Differences in proviral DNA load between HIV-1- and HIV-2-infected patients.
BACKGROUND
The lesser pathogenicity of HIV-2 relative to HIV-1 is generally attributed to its slower replication. To compare the amounts of total HIV DNA during human HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection, we developed a quantitative real-time PCR method with a unique external quantification standard based on a single plasmid harboring both the HIV-1 and the HIV-2 LTR.


METHODS
Viral DNA load was compared between 40 HIV-1-infected and 42 HIV-2-infected antiretroviral-naive patients.


RESULTS
The difference between HIV-1 and HIV-2 proviral DNA load was highly significant in patients with CD4 cell counts > 500 cells/microl [HIV-1: n = 14; median, 2.5; interquartile range (IQR), 2.1-2.7; HIV-2: n = 22, median, 1.6; IQR, 1.0-2.0] and in patients with CD4 cell counts between 300 cells/microl and 500 cells/microl (HIV-1: n = 12; median, 2.7; IQR, 2.3-2.8; HIV-2: n = 11; median, 2.0; IQR, 1.0-2.4). Too few HIV-2-infected patients had CD4 cell counts < 300 cells/microl to detect a significant difference but DNA values were again lower in HIV-2-infected patients (HIV-1: n = 14; median, 2.9; IQR, 2.2-3.2; HIV-2: n = 9; median, 2.7; IQR, 2.2-3.3).


CONCLUSIONS
These differences are in line with the natural histories of the two infections and show that HIV-2 infection is a valid model for studying the pathophysiology of HIV infection in general.
Gueudin
Marie
M
Laboratoire de Virologie, CHU Charles Nicolle Rouen, France. Marie.Gueudin@chu-rouen.fr
Damond
Florence
F
Braun
Joséphine
J
Taïeb
Audrey
A
Lemée
Véronique
V
Plantier
Jean-Christophe
JC
Chêne
Geneviève
G
Matheron
Sophie
S
Brun-Vézinet
Françoise
F
Simon
François
F
D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D010957:Plasmids; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D020079:Terminal Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics; D019562:Viral Load; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics
D004279:DNA, Viral; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus