Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients receiving prolonged highly active antiretroviral therapy

The levels of early spliced mRNA and genomic RNA of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 14 patie nts who were receiving highly active combination antiretroviral therapy for greater than or equal to 116 weeks were determined. The level of viral gen omic RNA was below the level of detection in the plasma of these patients ( <50 copies/mL), but cell-associated viral tat, rev, and nef mRNA were detec ted in 86% (12 of 14) of the patients. Cell-associated viral genomic RNA wa s detected in 57% (8 of 14) of the patients. Early viral spliced mRNA was d etected in the PBMC of all patients who had positive results of testing for HIV-1 genomic RNA, and the level of viral genomic RNA in these patients wa s 34-2214 copies per 10(6) cells.