title: Evaluation of cell-free and cell-associated peripheral blood human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA response to antiretroviral therapy.
abstract: Plasma human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 RNA load is the reference marker for response to antiretroviral therapy. To compare peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-associated and plasma HIV-1 RNA response to treatment, HIV-1 RNA was quantified by reverse transcription-competitive polymerase chain reaction in 20 patients at 0, 12, and 24 weeks following addition of saquinavir to their treatment regimens. HIV-1 RNA was undetectable in 15 plasma samples but in only 2 PBMC samples (P=.002) and CD4 cell counts correlated more with PBMC than with plasma HIV-1 RNA load. Changes in HIV-1 RNA load in PBMC and in plasma were correlated, and the decrease was higher in plasma than in PBMC at weeks 12 (P=.002) and 24 (P=.017). Moreover, PBMC, but not plasma HIV-1 load, at week 12 was predictive of HIV-1 RNA levels at week 24 in both plasma (P=.004) and PBMC (P<. 001). Thus, measurement of PBMC HIV-1 RNA may be useful during antiretroviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Venturi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Catucci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Milito
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Valensin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zazzi
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002474:Cell-Free System; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral