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Viral activity in early HIV disease
1Division of Hematology/Oncology, New England Deaconess Hospital, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Current Opinion in Hematology
|January 1, 1994
Summary
The natural history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is not characterized by viral quiescence but by continuous replication and accumulation in tissues. This challenges the traditional model, highlighting ongoing viral activity throughout the disease course.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- The traditional model of HIV disease progression posits an initial burst of replication followed by a lengthy quiescent phase.
- This paradigm suggested a terminal phase marked by increased viral activity and immunologic decline.
Purpose of the Study:
- To revise the established model of HIV natural history.
- To investigate the role of tissue localization and virus quantitation in understanding HIV pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent studies on HIV tissue localization.
- Application of advanced virus quantitation techniques.
Main Results:
- Viral latency is a relative concept, not absolute.
- Evidence of virus accumulation in tissue sites during early HIV infection.
- Quantifiable levels of circulating virus throughout the infection course.
Conclusions:
- The natural history of HIV infection involves continuous viral replication and tissue accumulation.
- The revised model emphasizes ongoing viral activity, challenging the notion of prolonged viral quiescence.
- HIV's primary role in AIDS is reaffirmed, with new questions arising about its pathogenic mechanisms.