HIGH-CONCENTRATION OF PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS HARBORING INFECTIOUS VIRUS CORRELATES WITH RAPID PROGRESSION OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1-RELATED DISEASES

In a cohort of 103 asymptomatic seropositive subjects (Centers for Dis ease Control and Prevention [CDC] stage II/III) followed for 2 years, the concentration of peripheral blood mononuclear cells harboring infe ctious human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 (viral burden) was co rrelated with the rate of decrease of CD4 cell count (RD-CD4; R = .857 ). Rapidly progressing patients (RD-CD4 greater-than-or-equal-to 60%; n = 18) had a high viral burden (mean +/- SE, 572 +/- 202 cells/mL) an d an 89% progression to CDC IV-A-C, while stable patients (RD-CD4 < 30 %; n = 55) had a low viral burden (mean +/- SE, 28 +/- 4 cells/mL) and remained asymptomatic. Slowly progressing patients (RD-CD4 greater-th an-or-equal-to 30 and <60%; n = 30) showed an intermediate viral burde n (mean +/- SE, 131 +/- 9 cells/mL) and a 10% CDC IV-A-C progression. Quantitative determination of infectious virus in blood cells adds imp ortant information on the prognosis of HIV-1 infection.