Psychoimmunology and aids: Psychological distress and herpes simplex virus in human immunodeficiency virus infected individuals |
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| Authors: | Kevin R. Robertson Jean W. Wilkins Jean Handy Charles van der Horst Wendy T. Robertson John G. Fryer |
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| Affiliation: | 1. AIDS Neurological Center and Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, Medicine, and Microbiology and Immunology , School of Medicine , Chapel Hill;2. Department of Biostatistics , School of Public Health, University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill |
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| Abstract: | Abstract No studies investigating the relationship of herpesviruses and psychological distress in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection are available in the literature. Antibody titers for Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr (EBV) and Herpes Simplex virus (HSV) were assessed from sera drawn at the lime of psychological testing for one hundred HIV seropositive subjects. Increased psychological distress was correlated with increased titers of antibody to HSV, but not to CMV or EBV. Psychological distress may play a role in the devastating HSV infections experienced by immune deficient individuals. A stress mediated reactivation/potentiation hypothesis is discussed, where distress reactivates latent HSV which in turn potentiates HIV replication. These results may have implications for treatment of individuals co-infected with HIV and HSV. |
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| Keywords: | Psychoimmunology AIDS HIV psychological distress herpes simplex virus |
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