Detectable HIV-RNA in semen of HIV controllers.

Marie-Laure Chaix,Nadia Mahjoub,Faroudy Boufassa,Candice Meyzer,Jade Ghosn,Caroline Lascoux-Combes,Claudine Duvivier,Olivier Lambotte,Marianne Leruez-Ville,Philippe Genet,Marie-Laure Nere

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0183376

Abstract

BackgroundWhether spontaneous low levels of HIV-1 RNA in blood plasma correlate with low levels of HIV-1 RNA in seminal plasma has never been investigated in HIV controller (HIC) men so far.MethodsHIC men enrolled in the ANRS CODEX cohort were eligible for the present study if they had no symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (STI). Two paired samples of blood and semen were collected four weeks apart. HIV-RNA was quantified in blood plasma (bpVL) and in seminal plasma (spVL), and cell-associated HIV-DNA was quantified in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and in non-sperm cells (NSC). Spearman rho tests were used to estimate correlations between bpVL and spVL.ResultsTen men were enrolled. At Day 0 (D0), spVL was detectable in four patients: 458; 552; 256 copies/mL and PCR signal detectable below limit of quantification (LoQ, 40 copies/mL). At Day 28 (D28), spVL was detectable in the same four participants in whom spVL was detectable at D0 with 582; 802; 752 and 50 copies/mL, respectively. HIV-DNA was detectable below LoQ in NSC of one patient at D0 visit. No patient had detectable HIV-DNA in NSC at D28 visit. At D0, bpVL and spVL were highly positively correlated (Spearman rho: 0.94; p = 0.0001). Similar results were found at D28.ConclusionWe show that HIV-RNA can be detected in the semen of HIC men, with levels positively correlated with those measured concomitantly in blood plasma. HIC men should be aware of the risk of HIV genital shedding, especially if viral blips are reported.

Highlights

Combined antiretroviral therapy is able to achieve HIV-RNA suppression in blood plasma and subsequently reduce the levels of seminal plasma HIV-RNA in the vast majority of treated patients [1, 2]
At Day 0 (D0), spVL was detectable in four patients: 458; 552; 256 copies/mL and PCR signal detectable below limit of quantification (LoQ, 40 copies/mL)
At Day 28 (D28), spVL was detectable in the same four participants in whom spVL was detectable at D0 with 582; 802; 752 and 50 copies/mL, respectively

Summary

Introduction

Combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) is able to achieve HIV-RNA suppression in blood plasma (bpVL) and subsequently reduce the levels of seminal plasma HIV-RNA (spVL) in the vast majority of treated patients [1, 2]. This is a major finding supporting universal cART as “treatment as prevention” [3]. Whether spontaneous low levels of HIV-1 RNA in blood plasma correlate with low levels of HIV-1 RNA in seminal plasma has never been investigated in HIV controller (HIC) men so far

Methods

Results

Conclusion