Longitudinal evaluation of subtype-specific viral load variation in an individual displaying inter-subtype human immunodeficiency virus type-1 superinfection (Immune deficiency)

HIV-1 superinfection is defined as a re-infection with a heterologous virus belonging to the same or different subtype, after a primary infection has been established. The primary objective of the study was to determine how subtype specific plasma viral load and proviral load varied with increasing length of infection, in an individual infected with HIV-1 subtype B virus and superinfected with CRF01_AE approximately 11 months later. The cell-free plasma RNA and the proviral DNA levels of the superinfecting strain, CRF01_AE, were 0.5–1.5 log units lower than those of the primary infecting HIV-1 subtype B strain. The cell-free viral loads and proviral loads were compared with V3 loop specific humoral antibody response. Both the proviral and the viral loads appeared to be concordant with the levels of subtype-specific antibody response that is the cell-free plasma RNA, the proviral DNA levels, and V3 antibody levels of the superinfecting CRF01_AE strain, were much lower than those of the primary infecting HIV-1 subtype-B strain.