Saturday, October 13, 2012: 2:40 PM
Hall 4E/F (WSCC)
The plasma virus found in HIV-infected patients undergoing
suppressive HAART who maintained a viral load of less than
50 copies/mL has been shown to be distinct from those
harbored in T-lymphocytes indicating the presence of
another reservoir. The majority form of monocytes, those
bearing CD14+, have been shown to not carry HIV. In
searching for this unknown reservoir, we examined a minor
set of CD16+ monocytes which bear a high concentration of
the co-receptor, CCR5. We compared the viral envelope
forms from concurrently isolated plasma virus with those
found in T-cells and CD16+ monocytes in four patients on
suppressive HAART therapy. Phylogenetic analyses
demonstrated that in four of five patients, the plasma
viral form was closely related to that derived from the
CD16+ monocytes and distant from the T-cell forms. A
Slatkin-Maddison test in these four patients confirmed the
CD16+ monocytes as the most likely source. These results
can be interpreted in several ways. It is possible the
monocytes are the viral reservoir or the monocytes carry a
form similar to that in another unseen reservoir such as
macrophages, or a low-level contaminant cell in the CD16+
isolation (but not seen in the T4 isolation) carries the viral
form. Further studies are needed to identify and
characterize the reservoir in order to move towards the end
goal of eradication utilizing refined antiretroviral therapies.
suppressive HAART who maintained a viral load of less than
50 copies/mL has been shown to be distinct from those
harbored in T-lymphocytes indicating the presence of
another reservoir. The majority form of monocytes, those
bearing CD14+, have been shown to not carry HIV. In
searching for this unknown reservoir, we examined a minor
set of CD16+ monocytes which bear a high concentration of
the co-receptor, CCR5. We compared the viral envelope
forms from concurrently isolated plasma virus with those
found in T-cells and CD16+ monocytes in four patients on
suppressive HAART therapy. Phylogenetic analyses
demonstrated that in four of five patients, the plasma
viral form was closely related to that derived from the
CD16+ monocytes and distant from the T-cell forms. A
Slatkin-Maddison test in these four patients confirmed the
CD16+ monocytes as the most likely source. These results
can be interpreted in several ways. It is possible the
monocytes are the viral reservoir or the monocytes carry a
form similar to that in another unseen reservoir such as
macrophages, or a low-level contaminant cell in the CD16+
isolation (but not seen in the T4 isolation) carries the viral
form. Further studies are needed to identify and
characterize the reservoir in order to move towards the end
goal of eradication utilizing refined antiretroviral therapies.