HIV-1 DNA is detected in bone marrow populations containing CD4+ T cells but is not found in purified CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells in most patients on antiretroviral therapy.

Durand, Christine M; Ghiaur, Gabriel; Siliciano, Janet D; Rabi, S Alireza; Eisele, Evelyn E; Salgado, Maria; Shan, Liang; Lai, Jun F et al. · J Infect Dis · 2012

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Identifying cellular reservoirs of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is critical to finding a cure for HIV-1. In addition to resting CD4(+) T cells, CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitor cells have been proposed as another reservoir. We obtained bone marrow aspirates from 11 patients on ART who had undetectable plasma HIV-1 RNA. HIV-1 DNA was detected in CD4(+) T cells from peripheral blood in all patients and from bone marrow cellular fractions containing T cells in most patients. We did not find HIV-1 DNA in highly purified CD34(+) populations using either a sensitive real-time polymerase chain reaction assay or a coculture assay for replication-competent HIV-1.

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