       Document 0591
 DOCN  M9610591
 TI    Potential applications of proviral load measurement in clinical
       retrovirology.
 DT    9601
 AU    Conway B; Montpetit M; Raboud J; Salas T; Dufour D; Montaner JS;
       O'Shaughnessy MV; Department of Medicine, St. Paul's Hospital,
       Vancouver, British; Columbia, Canada.
 SO    J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol. 1995;10 Suppl 2:S45-50.
       Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96033811
 AB    We have previously noted an association between proviral load and the
       severity of immune disease in individuals with a wide range of CD4 cell
       counts. Using the quantitative DNA polymerase chain reaction technology
       developed in our laboratory, we sought to extend these observations,
       with a view to establishing guidelines for the use of proviral load in a
       clinical context. We studied 199 patients with a range of CD4 cell
       counts attending an urban tertiary care center. Proviral load/10(6)
       peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was measured using a
       microtiter plate assay designed specifically for this purpose. Human
       immunodeficiency virus proviral DNA was detected in 193 of 199 clinical
       samples. Levels of proviral load were tabulated for patients and
       evaluated in seven categories defined by CD4 cell counts. Although a
       wide range of proviral loads was observed in each category of patients,
       there was a trend toward increasing proviral load with decreasing CD4
       cell count. Statistically significant relationships were observed
       between proviral load and the CD4 cell count and the CD4 cell percentage
       (Spearman's correlation coefficient -0.19, p = 0.01 for both absolute
       CD4 and CD4 percentage). These relationships were quite weak and could
       not be taken to explain disease progression in isolation. If we defined
       a cutoff between low and high proviral loads at 100 copies/10(6) PBMCs,
       we noted that 52% (24 of 46) of patients with CD4 cell counts >
       400/microliters had lower loads, as compared with 16% (24 of 143) of
       those with more advanced disease (p < 0.01). There is a weak, but
       statistically significant association between proviral load and CD4 cell
       depletion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
 DE    CD4 Lymphocyte Count  Disease Progression  DNA, Viral/*BLOOD  Human
       HIV/*GENETICS  HIV Infections/BLOOD/IMMUNOLOGY/*VIROLOGY  Leukocytes,
       Mononuclear/*VIROLOGY  Polymerase Chain Reaction  Proviruses/*GENETICS
       Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

