title: Early identification of human immunodeficiency virus-infected asymptomatic subjects susceptible to zidovudine by quantitative viral coculture and reverse transcription-linked polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: The effect of zidovudine (500 mg/day) on 32 asymptomatic subjects seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was evaluated by monitoring the concentrations of infections HIV-carrying blood mononuclear cells and serum virus particles. After 3 months of treatment, a significant reduction in cellular virus load (P < .001) and a marginal decrease in serum viremia (P = .068) were noted. After 6 months, 14 patients (44%) maintained a > or = 50% reduction in virus load, 12 patients (37%) had a virus load that declined by > 50% at 3 months but returned to the initial level at 6 months, and 6 patients (19%) retained their initial virus load. Thus, virus load measurements permit reliable follow-up of antiviral therapy on an individual basis and may enable the identification of patients for whom zidovudine is efficacious.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Tumor Immunology, Hôpital Laënnec, Université de Paris, V, France.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Andrieu
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009000:Monocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015215:Zidovudine; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase