Victoria Aramă *
* Dr. Victoria Aramă, medic primar boli infecțioase, asistent universitar, Clinica I Boli Infecțioase Colentina, UMF “Carol Davila” București
Abstract
Once human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has damaged the cellular immune system, latent herpesviruses can reactivate to cause opportunistic diseases. These diseases may be more extensive and/or more severe forms of those caused in patients without HIV infection. The second half of the paper reviews the now accumulating evidence to indicate that herpesviruses may be interacting with HIV at a cellular or molecular level to drive the replication of HIV. In vivo, a co-factor relationship with a herpesvirus can only be invoked as an explanation for accelerate HIV disease progression once opportunism has been excluded. A study conducted in a population of haemophiliacs found that those who were serpositive for cytomegalovirus (CMV) at the time of HIV seroconversion developed AIDS more rapidly than those who were CMV seronegative.