Open AccessDetection of Infectious HIV in Circulating Monocytes From Patients on Prolonged Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy
Author(s) -
Olivier Lambotte,
Yassine Taoufik,
Marie Ghislaine de Goër,
Christine Wallon,
Cécile Goujard,
J. F. Delfraissy
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.162
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1944-7884
pISSN - 1525-4135
DOI - 10.1097/00126334-200002010-00002
Subject(s) - monocyte , virology , virus , viral load , viral replication , staphylococcus aureus , lipopolysaccharide , immunology , macrophage , biology , lentivirus , antiretroviral therapy , viral disease , medicine , in vitro , bacteria , biochemistry , genetics
The existence of a reservoir of resting CD4+ T cells harboring latent replication-competent HIV has been demonstrated in patients on prolonged highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Latently infected tissue macrophages may constitute a second HIV reservoir. The pool of these cells may be maintained by incoming infected monocytes from blood and/or by in situ viral replication. In this study, the presence of infectious HIV was investigated in highly purified monocytes from 5 patients receiving HAART with undetectable plasma viral load for up to 16 months. HIV was detected in freshly isolated monocytes and recovered following Staphylococcus aureus Cowan strain 1 (SAC) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activation. No new drug resistance-associated mutation was found in monocyte-associated HIV. These results demonstrate the long-term persistence of infectious virus in cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage in patients receiving HAART. These cells are capable of releasing infectious virus under appropriate stimulations.