title: Monitoring the activity of antiviral therapy for HIV infection using a polymerase chain reaction method coupled with reverse transcription.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To monitor the anti-HIV-1 activity of antiretroviral agents in patients with HIV-1 infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantification of viral RNA copy in plasma or serum using a polymerase chain reaction method coupled with reverse transcription.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HIV-1 RNA copy number represents the HIV-1 viremia status in patients with HIV-1 infection. This copy number is likely to be useful in monitoring the effectiveness of antiviral therapy and the method is likely to be built into every clinical trial of anti-HIV-1 therapy in the near future.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Retrovirology Section, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirasaka
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chokekijchai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sei
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yarchoan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mitsuya
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016049:Didanosine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014766:Viremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D012367:RNA, Viral; D016049:Didanosine