Long-term follow-up studies confirm the stability of the latent reservoir for HIV-1 in resting CD4+ T cells.
Latent HIV-1 persists in resting memory CD4+ T cells, even in patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). It has been unclear how stable this latent reservoir is and whether its persistence reflects replenishment by low-level viremia. Here we show that even in treated patients who have had no detectable viremia for as long as 7 years, the reservoir decays so slowly (t(1/2) = 44 months) that eradication is unlikely.
Siliciano
Janet D
JD
Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205 USA.
Kajdas
Joleen
J
Finzi
Diana
D
Quinn
Thomas C
TC
Chadwick
Karen
K
Margolick
Joseph B
JB
Kovacs
Colin
C
Gange
Stephen J
SJ
Siliciano
Robert F
RF
D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D014766:Viremia; D017735:Virus Latency
D012367:RNA, Viral