Characterization of Viral Dynamics in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1–Infected Patients Treated with Combination Antiretroviral Therapy: Relationships to Host Factors, Cellular Restoration, and Virologic End Points

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Abstract
Biphasic plasma viral decays were modeled in 48 patients treated with ritonavir, zidovudine, and lamivudine. Estimated first- and second-phase decay rates were d1 as 0.47/day and d2 as 0.04/day. Interpatient differences in both decay rates were significant. The d1 was directly correlated with baseline CD4+, CD4+CD28+, and CD8+CD28+ T lymphocyte counts (P < .05) and inversely correlated with baseline virus load (P = .044) and the magnitude of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte recovery (P < .01). The d2 was directly correlated with baseline percentage of CD8+ T lymphocytes (P = .023), the CD8+CD38+ cell number (P = .024), and the level of IgG that binds to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 gp120 (P = .02). Viral decay rates were not predictive of treatment failure or durability of viral suppression. These exploratory findings are consistent with a model in which immunologic factors contribute to elimination of HIV-infected cells and suggest a dynamic interplay between regulation of HIV expression and lymphocyte activation and recovery.

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