HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 DYNAMICS IN DIFFERENT LYMPHOID-TISSUE COMPARTMENTS

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA was measured in total lymph node (LN) tissue and isolated LN mononuclear cells (LNMC) in seq uential LN biopsy samples from 1 patient with primary HIV-1 infection and from 5 previously untreated patients with chronic disease. HIV-1 R NA levels were an average of 210-fold higher in total LN tissue compar ed with levels in LNMC, even during primary infection, when circulatin g antibodies were absent. After the patients were treated with a three -or four-drug regimen, total HIV-1 RNA decreased exponentially in tota l LN tissue and in LNMC (mean half-lives of 8.5 +/- 1.8 and 7.9 +/- 2. 2 days, respectively). In addition, the evolution of the infectious vi rus in LNMC was analysed for the 5 patients with chronic disease: Tite rs decreased, with a mean half-life of 7.5 +/- 2.3 days. Extracellular virions are the most important virus compartments in LNs; however, th ey exhibit the same dynamics as virions situated in LNMC, with a mean virus decay half-life of similar to 1 week.