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PP 4.17
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) proviral load in patients in Structured
Treatment Interruption
Komninakis S.C.V.; Santos C.A.; Alkmim W.T; Teixeira C.C.; Sá-Filho D.; Diaz R.S.
Laboratory of Retrovirology - Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo City, Brazil.
Objectives
The persistence of the HIV-DNA into the host cells represent a large concern to
eradication of infection. The ability to quantify the HIV proviral load in the peripheral blood
mononuclear cells (PBMCs) could provide important informations about this reservoir and
may be used for monitoring disease progression. We have developed a system for
measuring HIV-1 proviral load in PBMCs of 18 patients for 12 weeks in STI.
Methods
Our system amplified a conserved region in HIV-1 pol gene and the intron 12 of human
albumin gene. HIV-1 proviral load were obtained from 18 buffy coat samples collected between
1999 and 2000 from subjects that participate of the STI for a period ranging from 0
to 12 weeks (without treatment). Were constructed two standard curves to determine the
HIV-1 proviral load and albumin gene (slope= -3,08, r2= 0,99, and slope= -3,62, r2 = 0,90,
respectively).
Results and Conclusions
We compared the HIV-1 proviral load between 0 and 12 weeks and, in the 0 week was
detected ranged between 30X10-2 and 92X10-2 provirus/total leucocytes whereas in the
12 week this variation were 29X10-2 and 104X10-2. In our results evaluated the proviral
load variation for each sample between 0 and 12 weeks, was observed a tendency to
reduce in six samples and exhibited a clear tendency to increase in 12 samples
(average= 3,77±23, confidence interval=95%). A statistical analysis of PBMCs HIV-1
proviral and plasma RNA load of all 18 patients showed no correlation. Our system was
able to quantify the HIV-1 proviral load per cellular genomes in retrospective samples.
No correlation was found between HIV-1 proviral load and plasma RNA load. The proviral
load evidenced a tendency to increase in some samples and may be used to monitoring
STI studies.
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