ASSOCIATION OF SYNCYTIUM-INDUCING PHENOTYPE OF HIV-1 WITH CD4 CELL COUNT, VIRAL LOAD AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS

Objectives: To study whether syncytium-inducing (Sl)/non-SI (NSI) phen otype of HIV-1 is associated with CD4+ lymphocyte count, plasma HIV RN A level, clinical stage and sociodemographic characteristics in antire troviral-naive HIV-1-infected patients. Design: Cross-sectional analys is of single centre cohort study data. Methods: SI/NSI phenotype was d etermined using a cocultivation assay using patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells and MT2 cells. Standard procedures were used for CD 4+ cell counts and viral load measurements in plasma. Univariate and m ultivariate analyses of association of CD4+ cell counts, viral load, c linical stage, age, sex and mode of HIV transmission were performed. R esults: In univariate analysis, SI phenotype was significantly associa ted with lower CD4+ cell counts, higher HIV RNA plasma levels, symptom atic HIV disease, male sex and age 32-36 years (middle tercile). In mu ltivariate analysis, only lower CD4+ cell counts were associated with SI phenotype (odds ratio per increase of 100 x 10(6)/l, 0.54; 95% conf idence interval, 0.38-0.78). Conclusions: HIV-1 SI phenotype was assoc iated with lower CD4+ cell counts but not with higher plasma viral loa d, clinical stage or sociodemographic variables. (C) 1998 Lippincoit-R aven Publishers.