title: Viral dynamics of primary HIV-1 infection in Senegal, West Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have addressed primary human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 infection in sub-Saharan Africa, where the epidemic is of a predominantly heterosexual character and is caused by different subtypes. The present study examines the dynamics of viral replication in subjects infected with various HIV-1 subtypes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven hundred fifty-two HIV-negative Senegalese women at high risk for infection were monitored every 3 months for acute/early HIV infection; 26 infections were identified (23 HIV-1 and 3 HIV-2), with an HIV-1 incidence rate of 3.23 cases/person-years observation. Multiple viral-load measurements were taken for all seroconverters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean+/-standard deviation viral load for all subjects during the early stage of infection was 4.13+/-0.66 log10 copies/mL, with an overall decrease of 0.22 log10 copies/mL after the early stage; the viral set point was reached after 12 months of infection. Most subjects had relatively low viral loads during the early stage of infection. HIV-1 CRF02_AG-infected women had a significantly higher mean viral load during the early stage of infection (mean +/- SD, 4.45+/-0.60 log(10) copies/mL) than did non-HIV-1 CRF02_AG-infected women (mean+/-SD, 3.78+/-0.46 log(10) copies/mL) (P=.008). None of the subjects reported symptoms consistent with primary HIV-1 infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings in Senegalese women differ from what have been described for primary HIV-1 infection. Further investigations of primary infections with non-B subtypes are warranted, to better characterize their differences with primary infections with subtype B.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard AIDS Institute, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Abdoulaye Dieng
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Sarr
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eisen
authors.forename: Aissatou
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guèye-Ndiaye
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mullins
authors.forename: Ibrahima
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Traoré
authors.forename: Mamadou Ciré
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Dia
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sankalé
authors.forename: Diegane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Faye
authors.forename: Souleymane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mboup
authors.forename: Phyllis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kanki
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D010802:Phylogeny; D012675:Senegal / Q000453:epidemiology; D011477:Sex Work; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies