title: A cross-sectional comparison of persons with syncytium- and non-syncytium-inducing human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: The association between isolation of the syncytium-inducing (SI) phenotype of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and unfavorable clinical and immune status was evaluated in a cross-sectional study. Data on HIV phenotype were available for 341 of 878 persons entering clinical trials of antiretroviral therapies. Patients with SI virus were demographically similar to those with non-SI (NSI) virus but were more likely to have a diagnosis of AIDS and detectable circulating HIV p24 antigen. Patients with SI virus also had a lower CD4+ cell count and a higher serum level of beta 2-microglobulin. The association between phenotype and present status was explained statistically by CD4+ cell count. Phenotype, serum level of beta 2-microglobulin, and the presence of detectable p24 antigen were all independent predictors of present CD4+ cell count. The likelihood of finding SI virus increased with unfavorable virologic and immunologic parameters and varied with the amount of prior antiretroviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bozzette
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McCutchan
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Spector
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Richman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D002452:Cell Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000382:microbiology*; D006678:HIV / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000032:analysis; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin