Cellular human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)
DNA may be considered a marker of
disease progression with significant predictive power, but published data on its correlation with plasma HIV
RNA levels and CD4 counts in acute and chronic patients are not conclusive. We evaluated a cohort of 180 patients naïve for antiretroviral
therapy before the beginning of treatment and after a virological response in order to define the indicators correlated with HIV
DNA load decrease until undetectability. The following variables were evaluated as continuous variables: age, CD4 cell count and log(10) HIV
DNA level at baseline and follow-up, and baseline log(10) HIV
RNA level. Primary
HIV infection at the start of
therapy, an HIV
RNA level at follow-up of <2.5 copies/ml, origin, gender, and transmission risk were evaluated as binary variables. The decline of HIV
DNA values during effective
therapy was directly related to baseline HIV
DNA and HIV
RNA values, to an increase in the number of CD4 cells, and to the achievement of an HIV
RNA load of <2.5 copies/ml. An undetectable cellular HIV
DNA load was achieved by 21.6% of patients at the follow-up time point and correlated significantly with lower baseline cellular HIV
DNA values and with being in the primary stage of
infection when
therapy started. In conclusion, early treatment facilitated the achievement of undetectable levels of plasma
viremia and cellular HIV
DNA and a better recovery of CD4 lymphocytes. HIV
DNA levels before and during
highly active antiretroviral therapy may be used as a new tool for monitoring treatment efficacy.