ABSTRACT
Inlightofthesefindings,itwassomewhatsurprisingtofindthatHIVinfectionis preferentiallyassociatedwithmemory(CD45RO+)CD4cells(71,72).PurifiedCD45RA+ andCD45RO+CD4cellsubsetsfromuninfectedpersonswereinfectedwithHIVinvitroand thenassayedforHIVDNAbypolymerasechainreaction;memorycellscontained4to10times moreviralDNAthannaivecells.Inadditionalstudies,higherlevelsofviralDNAwerefound inpurifiedmemoryversusnaiveCD4cellsfromHIV-infectedindividuals.Thesefindings suggestthatthememoryCD4cellsubsetshouldbeselectivelydepletedinHIVinfection,but thisisclearlynotthecase.Ahypothesisputforthtoreconcilethesediscordantobservationsis thatmaintainanceofanormalbalanceofnaiveandmemoryCD4cellsinHIVinfectionreflects activation-associatedconversionofnaivecellstomemorycellsduringtheinfectionprocess, followedbyahomeostaticreplacementofnaiveCD4cells(71).Furtherworkisneededtotest thishypothesis.
