Treatment with Antiviral Drugs Will Significantly Inhibit the HIV-1 RNA POL Gene Expression and Viral Load in AIDS Patients

OBJECTIVE: This study is to investigate the difference in HIV-1 RNA pol gene expression in AIDS patients before and after antiviral treatment and its effect on the expression level of CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells in peripheral blood. METHODS: The participants included 200 AIDS patients who had undergone antiviral medication, and the quantity of HIV-1 RNA pol gene was determined using nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR). The levels of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood were measured by flow cytometry before and after therapy. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used to assess the impact of HIV-1 RNA pol gene expression and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio on the prognosis of AIDS patients. RESULTS: After three months of therapy, the levels of HIV-1 RNA and viral load in the patients showed a drastic decline, while the levels of CD4+/CD8+ were markedly elevated (P < 0.05). Logistic analysis revealed that patients' viral loads were positively correlated with HIV-1 RNA and negatively correlated with CD4+/CD8+ (P < 0.05). The alanine aminotransferase (ALT), white blood cell (WBC) count, Serum creatinine (Cr), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and platelet (PLT) levels significantly increased following a 24-month therapy, while no significant changes were observed in the level of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), red blood cell (RBC), and neutrophil (NEU) (%). (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Antiviral drugs significantly inhibit the HIV-1 RNA POL gene expression and viral load in AIDS patients but upregulate the expression level of CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells in peripheral blood.