Direct measurement of viraemia in patients infected with HIV-1 and its relationship to disease progression and zidovudine therapy.
Cell-free human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) was precipitated from archival serum with polyethylene glycol (PEG), and HIV-1 RNA was detected and quantified by reverse transcription and amplification in a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The assay of end-point dilutions cDNA in nested PCRs allowed an estimation of the minimum RNA copies per unit volume of serum. RNA titres correlated with the classification of HIV-1 infection by CDC disease groups (30 patients). The geometric mean titres of HIV-1 serum RNA from patients grouped by disease stage gave minimum estimates of 340 and 400 virions per millilitre of serum in CDC groups II and III (n = 6 and 10, respectively) and 4,240 virions per millilitre in CDC group IV (n = 14). An overall fall in viral titre measured in this way was observed in 3 patients during zidovudine treatment. HIV-1 titres increased in a further 4 patients when therapy was interrupted, stopped, or complicated by secondary infection.
Semple
M
M
Department of Medical Microbiology, University College and Middlesex School of Medicine, London, England.
Loveday
C
C
Weller
I
I
Tedder
R
R
D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014766:Viremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D012367:RNA, Viral; D015215:Zidovudine