Lack of decay of HIV-1 in gut-associated lymphoid tissue reservoirs in maximally suppressed individuals.

Although peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and lymph nodes represent a principal reservoir, the contribution of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) has not been evaluated. In 15 HIV-1-infected subjects with maximal suppression of HIV replication by highly active antiretroviral therapy, we quantified HIV-1 DNA and RNA in mucosal biopsy specimens, PBMCs, and plasma with ultrasensitive assays. We also calculated compartmental burdens of HIV-1 DNA-positive cells and characterized the temporal decay of these reservoirs in a period of 1 year (with projections to >50 years).

Increased HIV-1 mucosal replication is associated with generalized mucosal cytokine activation.

The purpose of this study was to characterize intestinal mucosal cytokine profiles in subjects with HIV-1 infection and their relation to mucosal viral load (MVL). Intestinal mucosal cytokine mRNA (interleukin [IL]-2, interferon [IFN]-gamma, IL-12, IL-10, IL-1beta, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-alpha, IL-6, and regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted [RANTES]) and HIV-1 RNA were quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). On the basis of MVL quantification, the HIV-1-infected subjects were divided into 3 groups: undetectable MVL (<50 copies/microg of tissue total RNA), low MVL (>50 but <5000 copies/microg of tissue total RNA), and high MVL (>5000 copies/microg of tissue total RNA).

A preponderance of CCR5(+) CXCR4(+) mononuclear cells enhances gastrointestinal mucosal susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.

The gastrointestinal mucosa harbors the majority of the body's CD4(+) cells and appears to be uniquely susceptible to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. We undertook this study to examine the role of differences in chemokine receptor expression on infection of mucosal mononuclear cells (MMCs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by R5- and X4-tropic HIV-1. We performed in vitro infections of MMCs and PBMCs with R5- and X4-tropic HIV-1, engineered to express murine CD24 on the infected cell's surface, allowing for quantification of HIV-infected cells and their phenotypic characterization.

HIV-related diarrhea is multifactorial and fat malabsorption is commonly present, independent of HAART.

Objective: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has significantly decreased the incidence of infectious diarrhea affecting HIV-infected patients. Still, diarrhea remains a common symptom in HIV. We sought to determine the incidence of fat malabsorption as a cause of diarrhea in HIV patients receiving non-HAART (nucleoside analog only) and HAART (protease inhibitor-containing) antiretroviral regimens.

Direct determination of free triiodothyronine (T3) in undiluted serum by equilibrium dialysis/radioimmunoassay (RIA).

Unlabelled: We have devised a practical, sensitive, and reliable assay for measurement of free T3 concentration in serum. The assay employs a convenient and disposable plastic equilibrium dialysis cell and a buffer that resembles the in vivo biochemical environment (Nelson JC, Tomei RT 1988 Clin Chem 34:1737). A 200-microliters aliquot of serum was dialyzed against 2.