Abstract
Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an important opportunistic infective agent in patients already infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, the seroprevalence of CMV in HIV-infected Japanese patients has not been described.
Objective: To investigate the prevalence of antibodies to CMV in HIV-infected Japanese patients in Tokyo, Japan.
Patients and Methods : The seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to CMV was assessed in 72 adult Japanese patients infected with HIV. Sera were obtained from non-hemophiliac HIV-infected Japanese and tested for CMV IgG antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All patients were free of AIDS.
Results: The seroprevalence of CMV infection was 86.1 %, which was higher than that reported for non HIV-infected controls (81.7%). The prevalence of CMV IgG antibody was highest among young HIV-infected men who had sex with other men (MSM).
Conclusion: The higher seroprevalence in young HIV-infected MSM partially reflects their higher risk for contracting sexually transmitted infections. Young people, especially MSM, should consider not only infection with HIV, but also that with CMV.
