Fluctuations in HIV-1 viral load are correlated to CD4+ T-lymphocyte count during the natural course of infection. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2000. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Fluctuations in HIV-1 viral load are correlated to CD4+ T-lymphocyte count during the natural course of infection.

J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2000 Apr 15;23(5):375-9. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/20322598
Masel J; Arnaout RA; O'Brien TR; Goedert JJ; Lloyd AL; Wellcome Trust Centre for the Epidemiology of Infectious Disease,; Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, UK.

Abstract: Viral load fluctuates during the natural course of asymptomatic HIV-1 infection. It is often assumed that these fluctuations are random around a set point or underlying growth trend. Using longitudinal data, we tested whether fluctuations in viral load can be better explained by changes in CD4+ T-cell count than by a set point or trend of exponential growth. The correspondence between viral load and CD4+ T-cell count could be described by a simple mathematical relation. Using a bootstrapping approach, the hypothesis that viral load fluctuations are random around a set point was rejected with p < .00005. The hypothesis that viral load fluctuations are random around a trend of exponential growth was rejected with p < .005. Viral load data was explained better by changes in CD4+ T-cell counts than by a set point or by a trend of exponential growth. The implications of this finding for improved prognostication are discussed.
Keywords: JOURNAL ARTICLE CD4 Lymphocyte Count Human HIV Infections/*IMMUNOLOGY/*VIROLOGY HIV-1/*PHYSIOLOGY Male Mathematical Computing Support, Non-U.S. Gov't *Viral LoadKWDjournalarticlecd4lymphocytecounthumanhivinfections/KWDimmunology/KWDvirologyhiv-1/KWDphysiologymalemathematicalcomputingsupport,non-uKWDsKWDgov'tKWDviralload
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