ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CULTURABLE HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 (HIV-1) IN SEMEN AND HIV-1 RNA LEVELS IN SEMEN AND BLOOD - EVIDENCE FOR COMPARTMENTALIZATION OF HIV-1 BETWEEN SEMEN AND BLOOD

Both qualitative and quantitative virologic measurements were compared between blood and genital compartments for 128 men infected with huma n immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) to address several controversi al issues concerning HIV-1 shedding in semen and to obtain further inf ormation about the distribution of virus between these two compartment s, Evidence for viral compartmentalization was suggested by earlier st udies that noted the poor correlation between blood and seminal virus load, phenotype, and genotype. Further support for this viral compartm entalization was based on the following observations between semen and blood: lack of association between culturability of virus in semen an d viral RNA level in blood, discordant distribution of viral phenotype s, discordant viral RNA levels, a weak correlation between viral RNA l evel in semen and CD4 cell count in blood, differences in the biologic variability of viral RNA levels, and differences in the virus load re sponse to antiretroviral therapy.