title: Effects of reverse transcriptase inhibitor therapy on the HIV-1 viral burden in semen.
abstract: HIV-1 infection continues to spread worldwide, primarily through sexual intercourse. Because semen is a major vehicle for transmission of HIV-1, we evaluated the effects of reverse transcriptase inhibitor therapy on the amount of HIV-1 in semen. The semen and blood of 11 HIV-1-infected men (i.e. treatment group) were collected before the initiation of reverse transcriptase inhibitor therapy and then 8 to 18 weeks after initiation of therapy. The semen and blood of another 11 HIV-1-infected men (i.e., longitudinal group), who were not on or had no change in antiretroviral therapy for at least 2 months before study entry, were collected at approximately 2-week intervals for 10 to 26 weeks. In the treatment group, 82% of the seminal plasma HIV-1 RNA levels decreased from baseline after 8 to 18 weeks of therapy (median reduction of 1.01 log10, p = 0.01), and 100% of the blood plasma RNA levels decreased from baseline over the same period (median reduction of 0.92 log10, p = 0.003). Five of these patients were followed for at least 52 weeks and had a median seminal plasma HIV-1 RNA level of 0.66 log10 below baseline at 1 year. All subjects in the treatment group with positive cultures at baseline (50%) had negative cultures or a lower infectious units per ejaculate at the 8- to 18-week follow-up examinations. The HIV-1 RNA levels in blood and semen of the longitudinal group did not change significantly over 10 to 26 weeks. Initiation of reverse transcriptase inhibitor therapy effectively reduces shedding of HIV-1 in semen and may therefore reduce the spread of infection within populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Gilliam
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Fiscus
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wathen
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Freimuth
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Eron
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D000328:Adult; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012661:Semen / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors