Biologic Features of HIV-1 that Correlate with Virulence in the Host

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 240; no. 4848; pp. 80 - 82
• Main Authors: Cheng-Mayer, Cecilia, Seto, Deborah, Tateno, Masatoshi, Levy, Jay A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC The American Association for the Advancement of Science 01-04-1988; American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - etiology; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - microbiology; AIDS; AIDS-Related Complex - etiology; AIDS-Related Complex - microbiology; AIDS/HIV; B lymphocytes; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Cell lines; Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; Disease progression; DNA - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic Variation; HIV; HIV (Viruses); HIV - genetics; HIV - pathogenicity; HIV - physiology; HIV 1; HIV Envelope Protein gp120; human immunodeficiency virus 1; Humans; Infections; Macrophages; Medical research; Microbiology; Neutralization Tests; Pathology; Replicative cycle, interference, host-virus relations, pathogenicity, miscellaneous strains; Retroviridae Proteins - genetics; T lymphocytes; Viral diseases; Viral research; Virology; Virus research; Viruses; Human; Biological properties; Correlation; Virus multiplication; Virological exploration; Virulence; Retroviridae; In vitro; Infection; Virus; Variant; In vivo; Follow up study; Viral disease; Cytopathology; Evolution; Sign; Human immunodeficiency virus
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.2832945

Individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) may be asymptomatic or have AIDS-related complex or the acquired immuno deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Little is known about the factors that influence progression of infection to AIDS. In this study of isolates of HIV-1 obtained at intervals during the infection of four individuals, the development of disease was found to be correlated with the emergence of HIV-1 variants that were more cytopathic in vitro as the disease progressed and that replicated more efficiently in a wide variety of different human cells. The biologic properties of HIV-1 in vitro thus appear to reflect its virulence in the host. Further studies of such sequentially isolated viruses may lead to the identification of viral genes that govern pathogenesis.