title: High frequency of gross deletions in the 5' LTR and gag regions in HIV type 1-infected long-term survivors treated with Korean red ginseng.
abstract: Our previous studies have shown that gross deletions in the nef gene as well as slow decreases in CD4 T cell numbers are associated with Korean red ginseng (KRG) intake in HIV-1-infected patients. To determine whether there might be an association between KRG intake and occurrence of gross deletions (gDelta) in the 5' LTR and gag regions, we examined the 1125 base pair (bp) sequences encompassing these regions in 10 long-term survivors (LTSs) treated with KRG (total of 13,364 +/- 5364 g) for > 12 years, and in 8 LTS control patients with no or minimal (total of 1436 +/- 1027 g) KRG intake (LTS controls). In the 10 LTSs, 189 PCR products were obtained from 80 peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples. In total, 44 of the 80 PBMC samples (55%) and 71 of the 189 PCR products (37.6%) displayed gDelta. While 55% of PBMC samples and 37.6% of PCR products showed gDelta in the 10 LTSs, the corresponding figures for the eight LTS controls were 30.3% and 14.8%. These differences were significant (p < 0.05 and p = 0, respectively). In addition, the proportions of 28 patients in the general population (without KRG intake) displaying PBMC and PCR gDelta were 13.3% and 8.3%, respectively. Our data strongly suggest that gDelta occurrence in the HIV-1 5' LTR and gag regions is associated with KRG intake.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Korea. ykcho2@amc.seoul.kr
authors.forename: Young-Keol
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: You-Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D016325:HIV Long Terminal Repeat / Q000235:genetics*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005894:Panax; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D017741:Survivors
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D010936:Plant Extracts