title: Latent infection of CD4+ T cells provides a mechanism for lifelong persistence of HIV-1, even in patients on effective combination therapy.
abstract: Combination therapy for HIV-1 infection can reduce plasma virus to undetectable levels, indicating that prolonged treatment might eradicate the infection. However, HIV-1 can persist in a latent form in resting CD4+ T cells. We measured the decay rate of this latent reservoir in 34 treated adults whose plasma virus levels were undetectable. The mean half-life of the latent reservoir was very long (43.9 months). If the latent reservoir consists of only 1 x 10(5) cells, eradication could take as long as 60 years. Thus, latent infection of resting CD4+ T cells provides a mechanism for lifelong persistence of HIV-1, even in patients on effective anti-retroviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Finzi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blankson
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Siliciano
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Margolick
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chadwick
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pierson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lisziewicz
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lori
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Flexner
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Chaisson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gange
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gallant
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Siliciano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000254:growth & development*; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load; D017735:Virus Latency; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral