Independent levels of cell-free and cell-associated human immunodeficiency virus-1 in genital-tract secretions of clinically asymptomatic, treatment-naive African women

Using ultrasensitive polymerase chain reaction-based techniques, we assessed levels of cell-free and cell-associated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 in paired blood and genital samples of 30 clinically asymptomatic, treatment-naive women. Levels of HIV-1 RNA in cervicovaginal-lavage samples were positively correlated with those in plasma samples (r = .50; P = .008), whereas levels of HIV-1 DNA in genital samples were loosely correlated with those in blood samples (r = .31; P = .041). In plasma of peripheral blood, levels of HIV-1 DNA were positively correlated with those of HIV-1 RNA (r = .64; P < .001), whereas no correlation between HIV-1 DNA and HIV-1 RNA was evident in genital secretions. Our results indicate that levels of HIV-1 RNA and HIV-1 DNA are unrelated in the genital tracts of treatment-naive women and suggest that the level of genital HIV-1 RNA is influenced by systemic viral replication-in contrast to genital HIV-1 provirus, which may be influenced as well by local cofactors triggering the migration of HIV-infected cells originating from the cervicovaginal submucosa. These features may be relevant for an understanding of HIV-1 transmission in heterosexual individuals.