GASTROINTESTINAL TISSUE-CULTURES FOR HIV IN HIV-INFECTED AIDS PATIENTS

Objective: To determine the prevalence of HIV in endoscopic biopsies from the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, and rectum of homosexual and bisexual men at various stages of HIV infection as part of a comprehensive study of gastrointestinal dysfunction in HIV infection. Methods: After repeated washings and mechanical disruption, biopsies obtained from 58 volunteers were individually cocultured with pooled peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy HIV-seronegative blood donors. Results: HIV was isolated from at least one site in 40 out of 49 patients. Esophageal biopsies were most frequently found positive (46%), followed by duodenal biopsies (44%), rectal biopsies (43%), and gastric biopsies (27%). Recovery of HIV was not related to any gastrointestinal signs or symptoms. HIV was recovered in the biopsies both from asymptomatic patients with CD4 lymphocyte counts > 500 x 10(6)/l and also from patients with more advanced disease receiving zidovudine therapy. Conclusions: The entire gastrointestinal tract appears to be a target site throughout the course of HIV infection in homosexual and bisexual men.