HIV Viral Load (HIV RNA or HIV bDNA)

HIV-1 viral load refers to the number of viral particles found in each milliliter of blood. The more HIV-1 viral particles you have in your blood, the faster your CD4 cells are likely to be destroyed and the faster you will progress toward AIDS.

What Does Knowing My Viral Load Give ME?

Sudden Viral Load Increases Usually Is Not a Sign of HIV Superinfection - 10/19/07

Appearance of HIV-related Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS) in Older HIV Patients with a High CD4 Count and a Low Viral Load - 10/02/07

HIV Viral Load Predicts Disease Progression Better than CD4 Cell Count  - 4/13/07

Trends over Time in CD4 Cell Count and HIV Viral Load after Seroconversion   2/13/07

Does HIV-2-induced AIDS Differ from HIV-1-induced AIDS? 2/06/07

Lower HAART Adherence Observed Prior to Viral Load "Blips"   9/29/06

Four-year Analysis of Tenofovir/Didanosine Combination Therapy Effects on Lymphocytes, CD4 and Viral Load   - 8/18/06

HIV Positive Patients Have Significant Impairment of Endothelial Function, especially Injection Drug Users and Those with Elevated HIV Viral Load - 4/25/06

No Clinical Benefit from a 4-drug (2 PIs) Regimen in Patients with Low CD4 Count and High Viral Load - 1/17//06

NRTI-only Regimen of Trizivir Plus Tenofovir May Be a Viable Option for Treatment-experienced Patients with Lower HIV Viral Loads - 1/13//06


CD4+ Cell Count, Viral Load and HAART Independently Predict Body Composition Changes in HIV Positive Adults - 11/30/05

Discordant Immunologic and Virologic Responses to HAART Are Associated with Increased Risk of Death and Poor Adherence to Therapy - 11/02/05

Lopinavir/Ritonavir Demonstrates Significantly Greater Reduction in HIV RNA Than Unboosted Atazanavir in Patients with Prior Protease Inhibitor Failure - 10/31/05

Treatment Interruption as a Viable Option in Patients with Lowest CD4 Cell Count >250 Cells - 10/21/05

An Increase in CD4+ Cell Count Predicts Clinical Benefits in Patients with Advanced HIV Disease and Persistently Detectable Viral Load - 9/23/05

Certain Antiretroviral Drugs Have Higher HIV Rebound Rates Than Others in Patients with HIV Viral Loads <50 copies/mL - 9/19/05

At $200 - $300 per Test, When Are HIV Viral Load Assays a Bargain and Perhaps a Lifesaver? - 7/20/05

HAART Produces Significant Immune Reconstitution Even in Children Who Do Not Reach Undetectable Viral Loads or Who Have Viral Load Rebound - 6/20/05

Early Levels of HIV DNA Predict Disease Progression Independently of HIV RNA Levels and CD4+ T Cell Counts - 6/13/05

To Avoid Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS), Patients Should Initiate HAART Before CD4 Count Falls Below 100 Cells - 4/04/05

After Starting HAART, Baseline HIV RNA Levels of 100,000 Copies/mL or Greater Are Associated with Mortality - 3/25/05

MRSA Infections Are Increasing and Are Associated with CD4 Count and Viral Load - 3/21/05

HIV RNA Decline within the First 2 Weeks of Treatment Is Comparable for Nevirapine, Efavirenz, or Both Drugs Combined and Does Not Predict Long-term Virologic Efficacy - 3/21/05

Do CD4 and HIV RNA Counts Accurately Predict Disease Progression and Mortality, Regardless of the Antiretroviral Regimen Used? - 2/23/05

Intermittent HIV Viremia (Blips) in HAART Patients Are Not Clinically Significant - 2/18/05

Hydroxychloroquine, Hydroxyurea and Didanosine as Initial Therapy for HIV Patients with Low Viral Load: A Useful Strategy for Delaying HAART? - 2/09/05

High Baseline Viral Loads and Substantial But Imperfect Levels of Adherence Are Major Predictors of Antiretroviral Resistance - 1/31/05

Patients on HAART with Stable Low Viral Load (<10,000 copies/ml) Show Significantly Stronger HIV-specific CD4 and CD8 T-cell Responses Than Both Patients with Full Viral Suppression (<200 copies/ml) and Patients with High Viral Replication (>10,000 copies/ml) - 1/10/05

Prognostic Value of Plasma HIV RNA Among HAART Users - 1/05/05

Antiretroviral Drug Holidays May Be Safe in Some HIV Patients - 12/13/04

Natural History of Patients with Low-level HIV Viremia on Antiretroviral Therapy - 12/06/04

HIV Level After 4 Weeks of HAART Predicts Eventual Virologic Outcome - 10/27/04

Factors Influencing Increases in CD4 Cell Counts of HIV Positive Persons Receiving Long-Term HAART  - 10/25/04

Association of Complementary and Alternative Medicines with HIV Clinical Disease Among a Cohort of Women  - 10/20/04

Effect of Hard-Drug Use on CD4 Cell Percentage, HIV RNA Level and Progression to AIDS-Defining Events in HIV Positive Women - 10/20/04

Proliferation of HIV-Specific CD4, CD8 Cells Is Independent of Viral Load and Declines with Time - 10/18/04

Long-term Virological Effect of HAART on Cerebrospinal Fluid and Relationship with Genotypic Resistance  - 10/18/04

Benefits of Enfuvirtide Persist Despite High Viral Load  - 10/15/04

Syphilis Increases HIV Viral Load and Decreases CD4 Cell Counts  - 10/15/04

Does Tuberculosis Increase HIV Load?  - 10/13/04

Patients with Low Level HIV Viremia While on Antiretroviral Therapy Experience Significant Immunological Benefit Over a 2-Year Period - 09/27/04

Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Switch from Protease Inhibitor to NNRTI Nevirapine in Patients with Undetectable HIV Viral Load - 09/22/04

Experimental NRTI MIV-310 Efficiently Reduces HIV Viral Load in Patients Failing Multiple Drug Therapy: Results from a 4-week Phase II Study - 09/20/04

Perceived Viral Load, but not Actual Load, Is Associated with Risky Sex with Steady Partners of Negative or Unknown HIV Status - 09/15/04

Response to HAART Varies with Age: The UK and Ireland Collaborative HIV Pediatric Study - 09/13/04

Maintenance of HIV RNA Level Less Than 20,000 copies/mL Appears to Confer a Clinical Benefit - 08/30/04

An Inexpensive, Simple and Manual Method for Quantitation of CD4 T-Cells for Use in Developing Countries - 08/13/04

DART Trial Is Assessing Whether Lab Monitoring Is Necessary for Effective Therapy in Africa, and Whether Treatment Interruptions Can Reduce Toxicity Without Reducing Efficacy - 07/14/04

New Data on Boosted Saquinavir Demonstrate Undetectable Viral Load in 91% of Patients  - 07/14/04

Maternal and Infant Viral Load Impact Disease Progression in HIV Positive African Infants  - 07/14/04

When Added to a Stable Treatment Regimen, Tenofovir Has Limited Effect on HIV RNA Levels and No Significant Impact on CD4 Counts - 06/23/04

What Does Knowing My Viral Load Give me?

Patients Who Start Therapy with a CD4+ T-cell Count <200 cells/mm3 Have Poorer Immunologic Outcomes  - 06/02/04

Partial Control of Viremia Is Associated with Favorable Outcome in HIV Patients Exposed to Multiple Antiretroviral Regimens 05/26/04

Persistent HIV Viremia Fosters Immunologic Harm and Viral Evolution  - 05/21/04

Extensive Implementation of HAART Shows Great Effect on Survival and Surrogate Markers in Vertically HIV-infected Children - 05/19/04

Salvage Therapy with Lopinavir/Ritonavir Leads to Decrease in HIV Viral Load and to Phenotypic Change in HIV Vertically infected Children - 4/19/04