title: Antiviral and immunological benefits in HIV patients receiving intranasal peptide T (DAPTA).
abstract: D-Ala-Peptide T-amide (DAPTA), the first viral entry inhibitor, blocks chemokine (CCR5) receptors, not CD4. Early investigators could not "replicate" DAPTAs potent in vitro antiviral effect using the lab-adapted, X4, peptide T-insensitive strain, IIIB, delaying clinical virological studies. We now report that DAPTA, administered to eleven long-term infected (mean=17 years) patients with stable persistent plasma "virus" for up to 32 weeks did not change this level. Infectious virus could not be isolated from their plasma suggesting HIV RNA was devoid of replicative capacity. Progressively less actual virus (P<0.01) could be isolated from white blood cells (PBMCs). DAPTA flushed the monocyte reservoir to undetectable viral levels in most patients. Five of eleven had a mean CD4 increase of 33%. Immune benefits also included a four-fold increase in gamma-interferon-secreting T-cells (antiviral cytotoxic T-cells) in the absence of drug-related toxicity. All five CD4 responders had increases in antiviral T cells and decreases in infected monocytes, an argument for initiating further studies promptly.
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000821:virology; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000032:analysis; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000032:analysis; D008264:Macrophages / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology; D015717:Peptide T / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load; D016662:Virus Integration / Q000187:drug effects; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D012367:RNA, Viral; D015717:Peptide T