HIV replication elicits little cytopathic effects in vivo: analysis of surrogate markers for virus production, cytotoxic T cell response and infected cell death.
Several potential mechanisms for viral destruction of HIV-infected cells have been described. The hypothesis was examined that if HIV were cytopathic, a positive relation between the in vivo virus production or CTL activity and infected cell death should be observed. In a regression analysis no significant relation was found between surrogate markers for in vivo virus production or the virus-specific CTL response and death rates of productively infected cells. In a subgroup of patients the hypothesis is rejected that HIV replication elicits a large (R(2) > 0.25) cytopathic effect (P < 0.05, N = 36). It is concluded that HIV replication elicits little cytopathic effect in productively infected cells and that CD4(+) T lymphocytes are eroded by other mechanisms.
Funk
Georg A
GA
Ecology & Evolution, Clausiusstrasse, ETH Zurich Zentrum, Zurich. g.funk@unibas.ch
Oxenius
Annette
A
Fischer
Marek
M
Opravil
Milos
M
Joos
Beda
B
Flepp
Markus
M
Weber
Rainer
R
Günthard
Huldrych F
HF
Bonhoeffer
Sebastian
S
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D016923:Cell Death; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006678:HIV / Q000502:physiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D019562:Viral Load; D014779:Virus Replication