Dynamics of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Populations in Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid over the Full Course of Infection

Abstract

Background. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication and compartmentalization in the central nervous system, including in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), are associated with severe neurological disease and may contribute to viral persistence during antiretroviral therapy. To understand the relationships between viral populations in multiple compartments, we performed a systematic longitudinal characterization of viral populations in blood plasma and CSF obtained at short time intervals over the full course of infection in 3 macaques infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVsm strain E660).