title: Incidence of HIV-1 dual infection and its association with increased viral load set point in a cohort of HIV-1 subtype C-infected female sex workers.
abstract: This longitudinal study aimed to determine the incidence and pathogenic implications of dual human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in a cohort of female sex workers. Blood samples from 31 recently infected women were screened by use of a heteroduplex mobility assay and sequencing. The median viral load set point was 5404 copies/mL (n=22), which was measured by use of the bDNA assay. Within 3 months of infection, 19% (6/31) of the women were dually infected with 2 distinct HIV-1 subtype C viruses. No evidence of superinfection was detected over the course of 24 months of follow-up, indicating that the risk of dual infection is highest around the time of the initial infection. There was a significant association between dual infection and elevated viral load set point.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Division of Medical Virology, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa. jgrobler@curie.uct.ac.za
authors.forename: Jandre
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grobler
authors.forename: Clive M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rademeyer
authors.forename: Cathal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seoighe
authors.forename: Gita
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramjee
authors.forename: Salim Abdool
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Karim
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Williamson
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D005260:Female; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011477:Sex Work; D019562:Viral Load