title: The natural history of HIV infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review recent published literature around three areas: long-term nonprogression/viral control; predictors of viral load set point/disease progression; and the potential impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in early HIV infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The natural course of untreated HIV infection varies widely with some HIV-positive individuals able to maintain high CD4 cell counts and/or suppressed viral load in the absence of ART. Although similar, the underlying mechanistic processes leading to long-term nonprogression and viral control are likely to differ. Concerted ongoing research efforts will hopefully identify host factors that are causally related to these phenotypes, thus providing opportunities for the development of novel treatment or preventive strategies. Although there is increasing evidence that initiation of ART during primary infection may prevent the immunological deterioration which would otherwise be seen in untreated HIV infection, recent studies do not address the longer term clinical benefits of ART at this very early stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A better understanding of the relative influences of viral, host, and environmental factors on the natural course of HIV infection has the potential to identify novel targets for intervention to prevent and treat HIV-infected persons.
authors.affiliation: Research Department of Infection and Population Health, University College London (UCL), Royal Free Campus, London, UK.
authors.forename: Caroline A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Sabin
authors.forename: Jens D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lundgren
mesh_terms: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents