Long-term survivors with continuously high levels of HIV type 1

HIV infection usually leads to a gradual loss of CD4-positive lymphocytes, declining immune functions, and a concomitant increase in HIV-1 levels. Among long-term survivors CD4-positive T lymphocyte numbers remain at near normal levels for many years, while HIV-1 loads remain relatively low. We report here an unusual combination of stable CD4-positive lymphocyte levels accompanied by elevated virus loads in two long-term seropositive individuals.