Cognitive behavioral stress management effects on mood, social support, and a marker of antiviral immunity are maintained up to 1 year in HIV-infected gay men

Numerous herpesvirus infections are associated with clinically relevant outcomes as well as an accelerated HIV replication rate and subsequent disease progression. Stress managementinterventionsmayimprovemarkersofcellularimmunecontroloverlatent herpesvirus infections and these changes appear to be mediated by perceptions of increased social support availability. We examined the effects ofagroup-based cognitive behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention on distress, dysphoria, perceived socialsupport,andherpesvirus immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titers during the 6to 12 months following the intervention. Of those who were initially randomized, 49 HIV-infected men were followed during the 6-to 12-month period after randomization to either a 10-week CBSM intervention (n=31) or amodified wait-list control condition (n = 18). Measures of distress, dysphoria, social support, and blood samples for herpesvirus Ig Gtiters were taken at baseline,immediately following CBSM and at-6-to 12-month follow-up. Men in CBSM displayed maintenance of previously observed intervention effects on dysphoria, reliable alliance support, and herpesvirus IgG antibody titers (i.e., Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen; EBV-VCA). Intervention-related changes in EBV-VCA were unrelated to changes in lymphocyte subsets (i.e., CD4+, CD8+, and CD4+:CD8+) or changes in measures of dysphoria and social support during the investigation period. Data indicate that HIV-infected men participating in a CBS Mintervention maintain better psychosocial status and immunologic control of latent EBV infection up to 1 year after its conclusion.