title: Plasma RNA viral load is not associated with intrapatient quasispecies heterogeneity in HIV-1 infection.
abstract: The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viral set point has been associated with the rate of, disease progression and with the level of HIV-specific immune response. The analysis of the possible association between viral set point and quasispecies heterogeneity has important consequences in the understanding of HIV-1 in vivo evolution. In this study, we analyzed the association between intrapatient viral diversity and RNA viral load in 16 antiretroviral therapy-naive HIV-1-infected patients at a single time point, during the disease free period. Patients were separated into low and high viral load groups according to plasma RNA values. HIV-1 quasispecies complexity was assessed in the C2-V5 env region. The average intrapatient quasispecies heterogeneity in both groups was not significantly different (t-test, P > 0.05). However, while within the low viral load group both synonymous and non-synonymous mutations contribute to the variation observed, in the heterogeneity observed in the high viral load group there was an increase in the contribution of the non-synonymous mutations. Thus, this study show that although intrapatient quasispecies heterogeneity is not associated with viral set point in HIV-1 infection, some differences exist between the two groups in the pattern of mutation accumulation.
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casado
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: del Romero
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Borderia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: López-Galíndez
mesh_terms: D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D001483:Base Sequence; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D013997:Time Factors; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral