Effect of menstrual cycle on HIV-1 levels in the peripheral blood and genital tract
- 1 September 2000
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wolters Kluwer Health in AIDS
- Vol. 14 (14) , 2101-2107
- https://doi.org/10.1097/00002030-200009290-00005
Abstract
To assess the variation in HIV-1 over the menstrual cycle, including RNA levels in the female genital tract, plasma HIV-1-RNA levels, CD4 cell counts, and culturable virus. A prospective analysis of 55 HIV-1-infected women. Blood and genital tract specimens were collected weekly over 8 weeks, spanning two complete menstrual cycles. Applying repeated-measures models that used menses as the reference level, the variation in viral RNA levels was compared in endocervical canal fluid and cells (collected by Sno-strips and cytobrush, respectively) and ectocervicovaginal lavage (CVL) fluid. Repeated-measures models were also used to assess the variation in plasma CD4 cell counts and viral load. Shedding patterns differed among the three sampling methods, independent of genital tract co-infections. Genital tract HIV-1-RNA levels from CVL fluid and endocervical canal cytobrush specimens were highest during menses and lowest immediately thereafter (P = 0.001 and P = 0.04). The HIV-1-RNA level in endocervical canal fluid was highest in the week preceding menses (P = 0.003). The menstrual cycle had no effect on blood levels of RNA (P = 0.62), culturable virus (P = 0.34), or CD4 cell counts (P = 0.55). HIV-1-RNA levels were higher in endocervical canal fluid than in peripheral blood plasma during the late luteal phase (P = 0.03). HIV-1-RNA levels vary with the menstrual cycle in the female genital tract but not the blood compartment. HIV-1-RNA levels are higher in endocervical canal fluid than in blood plasma. These findings may have important implications for sex-specific pathogenesis, heterosexual transmission, and contraceptive hormone interventions in HIV-1-infected women.Keywords
This publication has 31 references indexed in Scilit:
- Correlation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 RNA Levels in Blood and the Female Genital TractThe Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1999
- Interaction of Pregnancy Steroid Hormones and Zidovudine in Inhibition of HIV Type 1 Replication in Monocytoid and Placental Hofbauer Cells: Implications for the Prevention of Maternal-Fetal Transmission of HIVAIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, 1997
- Longitudinal Analysis of Quantitative Virologic Measures in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Subjects with >=400 CD4 Lymphocytes: Implications for Applying Measurements to Individual PatientsThe Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1997
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Plasma and Genital Secretions during the Menstrual CycleThe Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1996
- Quantitation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus by Culture and Polymerase Chain Reaction in Response to Didanosine after Long-Term Therapy with ZidovudineThe Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1994
- Guideline for flow cytometric immunophenotyping: A report from the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases, division of AIDSCytometry, 1993
- Pregnancy hormones, estrogen and progesterone, prevent HIV‐1 synthesis in monocytes but not in lymphocytesFEBS Letters, 1992
- Comparison of female to male and male to female transmission of HIV in 563 stable couples. European Study Group on Heterosexual Transmission of HIV.BMJ, 1992
- ISOLATION OF AIDS-ASSOCIATED RETROVIRUS FROM GENITAL SECRETIONS OF WOMEN WITH ANTIBODIES TO THE VIRUSThe Lancet, 1986
- Sequence-specific binding of glucocorticoid receptor to MTV DNA at sites within and upstream of the transcribed regionCell, 1983