Prevalence of Viremia in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients With Renal Disease

Abstract

The similar proportions of HIV-infected patients with viremia in groups of patients with chronic renal insufficiency and with renal disease treated with hemodialysis suggest that dialysis treatment does not increase the prevalence of plasma viremia in HIV-infected patients with renal disease. The similar proportions of HIV-infected hemodialyzed patients and patients with chronic renal insufficiency with plasma viremia, and the greater prevalence of viremia in patients with renal disease compared with HIV-infected patients without clinical renal disease suggest that plasma viremia and renal dysfunction are related. Whether this represents a cause and effect relationship is unknown. The greater prevalence of viremia in HIV-infected patients with renal disease has implications for the pathogenesis of HIV-related renal diseases and for caregivers in clinical settings and dialysis units.

HIV-associated nephropathy: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment

“…14,15 Small studies have produced conflicting data regarding the relationship of HIV viremia to the presence of HIVAN. 16,17…”

Nephropathy in human immunodeficiency virus-1 transgenic mice is due to renal transgene expression.

“…HIVAN has been reported to occur at any point in AIDS progression with no apparent correlation with viral burden or CD4 ϩ T cell number (1,6,7). Clinically, HIVAN is characterized by heavy proteinuria and rapid progression to end stage disease.…”