Equal plasma viral loads predict a similar rate of CD4+ T cell decline in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1- and HIV-2-infected individuals from Senegal, West Africa.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 2 infection is characterized by slower disease progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome than results from HIV-1 infection. To better understand the biological factors underlying the different natural histories of infection with these 2 retroviruses, we examined the relationship between HIV RNA and DNA levels and the rate of CD4(+) T cell decline among 472 HIV-1- and 114 HIV-2-infected individuals from Senegal. The annual rate of CD4(+) T cell decline in the HIV-2 cohort was approximately one-fourth that seen in the HIV-1 cohort. However, when the analysis was adjusted for baseline plasma HIV RNA level, the rates of CD4(+) T cell decline per year for the HIV-1 and HIV-2 cohorts were similar (a rate increase of approximately 4% per year for each increase in viral load of 1 log(10) copies/mL). Therefore, plasma HIV load is predictive of the rate of CD4(+) T cell decline over time, and the correlation between viral load and the rate of decline appears to be similar among all HIV-infected individuals, regardless of whether they harbor HIV-1 or HIV-2.
Gottlieb
Geoffrey S
GS
Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98103, USA.
Sow
Papa Salif
PS
Hawes
Stephen E
SE
Ndoye
Ibra
I
Redman
Mary
M
Coll-Seck
Awa M
AM
Faye-Niang
Mame A
MA
Diop
Aissatou
A
Kuypers
Jane M
JM
Critchlow
Cathy W
CW
Respess
Richard
R
Mullins
James I
JI
Kiviat
Nancy B
NB
D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012675:Senegal; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia / Q000821:virology
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral