Abstract
To date, very little is known concerning the clinical spectrum of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) infection, and the question as to whether HIV-2 will ultimately prove to be as pathogenic as human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) remains, as yet, unanswered. We reviewed the currently available reports of HIV-2 infection to assess what is known about the extent of HIV-2 pathogenicity as it compares to HIV-1 pathogenicity. There is evidence that HIV-2 is associated with AIDS. Most of this evidence, however, comes from descriptive case-report type data that do not meet the basic requirements for defining causality. The most significant problems are the lack of control groups and the absence of a documented temporal relationship with HIV-2 infection preceding the development of AIDS. Comparisons of the epidemiology and disease association between HIV-1 and HIV-2 in Africa may suggest relative pathogenic effects. Although certain comparisons between HIV-2 and HIV-1 are difficult to make, we conclude on the basis of existing data that the pathogenic effects and the natural history of HIV-2 are distinct from those of HIV-1.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 220-230 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - Mar 1990 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology (medical)
Keywords
- HIV-2
- Pathogenicity of HIV-2
- West Africa