Long-term follow-up studies confirm the stability of the latent reservoir for HIV-1 in resting CD4+ T cells.

Siliciano, Janet D; Kajdas, Joleen; Finzi, Diana; Quinn, Thomas C; Chadwick, Karen; Margolick, Joseph B; Kovacs, Colin; Gange, Stephen J et al. · Nat Med · 2003

prospective_cohort · Level II

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Abstract

Latent HIV-1 persists in resting memory CD4+ T cells, even in patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). It has been unclear how stable this latent reservoir is and whether its persistence reflects replenishment by low-level viremia. Here we show that even in treated patients who have had no detectable viremia for as long as 7 years, the reservoir decays so slowly (t(1/2) = 44 months) that eradication is unlikely.

Medical subject headings