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Individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) may be asymptomatic or have AIDS-related complex or the acquired immuno deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Little is known about the factors that influence progression of infection to AIDS. In this study of isolates of HIV-1 obtained at intervals during the infection of four individuals, the development of disease was found to be correlated with the emergence of HIV-1 variants that were more cytopathic in vitro as the disease progressed and that replicated more efficiently in a wide variety of different human cells. The biologic properties of HIV-1 in vitro thus appear to reflect its virulence in the host. Further studies of such sequentially isolated viruses may lead to the identification of viral genes that govern pathogenesis.
Cheng‐Mayer et al. (Fri,) studied this question.