The effectiveness of anti-retroviral drug therapy for HIV-1 is associated with HIV-1 proviral DNA levels and viral selection.
The effect of combination anti-retroviral therapy regimens on HIV-1 proviral DNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was examined in 12 HIV-1-positive patients, using endpoint dilution polymerase chain reaction and serial cloning, and sequencing of the gag region of HIV-1. The major clone was defined as the most numerous of 10 analysed clones, and observation periods ranged from 8 months to 32 months (mean 19.7 +/- 10.2 months). In five patients (one with primary-stage HIV-1 infection) receiving three anti-retroviral drugs, HIV-1 RNA reduced to undetectable levels (i.e. < or = 100 copies/ml). HIV-1 proviral DNA and the number of major clones reduced in four of these patients. HIV-1 RNA levels reduced, but remained detectable, in five other patients. In the two remaining patients (both receiving two rather than three anti-retroviral drugs), HIV-1 RNA levels increased. These results suggest that the population of major clones may be affected when HIV-1 RNA levels reduce following combination regimens of anti-retroviral therapy.
Ariyama
I
I
Department of Environmental Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
Chong
Y
Y
Murata
M
M
Nabeshima
S
S
Ikematsu
H
H
Kashiwagi
S
S
Hayashi
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000737:chemistry; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015683:Gene Products, gag