Low virulence of HIV-1 subtype C underlies treatment success despite high baseline viral loads

摘要

Background: High baseline viral load is implicated in rapid disease progression, as is often the case in resource-limited settings. Intriguingly, despite higher baseline viral loads, first-line antiretroviral treatment (ART) of HIV-1C infection in India elicits a response comparable to that of HIV-1B infection in the west. Models of viral dynamics, applied to HIV-1B infection, have shed light on viral decay dynamics and elucidated markers of treatment outcome, although such studies for HIV-1C are lacking.