QUANTITATIVE IN SITU HYBRIDIZATION--HIV1 RNA CLEARANCE FROM LYMPHOID TISSUE

这些实验试图通过检查外周血和肿块结节组织中感染细胞的多种特征来更好地了解艾滋病毒感染的发病机制。即使在成功接受抗逆转录病毒治疗的患者的血液中找不到病毒，淋巴器官也是艾滋病毒感染的保护性储存库。这些研究比较了两个隔间中存在的病毒数量、细胞群体的关系以及细胞的其他特征，如免疫刺激水平和允许艾滋病毒进入细胞的表面受体数量。受试者接受淋巴结切除活组织检查，并至少在两个时间点采集外周血样本；一个在开始新的抗逆转录病毒治疗之前，以及在治疗6至18个月后的某个日期。预计将获得关于抗逆转录病毒治疗如何控制艾滋病毒感染的新见解，并可将这些知识应用于治疗艾滋病的新方法。

These experiments have sought to better understand the pathogenesis of HIV infection by examining multiple characteristics of infected cells in both the peripheral blood and lump node tissue. The lymphoid organs serve as a protected reservior of HIV infection where virus resides even when no virus can be found in the blood of patients on successful antiretroviral therapy. These studies have compared the two compartments for the amount of virus that is present, the relationships of populations of cells, and other features of the cells such as their level of immune stimulation and the number of receptors on their surface which permits HIV entry into the cell. Subjects undergo excisional lymph node biopsy and have samples of peripheral blood taken at least two time points; one prior to initiating a new antiretroviral therapy and at a later date after 6 to 18 months of therapy. It is anticipated that new insights into how antiretroviral therapy controls HIV infection will be gained and that this knowledge can be applied to novel approaches to treating AIDS.