title: HIV-1 DNA load analysis in peripheral blood lymphocytes and monocytes from naïve and HAART-treated individuals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate HIV-1 DNA load in PBLs and monocytes from both long-term HAART-treated and antiretroviral naïve HIV-1 infected patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional quantitative analysis of HIV-1 DNA load was performed in PBLs and monocytes, purified from 34 long-term HAART-treated and 34 naïve HIV-1 infected patients, and compared to RNA viral load and CD4+ cell count.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HAART-treated patients showed significantly lower levels of viral DNA both in PBLs and monocytes in comparison with naïve individuals. Variable levels of HIV-1 DNA amount in monocytes were detected in all naïve patients but only in 12 of 34 HAART-treated individuals. PBLs HIV-1 DNA load was inversely correlated to CD4+ cell count in naïve and HAART-treated patients whereas no association was detected in monocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term HAART decreased HIV-1 DNA load in PBLs and monocytes demonstrating a valuable inhibitor effect, especially in short-lived reservoirs. In addition, the positive correlation of DNA burden between PBLs and monocytes may suggest a dynamic relation between these reservoirs in the course of disease. HIV-1 DNA load quantitative analysis in PBLs and monocytes may be considered an important approach to study the HIV-1 reservoir and the effectiveness of HAART therapy in HIV-1 seropositive patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Microbiology Section, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. davide.gibellini@unibo.it
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gibellini
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borderi
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Crignis
authors.forename: Ronny
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cicola
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cimatti
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vitone
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiodo
authors.forename: Maria Carla
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Re
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral