Schistosomiasis is associated with incident HIV transmission and death in Zambia

Details

• Alternative Title:
  PLoS Negl Trop Dis
• Personal Author:
  Wall, Kristin M. ; Kilembe, William ; Vwalika, Bellington ; Dinh, Cecile ; Livingston, Paul ; Lee, Yeuk-Mui ; Lakhi, Shabir ; Boeras, Debi ; Naw, Htee Khu ; Brill, Ilene ; Chomba, Elwyn ; Sharkey, Tyronza ; Parker, Rachel ; Shutes, Erin ; Tichacek, Amanda ; Secor, W. Evan ; Allen, Susan
• Description:
  Background
  
  We examined relationships between schistosome infection, HIV transmission or acquisition, and all-cause death.
  
  Methods
  
  We retrospectively tested baseline sera from a heterosexual HIV-discordant couple cohort in Lusaka, Zambia with follow-up from 1994–2012 in a nested case-control design. Schistosome-specific antibody levels were measured by ELISA. Associations between baseline antibody response to schistosome antigens and incident HIV transmission, acquisition, and all-cause death stratified by gender and HIV status were assessed. In a subset of HIV- women and HIV+ men, we performed immunoblots to evaluate associations between Schistosoma haematobium or Schistosoma mansoni infection history and HIV incidence.
  
  Results
  
  Of 2,145 individuals, 59% had positive baseline schistosome-specific antibody responses. In HIV+ women and men, baseline schistosome-specific antibodies were associated with HIV transmission to partners (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.8, p<0.005 and aHR = 1.4, p<0.05, respectively) and death in HIV+ women (aHR = 2.2, p<0.001). In 250 HIV- women, presence of S. haematobium-specific antibodies was associated with increased risk of HIV acquisition (aHR = 1.4, p<0.05).
  
  Conclusion
  
  Schistosome infections were associated with increased transmission of HIV from both sexes, acquisition of HIV in women, and increased progression to death in HIV+ women. Establishing effective prevention and treatment strategies for schistosomiasis, including in urban adults, may reduce HIV incidence and death in HIV+ persons living in endemic areas.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adult Animals Case-Control Studies Cohort Studies Female HIV HIV Infections Humans Incidence Male Retrospective Studies Schistosoma Haematobium Schistosoma Mansoni Schistosomiasis Haematobia Schistosomiasis Mansoni Young Adult

  More +
• Source:
  PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 12(12)
• Pubmed ID:
  30543654
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC6292564
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  P30 AI027767/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; P30 AI050409/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HD040125/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AI051231/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R37 AI051231/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AI064060/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; D43 TW001042/TW/FIC NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH066767/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AI060460/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States
• Place as Subject:
  Zambia
• Volume:
  12
• Issue:
  12
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:2206d66b59f34cffcfaee9e71139c2dcc6cdef2f47951cc600081fd669699c92
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/81492/cdc_81492_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 771.98 KB ]