-2334