Joseph K. Wong,
*
Marjan Hezareh,
Huldrych
F. Günthard,
Diane V. Havlir,
Caroline C. Ignacio,
Celsa A. Spina,
Douglas D. Richman
In evaluating current combination drug regimens for treatment of
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease, it is important to
determine the existence of viral reservoirs. After depletion of CD8
cells from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of both
patients and normal donors, activation of patient CD4 lymphocytes with
immobilized antibodies to CD3 and CD28 enabled the isolation of virus
from PBMCs of six patients despite the suppression of their plasma HIV
RNA to fewer than 50 copies per milliliter for up to 2 years. Partial
sequencing of HIV pol revealed no new drug resistance mutations or
discernible evolution, providing evidence for viral latency rather than
drug failure.
J. K. Wong, M. Hezareh, H. F. Günthard, C. C. Ignacio, C. A. Spina, Departments of Medicine and Pathology,
University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman
Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
D. V. Havlir, Departments of Medicine and Pathology, University of
California, San Diego, School of Medicine, 9500 GIlman Drive, La Jolla,
CA 92093, USA, and Treatment Center, University of California, San
Diego, 2760 Fifth Avenue, Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92103, USA.
D. D. Richman, Departments of Medicine and Pathology, University of
California, San Diego, School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla,
CA 92093, USA, and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San
Diego, CA 92063, USA.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed.
