Persistence of HIV-1 transcription in peripheral-blood mononuclear cells in patients receiving potent antiretroviral therapy

HIV continues to reproduce in immune cells even though patients are taking highly active antiretroviral therapy. This combination therapy for HIV infection includes protease inhibitors, and can suppress blood levels of the virus to undetectable levels. Researchers measured HIV in peripheral blood mononuclear cells every six months from five HIV-infected men who were taking highly active antiretroviral therapy. All five had undetectable blood levels of the virus. However, analysis of the blood cells revealed that the virus was still actively reproducing, although at much lower levels.