Quantitative analysis of viral burden in tissues from adults and children with symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection assessed by polymerase chain reaction.
The amount of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in various tissues was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 16 patients with end-stage HIV-1 infection and 7 patients with symptomatic but less advanced disease. During postmortem study of the 16 end-stage patients, HIV-1 DNA was found most often in lymph nodes and the spleen (both 100%), lung (93.8%), and colon (87.5%). Biopsied lymph nodes from the 7 symptomatic patients contained substantially higher copy numbers of HIV-1 RNA and DNA than did peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Plasma viral RNA levels correlated significantly with the amount of HIV-1 RNA in PBMC (r2 = .86, P = .0025) but not with the level of viral RNA in lymph nodes in patients with symptomatic HIV-1 infection. These data suggest that although lymph nodes represent the main site for HIV-1 infection and replication, the level of circulating viral burden may not be solely determined by the magnitude of active HIV-1 replication in lymph nodes.
Sei
S
S
Medicine Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Kleiner
D E
DE
Kopp
J B
JB
Chandra
R
R
Klotman
P E
PE
Yarchoan
R
R
Pizzo
P A
PA
Mitsuya
H
H
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003106:Colon / Q000382:microbiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000382:microbiology; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000382:microbiology; D014766:Viremia / Q000382:microbiology; D014779:Virus Replication
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral