Presence of an inducible HIV-1 latent reservoir during highly active antiretroviral therapy

TW Chun, L Stuyver, SB Mizell… - Proceedings of the …, 1997 - National Acad Sciences
TW Chun, L Stuyver, SB Mizell, LA Ehler, JAM Mican, M Baseler, AL Lloyd, MA Nowak
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1997National Acad Sciences
Although highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the form of triple combinations of
drugs including protease inhibitors can reduce the plasma viral load of some HIV-1-infected
individuals to undetectable levels, it is unclear what the effects of these regimens are on
latently infected CD4+ T cells and what role these cells play in the persistence of HIV-1
infection in individuals receiving such treatment. The present study demonstrates that highly
purified CD4+ T cells from 13 of 13 patients receiving HAART with an average treatment …
Although highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the form of triple combinations of drugs including protease inhibitors can reduce the plasma viral load of some HIV-1-infected individuals to undetectable levels, it is unclear what the effects of these regimens are on latently infected CD4+ T cells and what role these cells play in the persistence of HIV-1 infection in individuals receiving such treatment. The present study demonstrates that highly purified CD4+ T cells from 13 of 13 patients receiving HAART with an average treatment time of 10 months and with undetectable (<500 copies HIV RNA/ml) plasma viremia by a commonly used bDNA assay carried integrated proviral DNA and were capable of producing infectious virus upon cellular activation in vitro. Phenotypic analysis of HIV-1 produced by activation of latently infected CD4+ T cells revealed the presence in some patients of syncytium-inducing virus. In addition, the presence of unintegrated HIV-1 DNA in infected resting CD4+ T cells from patients receiving HAART, even those with undetectable plasma viremia, suggests persistent active virus replication in vivo.
National Acad Sciences