title: Cell-associated HIV RNA: a dynamic biomarker of viral persistence.
abstract: In most HIV-infected individuals adherent to modern antiretroviral therapy (ART), plasma viremia stays undetectable by clinical assays and therefore, additional virological markers for monitoring and predicting therapy responses and for measuring the degree of HIV persistence in patients on ART should be identified. For the above purposes, quantitation of cell-associated HIV biomarkers could provide a useful alternative to measurements of viral RNA in plasma. This review concentrates on cell-associated (CA) HIV RNA with the emphasis on its use as a virological biomarker. We discuss the significance of CA HIV RNA as a prognostic marker of disease progression in untreated patients and as an indicator of residual virus replication and the size of the dynamic viral reservoir in ART-treated patients. Potential value of this biomarker for monitoring the response to ART and to novel HIV eradication therapies is highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam-CINIMA, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The Netherlands. a.o.pasternak@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Alexander O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Pasternak
authors.forename: Vladimir V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Lukashov
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Berkhout
mesh_terms: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D012367:RNA, Viral