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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Measuring Single-Cell Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number and Heteroplasmy Using Digital Droplet Polymerase Chain Reaction
Published on: July 12, 2022
Changes in mitochondrial DNA copy number in blood cells from HIV-infected patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy
Carmen de Mendoza1, Anthony de Ronde, Karlijn Smolders
1Service of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 69 individuals using a real-time NASBA quantitative assay. Patients with HIV infection harbored significantly lower mtDNA copy number in PBMC than HIV-negative controls. Besides, subjects on stavudine-containing regimens showed significantly lower median mtDNA amounts than HIV-positive patients receiving other antiretroviral drugs, and this was associated with higher lactate levels. Thus, either HIV infection itself or treatment with stavudine-containing regimens might induce mtDNA depletion and related metabolic disturbances as hyperlactatemia.

