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Amplifying and Quantifying HIV-1 RNA in HIV Infected Individuals with Viral Loads Below the Limit of Detection by Standard Clinical Assays
Published on: September 26, 2011
Comparison of human immunodeficiency virus biological phenotypes isolated from cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral
M F Peeters1, R L Colebunders, K Van den Abbeele
1Department of Infection and Immunity, University Hospital Antwerp, Belgium.
Insights
Different human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) strains can exist in various body fluids, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood. This study compared HIV loads and syncytium-inducing (SI) capacity in CSF, PBMCs, and plasma.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
Background:
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection can affect the central nervous system.
- Understanding the diversity of HIV strains in different body compartments is crucial for disease management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the infectious HIV load in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and plasma.
- To analyze the phenotype, specifically syncytium-inducing (SI) capacity, of HIV strains isolated from blood and CSF.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative HIV cultures were performed on CSF, PBMCs, and plasma from 42 HIV-1 infected patients.
- HIV isolates were tested for SI capacity using the MT-2 cell line.
- Viral loads were quantified in tissue-culture-infective doses (TCID).
Main Results:
- HIV was detected in 38% of CSF cultures with a low mean titer.
- Syncytium-inducing (SI) strains were less common in CSF isolates (15%) compared to PBMC (56.6%) and plasma (54%) isolates (P < 0.05).
- Identical viral biological phenotypes were observed in CSF and blood isolates in 5 out of 9 patients.
Conclusions:
- Different HIV variants may reside in distinct body fluids and cells.
- HIV phenotype in CSF may differ from that in peripheral blood.
- Further research is needed to understand the implications of viral compartmentalization in HIV infection.
Abstract:
Quantitative human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cultures were carried out on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and plasma from patients with HIV in order to compare the infectious HIV load. The HIV strains isolated were studied for syncytium-inducing (SI) capacity, using the MT-2 cell line, in order to compare the HIV strain phenotype of blood and CSF isolates. Forty-two patients with HIV-1 infection were enrolled in the study, 33 of whom had neurological symptoms and 9 of whom were without neurological symptoms. HIV was isolated from 16 (38%) of the 42 CSF cultures, with a low mean titer of 6.3 +/- 3.4 tissue-culture-infective doses (TCID) per milliliter. Patients with HIV-positive CSF culture had a viral load in PBMCs of 40.5 +/- 15.5 TCID per 10(6) PBMC and in plasma of 104.7 +/- 9.3 per milliliter. Two (15%) of the 13 CSF isolates were SI strains, compared to 17 (56.6%) of the 30 PBMC isolates and 13 (54%) of the 24 plasma isolates (P < 0.05). Five of the nine patients from whom CSF and blood strains were obtained had the same viral biological phenotype. This study suggests that different HIV variants may be found in different body fluids and/or cells.
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