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.
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.
Grobler
Jandre
J
Institute for Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Division of Medical Virology, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa. jgrobler@curie.uct.ac.za
Gray
Clive M
CM
Rademeyer
Cecilia
C
Seoighe
Cathal
C
Ramjee
Gita
G
Karim
Salim Abdool
SA
Morris
Lynn
L
Williamson
Carolyn
C
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