Tight regulation of the Epstein-Barr virus setpoint: interindividual differences in Epstein-Barr virus DNA load are conserved after HIV infection.

Healthy individuals carry a constant number of Epstein-Barr virus-infected B cells in the peripheral blood over time. Here, we show that interindividual differences in Epstein-Barr virus DNA levels are maintained after HIV infection, providing evidence for the existence of an individual Epstein-Barr virus setpoint. Immune activation may contribute to the increase in this setpoint after human immunodeficiency virus seroconversion.