Factors associated with increased levels of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 DNA in semen.
Xu C, Politch JA, Tucker L, Mayer KH, Seage GR 3rd, Anderson DJ.
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected cells have been isolated from semen and may be a major source of transmissible virus. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to determine HIV proviral DNA load in cellular fractions of semen from 74 antiviral therapy-naive HIV-1-seropositive men and 53 paired blood samples. HIV-1 DNA was detected in 65% of semen (range: <10-5000 copies/mL) and 100% of blood samples (range: 20-2500 copies/mL). HIV-1 DNA copy numbers in semen correlated significantly with those in blood, but for most cases, the concentration of blood HIV-1 DNA was higher (mean blood-to-semen ratio = 2.9). Factors associated with elevated HIV-1 provirus levels in semen included reduced peripheral CD4 cell count and asymptomatic genital tract inflammation (>10(6) white blood cells/mL of semen). These data provide evidence that genital tract inflammation and reduced peripheral CD4 cell count may be associated with enhanced sexual transmission of HIV-1 because of increased numbers of HIV-1-infected cells in semen.
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PMID: 9333152 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]