HIV-Associated Wasting in the Era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy: A Syndrome of Residual HIV Infection in Monocytes and Macrophages?

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) might be influencing the development of wasting in the era of potent antiretroviral therapy. In a retrospective study of 57 subjects, HIV proviral DNA levels in PBMCs were higher in subjects whose body weight decreased by >5% one year after initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy, compared with subjects whose body weight was stable or increased (median HIV proviral DNA load, 8.9 vs. 0.9 copies/106 PBMCs;P = .006).