Latent infection of CD4+ T cells provides a mechanism for lifelong persistence of HIV-1, even in patients on effective combination therapy

D Finzi, J Blankson, JD Siliciano, JB Margolick… - Nature medicine, 1999 - nature.com
D Finzi, J Blankson, JD Siliciano, JB Margolick, K Chadwick, T Pierson, K Smith, J Lisziewicz…
Nature medicine, 1999nature.com
Combination therapy for HIV-1 infection can reduce plasma virus to undetectable levels,
indicating that prolonged treatment might eradicate the infection. However, HIV-1 can persist
in a latent form in resting CD4+ T cells. We measured the decay rate of this latent reservoir in
34 treated adults whose plasma virus levels were undetectable. The mean half-life of the
latent reservoir was very long (43.9 months). If the latent reservoir consists of only 1× 10 5
cells, eradication could take as long as 60 years. Thus, latent infection of resting CD4+ T …
Abstract
Combination therapy for HIV-1 infection can reduce plasma virus to undetectable levels, indicating that prolonged treatment might eradicate the infection. However, HIV-1 can persist in a latent form in resting CD4+ T cells. We measured the decay rate of this latent reservoir in 34 treated adults whose plasma virus levels were undetectable. The mean half-life of the latent reservoir was very long (43.9 months). If the latent reservoir consists of only 1× 10 5 cells, eradication could take as long as 60 years. Thus, latent infection of resting CD4+ T cells provides a mechanism for lifelong persistence of HIV-1, even in patients on effective anti-retroviral therapy.
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