Herpes Virus May Speed AIDS

New findings bolster the suspicion that a type of herpes virus that does not appear to cause any disease in healthy adults may speed the progression of AIDS, researchers at the National Institutes of Health reported last week. Virologist Robert Gallo, who is credited with co-discovery of the AIDS virus, said his latest work supports his theory that human herpes virus 6, or HHV-6, may promote the development of AIDS.

Gallo and his colleagues reported in the journal Nature that infection of white blood cells by HHV-6 in test tubes causes them to produce a protein that allows the AIDS virus to also infect the cells. In the absence of that protein, called CD-4, the AIDS virus cannot enter the cells and no infection occurs.

“Up until now, we did not know of anything that naturally turns on the gene for CD-4,” Gallo said. He said his findings have no immediate treatment implications but said the discovery should help scientists learn more about control of the important gene.

The problem with proving that HHV-6 may act as a so-called co-factor for AIDS is that about 75% to 80% of the population is infected with the herpes virus.