Greater CD4 T-cell gains after one year of antiretroviral therapy are associated with lower HIV-1 pol replication capacity.

We sought to determine whether pretreatment low pol replication capacity (polRC) is associated with CD4 T-cell count gains during antiretroviral therapy (ART). Patients were recruited at north American and Australian sites. Viral polRC was measured before starting ART in all subjects. We examined 243 individuals for a median 260 days after initiating ART. Low baseline polRC was associated with greater CD4 T-cell gains independent of virological responses.