HIV type 2 pathogenicity is not related to subtype in rural Guinea Bissau
Xiang, Z.; Ariyoshi, K.; Wilkins, A.; Dias, F.; Whittle, H.; Breuer, J.
Aids Research and Human Retroviruses 13(6): 501-505
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0889-2229 PMID: 9100992 DOI: 10.1089/aid.1997.13.501Document Number: 268495
HIV-2 infection is endemic in Guinea Bissau, with up to 20% of the population, depending upon age, infected. HIV-2 genetic subtypes A-E have been identified, although only subtypes A and B have been associated with clinical disease. Gambia's MRC Laboratories set up a prospective cohort study in 1991 to follow HIV-2-seropositive individuals in a rural village in Guinea Bissau, together with age- and sex-matched controls. Over a two-year mean follow-up period, 5.5% of HIV-2-infected subjects died compared to 1.8% of seronegative controls. The excess mortality among HIV-2 carriers is the result of deaths among infected individuals under age 55 years who have a significantly higher mortality relative to uninfected controls. HIV-2 carriers aged 55-80 years appeared to have mortality similar to that of uninfected controls. Genotyping of viruses from both groups found only subtype A to be circulating.