Early antiretroviral therapy in South African children reduces HIV-1-infected cells and cell-associated HIV-1 RNA in blood mononuclear cells

We measured cell-associated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 DNA (CAD) and RNA (CAR) and plasma HIV-1 RNA in blood samples from 20 children in the Children with HIV Early Antiretroviral (CHER) cohort after 7-8 years of suppressive combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Children who initiated cART early (<2 months; n = 12) had lower HIV-1 CAD (median, 48 vs 216; P <.01) and CAR (median, 5 vs 436; P <.01) per million peripheral blood mononuclear cells than children who started later (≥2 months; n=8). Plasma HIV-1 RNA levels were not significantly lower in early-treated children (0.5 vs 1.2 copies/mL; P =.16). Early treatment at <2 months of age reduces the number of HIVinfected cells and HIV CAR.