Biphasic Decay of Latently Infected CD4+ T Cells in Acute Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 182; no. 6; pp. 1636 - 1642
• Main Authors: Blankson, Joel N., Finzi, Diana, Pierson, Theodore C., Sabundayo, Beulah P., Chadwick, Karen, Margolick, Joseph B., Quinn, Thomas C., Siliciano, Robert F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01-12-2000; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adult; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Antiretrovirals; Biological and medical sciences; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - virology; Cell lines; Cells, Cultured; Disease reservoirs; Half lives; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV 1; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Seropositivity - immunology; HIV-1 - physiology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Lymphocyte Count; Major Articles; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; T lymphocytes; Time Factors; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Virions; Virus Latency; Viruses; Infection; Immunopathology; Viral disease; Acute; T-Lymphocyte; AIDS; Infected cell; Immune deficiency
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/317615

Latent infection of resting CD4+ T cells represents a major barrier to eradication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). The establishment and rate of decay of latent HIV-1 in resting CD+ T cells from 9 acute seroconverters, 7 of whom began to receive highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) shortly after presentation, were studied. Before the initiation of therapy, these patients had very high frequencies of latently infected CD4+ T cells, with a median frequency of 205 infectious units per million resting CD4+ T cells. These values are ⩽ 1 log higher than those seen in chronically infected patients who are not undergoing HAART. The number of latently infected cells declined dramatically after initiation of HAART but then tended to level off at a low but stable level. The biphasic decay of latent HIV in resting CD4+ T cells in acute seroconverters supports current models of pre- and postintegration latency.