Experimental Infection withHaemophilus ducreyiin Persons Who Are Infected with HIV Does Not Cause Local or Augment Systemic Viral Replication

Abstract

We infected 11 HIV-seropositive volunteers whose CD4⁺ cell counts were >350 cells/μL (7 of whom were receiving antiretrovirals) with Haemophilus ducreyi. The papule and pustule formation rates were similar to those observed in HIV-seronegative historical control subjects. No subject experienced a sustained change in CD4⁺ cell count or HIV RNA level. The cellular infiltrate in biopsy samples obtained from the HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative subjects did not differ with respect to the percentage of leukocytes, neutrophils, macrophages, or T cells. The CD4⁺:CD8⁺ cell ratio in biopsy samples from the HIV-seropositive subjects was 1: 3, the inverse of the ratio seen in the HIV-seronegative subjects (P< .0001). Although CD4⁺ cells proliferated in lesions, in situ hybridization and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction for HIV RNA was negative. We conclude that experimental infection in HIV-seropositive persons is clinically similar to infection in HIV-seronegative persons and does not cause local or augment systemic viral replication. Thus, prompt treatment of chancroid may abrogate increases in viral replication associated with natural disease.