%0 Journal Article
%T Association Between Human Immunodeficiency Virus Viremia and Compromised Neutralization of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Beta Variant.
%A Hwa SH
%A Snyman J
%A Bernstein M
%A Ganga Y
%A Cele S
%A Muema D
%A Tan CW
%A Khan K
%A Karim F
%A Hanekom W
%A Bernstein L
%A Kaufmann SHE
%A Wang LF
%A Ndung'u T
%A Sigal A
%A  
%J J Infect Dis
%V 227
%N 2
%D 01 2023 11
%M 35975942
%F 7.759
%R 10.1093/infdis/jiac343
%X Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection may be associated with worse clinical outcomes in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PWH). We report anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 in Durban, South Africa, during the second SARS-CoV-2 infection wave dominated by the Beta (B.1.351) variant.<BR>Thirty-four participants with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were followed up with weekly blood sampling to examine antibody levels and neutralization potency against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Participants included 18 PWH, of whom 11 were HIV viremic.<BR>SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody concentrations were generally lower in viremic PWH than in virologically suppressed PWH and HIV-negative participants, and neutralization of the Beta variant was 4.9-fold lower in viremic PWH. Most HIV-negative participants and antiretroviral therapy-suppressed PWH also neutralized the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant, whereas the majority of viremic PWH did not. CD4 cell counts <500/μL were associated with lower frequencies of immunoglobulin G and A seroconversion. In addition, there was a high correlation between a surrogate virus neutralization test and live virus neutralization against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus in both PWH and HIV-negative individuals, but correlation decreased for the Beta variant neutralization in PWH.<BR>HIV viremia was associated with reduced Beta variant neutralization. This highlights the importance of HIV suppression in maintaining an effective SARS-CoV-2 neutralization response.