Phylogenetic analysis of HIV-1 archived DNA in blood and gut-associated lymphoid tissue in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy: a study from Provir/Latitude45 project.

While HIV-1 therapeutic vaccination is one of the viral cure strategies, vaccine trials to date have been disappointing. Clearly there is a need for extensive studies on viral variability together with human immunogenetics. In the Provir/Latitude45 project, we studied conserved CTL epitopes of the archived virus in ART-treated patients together with their potential affinity with HLA alleles. However, we used samples only from circulating blood. In this sub-study, we compared the viruses in two compartments (blood and gut-associated lymphoid tissue) from the same patients. The results indicate that the viruses are similar and that data obtained from the blood compartment is pertinent and sufficient.