TY - JOUR
T1 - Dynamics of viral load in plasma and HIV DNA in lymphocytes during highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)
T2 - High viral burden in macrophages after 1 year of treatment
AU - Garbuglia, A. R.
AU - Zaccarelli, M.
AU - Calcaterra, S.
AU - Cappiello, G.
AU - Marini, R.
AU - Benedetto, A.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - In this study we evaluated the level of HIV RNA in plasma and HIV DNA in peripheral blood cells. Sixteen antiretroviral-experienced HIV patients with severe immune suppression were included in the study. After the first month, 56.2% of the patients showed undetectable levels of HIV RNA, this percentage remaining stable after I year (53.3%). At enrollment, 7 patients (43.7%) with a low CD4+T cell count (mean 22 per mm3 versus 73) showed HIV DNA levels below the limit of detection (5 copies/105) in lymphocytes. They all subsequently had increased HIV DNA that became detectable between the first and the third month of therapy, associated with an increase of the CD4+T cell count (mean 22 to 95/mm3); in 4 of these patients this increase was transitory, becoming undetectable again after one year. In 7 out of the 8 patients with detectable HIV DNA at enrollment, the HIV DNA level decreased over time. Seven out of 15 patients at I year (46.7%) showed both undetectable levels of HIV RNA in plasma and HIV DNA in lymphocytes (p3) and a higher increase (306 versus 177/mm3) after 1 year. PCR-based dilution assay carried out at I year showed that all patients had a consistent amount of HIV DNA positive- CD4+T lymphocytes and macrophages, with higher values in these last cells. The data indicate that a durable reservoir of virus is still present in both lymphocytes and monocytes, even after long-lasting HAART treatment.
AB - In this study we evaluated the level of HIV RNA in plasma and HIV DNA in peripheral blood cells. Sixteen antiretroviral-experienced HIV patients with severe immune suppression were included in the study. After the first month, 56.2% of the patients showed undetectable levels of HIV RNA, this percentage remaining stable after I year (53.3%). At enrollment, 7 patients (43.7%) with a low CD4+T cell count (mean 22 per mm3 versus 73) showed HIV DNA levels below the limit of detection (5 copies/105) in lymphocytes. They all subsequently had increased HIV DNA that became detectable between the first and the third month of therapy, associated with an increase of the CD4+T cell count (mean 22 to 95/mm3); in 4 of these patients this increase was transitory, becoming undetectable again after one year. In 7 out of the 8 patients with detectable HIV DNA at enrollment, the HIV DNA level decreased over time. Seven out of 15 patients at I year (46.7%) showed both undetectable levels of HIV RNA in plasma and HIV DNA in lymphocytes (p3) and a higher increase (306 versus 177/mm3) after 1 year. PCR-based dilution assay carried out at I year showed that all patients had a consistent amount of HIV DNA positive- CD4+T lymphocytes and macrophages, with higher values in these last cells. The data indicate that a durable reservoir of virus is still present in both lymphocytes and monocytes, even after long-lasting HAART treatment.
KW - CD4+ T cells
KW - HAART
KW - HIV-1
KW - Monocytes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035054439&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0035054439&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 11330367
AN - SCOPUS:0035054439
VL - 13
SP - 188
EP - 194
JO - Journal of Chemotherapy
JF - Journal of Chemotherapy
SN - 1120-009X
IS - 2
ER -