Evidence for differences in MT2 cell tropism according to genetic subtypes of HIV-1: syncytium-inducing variants seem rare among subtype C HIV-1 viruses

The development of syncytium-inducing strains of HIV may affect the progression from HIV infection to AIDS in patients infected with some viral subtypes. Researchers tested MT-2 cells from 86 HIV patients. Sycytium-inducing viral variants were rare in patients infected with HIV subtype C, but common in those infected with subtype E. This finding may influence the prognosis for the disease and the transmissibility of the infecting strain of virus.