Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1–Infected Persons with Residual Disease and Virus Reservoirs on Suppressive Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Can Be Stratified into Relevant Virologic and Immunologic Subgroups

Abstract

A significant percentage of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)–infected persons treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) will develop plasma HIV-1–specific virion RNA levels + T lymphocytes. Detection and quantitation of 2-LTR circular DNA correlated strongly with viral outgrowth patterns and inversely with CD4⁺ T lymphocyte counts. Relevant subgroups of HIV-1–infected subjects on suppressive HAART with residual viral disease and reservoirs can now be stratified