Abstract

This study used curve-fitting techniques to detail the dynamics of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 and its relationship to circulating T lymphocyte changes in a cohort of 41 male patients (mean age 36+/-7 years) infected with HIV-1. The following characteristics of viral kinetics were obtained: virus load peak, 6. 35+/-0.71 log10 RNA copies/mL at 12.2+/-7.1 days; virus load drop from peak, 2.02+/-0.93 log10 copies/mL; viral decay rate from peak, 0.071+/-0.042 log10 RNA copies/mL/day; and steady state virus load, 4.57+/-0.68 log10 copies/mL at 135+/-81 days. Analysis of individual virus load curves revealed highly variable viral kinetics. Although these could be grouped into three distinct patterns, virus load and CD4 lymphocyte counts were similar in all patterns at 12 months, but the interval from infection to achievement of steady state virus load varied significantly.