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Background:

Eradication of HIV-1 is prevented by the formation of viral reservoirs in peripheral blood, lymphoid tissues and other sanctuary sites. In most patients, rebound upon treatment cessation is prompt. We assessed whether early treatment with raltegravir can impact on the formation of the viral reservoir.

Methods:

We conducted an open-label, nonrandomized study, and assessed in detail the decay characteristics of HIV-1 RNA in plasma, HIV DNA in CD4+ T cells and colon tissue biopies (CTBs) in 16 treatment-naive patients during either primary (PHI, n= 8) or chronic (CHI, n= 8) HIV-1 infection after treatment with raltegravir and Truvada for 52 weeks.

Results:

HIV-1 RNA decreased rapidly with treatment in all patients; first and second phase levels were lower in PHI patients with no appreciable difference in residual viremia between the two groups at 52 weeks. Episomal HIV-1 DNA increased sharply in both …