The effects of antiretroviral therapy initiation time on HIV reservoir size in Chinese chronically HIV infected patients: a prospective, multi-site cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The effect of ART initiation time on HIV-1 DNA reservoir in chronically infected individuals is not well understood. Determining the potential influencing factors associated with a low HIV-1 DNA level in chronic infection is an important step toward drug-free control. METHODS: A prospective study included 444 chronically HIV-infected adults was performed. Participants were divided into two groups: early initiation group (EIG) or delayed initiation group (DIG) based on their baseline CD4 count; 350 to 500 and < 350 cells/mm3, respectively. Total HIV-1 DNA was measured by quantitative PCR. Using the Mann-Whitney U test, the HIV-1 DNA level at week 48 was compared between the two groups. The influencing factors of the HIV-1 DNA and factors associated with achieving a low HIV-1 level at week 48 were analyzed. RESULTS: The HIV-1 DNA at week 48 in EIG was significantly lower than in DIG [2.12 (1.80-2.51) vs 2.58 (2.21-2.87) log10 copies/106peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs); p = 0.001]. Early ART initiation was positively associated with lower HIV-1 DNA at week 48 (p = 0.025). Similarly, baseline HIV-1DNA (p = 0.001) was positively associated with HIV-1DNA at week 48 and baseline CD4/CD8 ratio (p = 0.001) was inversely associated with HIV-1DNA at week 48. Early ART initiation (p = 0.003) and baseline HIV-1 DNA level (p < 0.001) were positively associated with achieving HIV-1 DNA < 100 copies/106 PBMCs at week 48. CONCLUSION: Early ART initiation is positively associated with a smaller size of viral reservoir and a higher possibility of achieving a low HIV-1DNA level at week 48 in Chinese chronically HIV-1 infected adult. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01844297 ; Registered 1 May, 2013.

DC-SIGNR polymorphisms and its association with HIV-1 infection / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the association of the polymorphism of homologue of dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3 (ICAM-3) grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN related, DC-SIGNR) gene with the susceptibility to HIV-1 infection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The distribution of the DC-SIGNR variants in the tandem repeat region and their association with HIV-1 infection in a cohort composed of 345 HIV-1 seropositive and 468 high-risk HIV-1 seronegative individuals was examined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There are 14 genotypes and 5 alleles in the DC-SIGNR repeat regions in the cohort. Although the most common DC-SIGNR allele among Chinese Han population and the Caucasian population is 7, it was found in a higher frequency in the Chinese than in Caucasians (67.1% vs.46.0%, P<0.01). HIV-1 seropositive individuals had a lower frequency of the genotype 7/7 than the high-risk seronegative individuals (38.55% vs. 48.29%, P=0.0057), but a higher frequency of genotype 9/5 (4.35% vs. 1.07%, P=0.0029).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These results suggest that the tandem-repeat polymorphisms of the DC-SIGNR gene in the Chinese Han population exhibit unique genetic characteristics previously unrecognized in the Caucasian population. Genotype 9/5 seems to be a risk factor for HIV-1 infection in the Chinese population.</p>