title: HIV-1 DNA for the measurement of the HIV reservoir is predictive of disease progression in seroconverters whatever the mode of result expression is.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  HIV-1 DNA levels, reported as copies/10(6) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), are very predictive of disease progression in seroconverters, independently of CD4(+)T cell count and HIV-RNA. Previously, HIV-DNA levels have sometimes been reported by other means: copies/10(6) CD4(+)T cells, reflecting the proportion of infected cells; or copies/mL whole blood, reflecting the global blood reservoir size.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated if the predictive value over the natural course of the disease depends on how the results are reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  Results reported as HIV-DNA copies/10(6) PBMC were converted to copies/10(6) CD4(+)T cells or to copies/mL whole blood for 422 seroconverters included in the French SEROCO cohort (ANRS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The three methods for reporting HIV-DNA levels yielded different ranges, but these values were highly correlated. The level of HIV-DNA during the seroconversion period was strongly associated with disease progression in all three reporting methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This reinforces the value of HIV-DNA quantification in physiopathological and therapeutical studies, particularly in an era of research aimed at diminishing the HIV reservoir. Even if blood represents a small part of this reservoir, HIV-DNA in blood is a simple marker that provides an informative picture of the global reservoir and is strongly predictive of disease progression.
authors.affiliation: AP-HP, CHU Necker-Enfants Malades, Laboratoire de Virologie, Paris, France. veronique.avettand@nck.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Avettand-Fènoël
authors.forename: Faroudy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boufassa
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Galimand
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rouzioux
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001769:Blood / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral