Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Viral Burden and Development of CMV End-Organ Disease: A Prospective Study in HIV-Infected Individuals.

Establishment of threshold CMV and HIV load values associated with CMV disease would facilitate identification of HIV-infected individuals truly at risk for CMV disease in whom targeted prophylactic interventions to prevent CMV disease would be indicated. These studies would also further the understanding of the natural history of CMV disease within the context of AIDS. Natural history studies conducted prior to the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART; i.e., 3-drug regimens that include HIV reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitors) have demonstrated that the risk for developing CMV disease increases with progression of HIV disease and with declining CD4 counts. Presently the need exists to define the natural history of CMV disease in patients with AIDS within the context of HAART. In this prospective observational study, HIV-infected patients who are CMV-seropositive with no clinical symptoms of CMV disease at entry are followed for three years or until the diagnosis of CMV end-organ disease or death, whichever comes first. Clinical evaluations are performed at baseline and every 8 weeks. Blood samples for virologic studies are taken every 16 weeks.