Quantification of total HIV-1 DNA in buffy coat cells, feasibility and potential added value for clinical follow-up of HIV-1 infected patients on ART

Today, antiretroviral therapy (ART) is initiated immediately after HIV-1 diagnosis. As a result, most patients have an undetectable HIV-1 RNA load for prolonged periods of time. Quantification of total HIV-1 DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) is applied as a surrogate marker for the size of the HIV reservoir in several HIV cure studies [1,2]. In patients on ART, the HIV-1 DNA load may reflect the overall viral burden and therefore constitute a potentially interesting marker for clinical follow-up.

Source: Journal of Clinical Virology - July 26, 2018 Category: Virology Authors: Virginie Mortier, Els Demecheleer, Delfien Staelens, Marlies Schauvliege, Kenny Dauwe, Sylvie Dinakis, Laura Hebberecht, Leen Vancoillie, Chris Verhofstede Source Type: research