[Detection of unintegrated forms of proviral DNA in HIV infections]

The content of 1-LTR and 2-LTR circular forms of HIV-1 proviral DNA was determined by nested PCR. Outer and inner primers for the first and second stages of PCR were selected in the env and gag regions that allowed the authors to simultaneously test 1- and 2 LTR of DNA HIV-1 forms in the analyzed samples. The accumulation of circular species of HIV-1 DNA was shown to occur during HIV infection as well for acutely infected cell lines as chronically infected mononuclear cells. The cell cultures providing productive infection was characterized by higher levels of 2-LTR circular HIV-1 DNA. Analysing the clinical samples demonstrated greater differences in the accumulation of the circular forms of proviral DNA. It was detected in 16 tested clinical samples both of 1-LTR and 2-LTR circular DNA in 6 samples and 1-LTR in 11 samples of 2-LTR of HIV-1 DNA is a minor fraction in most clinical samples, but in some samples the relative content of 1-LTR/2-LTR DNA was shown to be 1:1.