Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 shedding pattern in semen correlates with the compartmentalization of viral Quasi species between blood and semen

High levels of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 have been detected in semen at all stages of disease. However, it is not clear whether HIV-1 is shed in semen continuously or intermittently. In a prospective longitudinal study, viral RNA was measured weekly for 10 weeks in semen and blood of HIV-seropositive subjects. Results showed three different patterns of HIV-1 shedding in semen: none (28%), continuous (28%), and intermittent (44%). In contrast, there was no change in blood plasma virus load during the study period. Phylogenetic analysis of the envelope sequences of HIV-1 RNA in semen and blood revealed distinct virus populations in semen and blood of intermittent shedders but similar virus populations in the semen and blood of continuous shedder. These results indicate for the first time that HIV-1 is shed primarily in an intermittent manner and that shedding patterns of HIV-1 in semen are related to compartmentalization of HIV-1 between semen and blood.

Dependence of CD8+ T-cell-mediated suppression of HIV type 1 on viral phenotypes and mediation of phenotype-dependent suppression by viral envelope gene and not by beta-chemokines

CD8+ T-cell-mediated HIV-1 suppressive activity has been shown against a number of strains of HIV-1 and HIV-2. In this study using a semiquantitative assay, we showed that CD8+ T cells from seropositive subjects and herpes virus saimiri transformed CD8+ T-cell clones from HIV-1-infected subjects exhibited 5 to 100-fold higher suppressive activity against slow replicating nonsyncytia-inducing strains (Slow/NSI) as compared to fast replicating syncytia-inducing strains (Fast/SI) of HIV-1. Such differential suppressive activity was not due to beta-chemokines as evidenced by the lack of blocking activity of antibodies to RANTES, MIP-1beta, and MIP-1alpha on the antiviral activities of CD8+ T cells. Moreover, there was no correlation between the level of CD8+ T-cell suppression and the level of these beta-chemokines in culture supernatant. Results from the CD8+ T-cell-mediated suppressive activity against two molecular cloned virus ME1 (Slow/NSI), ME46 (Fast/SI), and their interstrain recombinants indicate that the envelope gene carries a major genetic determinant responsible for this phenotypic-dependent differential suppressive activity.