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Scientific article
English

Residual cell-associated unspliced HIV-1 RNA in peripheral blood of patients on potent antiretroviral therapy represents intracellular transcripts

Published inAntiviral therapy, vol. 7, no. 2, p. 91-103
Publication date2002
Abstract

Unspliced HIV-RNA (HIV-UsRNA) associated with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) persists in patients on potent antiretroviral therapy even in the absence of detectable plasma HIV-RNA. To further characterize such residual HIV-RNA, cell-associated virion-encapsidated HIV and intracellular unspliced HIV-RNA were differentiated and monitored using a novel highly sensitive method. In addition, expression of HIV-mRNA encoding tat and rev was assessed. PBMCs of patients with unsuppressed plasma viraemia harboured an extracellular fraction of HIV-UsRNA, which correlated highly with intracellular HIV-RNA levels. Thus, extracellular PBMC-associated HIV-RNA may, to a significant extent, reflect nascent virions attached to productively infected cells. Upon treatment with potent antiretroviral therapy resulting in plasma viraemia <50 copies/ml, expression of cell-associated viral particles was hardly discernible in PBMCs but transcription of unspliced HIV-RNA persisted. Given the virtual absence of rev-mRNA, translation of residual HIV-UsRNA was probably precluded by retention of these transcripts in the nucleus. As shown by limiting dilution analysis, HIV-1 infected cells with such a repressed viral transcription pattern were observed at high frequencies in PBMC from untreated patients.

Keywords
  • Anti-HIV Agents/ therapeutic use
  • Cell Line
  • Cohort Studies
  • Genes, rev
  • Genes, tat
  • HIV Infections/blood/ drug therapy/virology
  • HIV-1/ genetics
  • Humans
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear/ virology
  • RNA, Messenger/analysis
  • RNA, Viral/ blood
Affiliation Not a UNIGE publication
Citation (ISO format)
FISCHER, Marek et al. Residual cell-associated unspliced HIV-1 RNA in peripheral blood of patients on potent antiretroviral therapy represents intracellular transcripts. In: Antiviral therapy, 2002, vol. 7, n° 2, p. 91–103.
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ISSN of the journal1359-6535
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