Detection of unintegrated HIV type 1 DNA in cell culture and clinical peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples: correlation to disease stage.
This article reports on the development of PCR as a sensitive method of detecting both linear and circular forms of HIV-1 unintegrated viral DNA (UVD). The method was developed in a cell line study designed to follow the sequential synthesis of these forms over time. In all T lymphoid lineage cell lines, the full-length linear UVD (LUVD) was synthesized prior to both 1 and 2 LTR forms of circular UVD (CUVD), although all forms were detected by 12 hr postinoculation. Analysis of unstimulated PBMC samples from HIV-positive patients showed a significant difference in the presence of detectable CUVD forms and CDC groups II and IV (p < 0.001) and CDC groups III and IV (p < 0.001). No significance was demonstrated between CDC groups II and III (p > 0.5), linking the presence of CUVD forms to clinical disease and immunodeficiency. We propose that circular unintegrated forms of HIV-1 DNA may play a role in the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Nicholson
W J
WJ
Department of Medicial Microbiology, University Medical School, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Shepherd
A J
AJ
Aw
D W
DW
D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data
D004279:DNA, Viral