title: Greater diversity of HIV DNA variants in the rectum compared to variants in the blood in patients without HAART.
abstract: The gut-associated lymphoid tissue represents the largest reservoir of HIV-1. Improving knowledge of this reservoir by studying the diversity of viral population is a key step towards understanding the pathogenesis and dynamics of HIV. Obtaining samples is difficult and little information is available on gut viral quasispecies during the course of infection in humans. The aim of this study was to characterize rectal viral strains and their diversity and to investigate the relationships between the rectal tissue reservoir and viral variants in the blood. Phylogenetic analyses were performed on the env sequences for rectal HIV DNA, blood HIV DNA, and HIV RNA clones, with maximum-likelihood and neighbor-joining methods on seven patients. Genetic diversity was assessed. Higher diversity of HIV DNA clones was noted in the rectum compared to blood in four out of five patients without HAART. Viral diversity was present in the rectum from time of the primary infection. Similar degrees of diversity were observed in the rectum and blood during HAART. Rectal and blood HIV variants were interspersed partially or totally in the seven patients. A certain number of rectal HIV DNA clones were clustered together in six patients. These results suggest that variants in the rectum were more heterogeneous than variants in the blood from patients without HAART, probably because the activated milieu of gut-associated lymphoid tissue may provide an improved environment for viral replication, and indicate exchange of viral populations between blood and rectal tissues, reflecting the dynamics of HIV during course of infection.
authors: Virology Unit, AP-HP, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France; Paris Descartes University, EA3620, Paris, France. veronique.avettand@nck.aphp.fr
authors: Véronique
authors: V
authors: Avettand-Fenoel
authors: Laurent
authors: L
authors: Hocqueloux
authors: Michaela
authors: M
authors: Müller-Trutwin
authors: Thierry
authors: T
authors: Prazuck
authors: Adeline
authors: A
authors: Melard
authors: Marie-Laure
authors: ML
authors: Chaix
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Agoute
authors: Christophe
authors: C
authors: Michau
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Rouzioux
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D012007:Rectum / Q000821:virology*; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus