Beschreibung:
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<jats:title>Background:</jats:title>
<jats:p>The aim of the study was to evaluate whether negative HIV-1 pol on Western blot (WB) was associated with low HIV-DNA in adults with chronic HIV-1 infection and suppressive antiretroviral therapy.</jats:p>
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<jats:title>Methods:</jats:title>
<jats:p>Cross-sectional parent study of the APACHE trial, conducted in subjects with chronic infection, HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL for ≥10 years, no residual viremia for ≥5 years and CD4<jats:sup>+</jats:sup> >500 cells/µL screened for HIV-1 DNA. HIV-1 DNA was quantified in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by real-time polymerase chain reaction and HIV-1 serostatus was tested by HIV Blot 2.2 WB assay. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with low HIV-1 DNA.</jats:p>
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<jats:title>Results:</jats:title>
<jats:p>We evaluated 96 patients: 78 (81%) and 18 (19%) subjects with HIV-1 DNA ≥100 copies/10<jats:sup>6</jats:sup> PBMCs and with HIV-1 DNA <100 copies/10<jats:sup>6</jats:sup> PBMCs, respectively. Median age was 32.5 (25.3–38.9), and 61 (64%) were men; moreover, we reported that nadir CD4<jats:sup>+</jats:sup> was 253 (167–339) cells/µL and HIV-RNA <50 copies/mL for 11.7 (10.6–14.0) years. At multivariate analysis, higher nadir CD4<jats:sup>+</jats:sup> [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.35 (95% CI: 1.03 to 1.76), <jats:italic toggle="yes">P</jats:italic> = 0.029], longer years of HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL [AOR (95% CI) 2.98 (95% CI: 1.25 to 7.10), <jats:italic toggle="yes">P</jats:italic> = 0.014], a R5-tropic virus [AOR (R5 vs. non-R5) 0.20 (95% CI: 0.04 to 0.96), <jats:italic toggle="yes">P</jats:italic> = 0.044], and negative HIV-1 pol [AOR 6.59 (95% CI: 1.47 to 29.54), <jats:italic toggle="yes">P</jats:italic> = 0.014] were associated with low HIV-1 DNA.</jats:p>
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<jats:title>Conclusions:</jats:title>
<jats:p>In patients with chronic HIV-1 infection and suppressive antiretroviral therapy, negative HIV-1 pol on WB was associated with low HIV-1 DNA as well as higher nadir CD4<jats:sup>+</jats:sup>, longer years of HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL, and a R5-tropic virus.</jats:p>
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