Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Jan;146(2):218-226.
doi: 10.1017/S0950268817002795. Epub 2017 Dec 13.

Does smallpox vaccination modify HIV disease progression among ART-naive people living with HIV in Africa?

A Diouf  1 , H Trottier  2 , T J Youbong  1 , N F Ngom-Guéye  3 , O Ndiaye  1 , A Seck  4 , D Sarr  5 , S Diop  6 , M Seydi  1 , S Mboup  7 , V K Nguyen  2 , A Jaye  8
Affiliations

Does smallpox vaccination modify HIV disease progression among ART-naive people living with HIV in Africa?

A Diouf et al. Epidemiol Infect. 2018 Jan.

Abstract

We examined the association between a history of smallpox vaccination and immune activation (IA) in a population of antiretroviral therapy-naïve people living with HIV (PLHIV). A cross-sectional study was conducted in Senegal from July 2015 to March 2017. Smallpox vaccination was ascertained by the presence of smallpox vaccine scar and IA by the plasma level of β-2-microglobulin (β2m). The association was analysed using logistic regression and linear regression models. The study population comprised 101 PLHIV born before 1980 with a median age of 47 years (interquartile range (IQR) = 42-55); 57·4% were women. Smallpox vaccine scar was present in 65·3% and the median β2m level was 2·59 mg/l (IQR = 2·06-3·86). After adjustment, the presence of smallpox vaccine scar was not associated with a β2m level ⩾2·59 mg/l (adjusted odds ratio 0·94; 95% confidence interval 0·32-2·77). This result was confirmed by the linear regression model. Our study does not find any association between the presence of smallpox vaccine scar and the β2m level and does not support any association between a previous smallpox vaccination and HIV disease progression. In this study, IA is not a significant determinant of the reported non-targeted effect of smallpox vaccination in PLHIV.

Keywords: ART-naïve; Africa; immune activation; smallpox vaccination.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Median β2m level by smallpox scar status (absence vs. presence) among Senegalese ART-naïve PLHIV born before 1980.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. The Independent Advisory Group on Public Health Implications of Synthetic Biology Technology Related to Smallpox. A report to the Director-General of WHO. WHO, Geneva, Switzerland 29–30 June 2015.
    1. WHO Advisory Committee on Variola Virus Research. Report of the Eighteenth Meeting. WHO, Geneva, Switzerland 2–3 November 2016.
    1. Greenberg RN, et al. Safety, immunogenicity, and surrogate markers of clinical efficacy for modified vaccinia Ankara as a smallpox vaccine in HIV-infected subjects. Journal of Infectious Diseases 2013; 207: 749–758. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Weinstein RS, et al. Significantly reduced CCR5-tropic HIV-1 replication in vitro in cells from subjects previously immunized with vaccinia virus. BMC Immunology 2010; 11: 23. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Weinstein RS, Weinstein MM, Alibek K, Inventors; Weinstein RS, Weinstein MM, Alibek K Assignees. Compositions and methods for treating or preventing HIV infection. United States patent US20100189747 A1, 2010. July 29.

Publication types