Table 1 Possible outcomes of eradication trials when using integrated HIV DNA to assess the change in reservoir size
Possible outcome in eradication studies | How does the outcome affect reservoir measures? |
|---|---|
1. Preferential reduction in intact proviruses | Integrated HV DNA is likely to be unchanged. Proviral sequencing would likely detect a reduction in the fraction of replication-competent proviruses which could be combined with integration measures to determine the absolute reduction in intact proviruses |
2. Preferential reduction in defective proviruses | Integrated HIV DNA would decrease, without reflecting a contraction in the size of the “true” reservoir. Proviral sequencing would likely capture the change in the fraction of defective proviruses |
3. Decrease in both intact and defective proviruses | If intact and defective proviruses are targeted differently, a decrease in integrated HIV DNA would occur, but would not likely be proportional to the decrease in the number of intact proviruses. Proviral sequencing combined with integration measures would likely capture the changes in the reservoir size and character |