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Updated: Aug 26, 2026

Identifying Dysregulated Genes Induced by Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV)
Published on: September 14, 2010
KSHV Seropositivity Associates With Impaired Immune Reconstitution in Virally Suppressed HIV
Xiaowu Wang1,2, Xiaoyu Fang3, Tuantuan Li1,2
1Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Fuyang City, Fuyang, Anhui, China.
Background:
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) seropositivity is prevalent in people with HIV (PWH), yet its association with immune reconstitution during long-term ART remains unclear.
Methods:
In this retrospective cohort study, we reviewed the records of 209 virally suppressed PWH (VL < 50 copies/mL) after ≥ 2 years of ART. Participants were stratified based on their KSHV serostatus (IgG+). Data on immune parameters were extracted from laboratory reports corresponding to the 2-year post-ART time point.
Results:
KSHV seropositive individuals exhibited significantly lower CD4+ counts (101.5 vs. 316.0 cells/μL; p < 0.001), reduced CD4/CD8 ratios (0.26 vs. 0.60; p < 0.001), and elevated IL-6 (9.78 vs. 5.46 pg/mL; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified IL-6 as an independent predictor of seropositivity (OR = 1.238; p < 0.001). The combination of CD4+ (≤ 126 cells/μL) and IL-6 (> 5.83 pg/mL) showed superior diagnostic accuracy for KSHV seropositivity (AUC = 0.832).
Conclusion:
KSHV seropositivity correlates with impaired immune reconstitution in virally suppressed PWH. CD4+ and IL-6 may jointly serve as a screening tool for KSHV serostatus assessment, though their utility for detecting active infection requires further study.
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