CD4+ T cell count and plasma HIV-1 viral load
Fasting venous blood samples were collected. CD4+ T
cell count (cells/L) and HIV-1 viral load (HIV-RNA, copies/mL) were
determined in all HIV-infected subjects. Absolute CD4+T cell numbers were determined using an Epics XL-MCL flow cytometer
(Beckman Coulter, Brea, CA, USA). Plasma HIV-1 RNA levels were
determined using the COBAS Taqman HIV-1 test (Roche, Branchburg, New
Jersey, USA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The detection
limit was 40 HIV RNA copies/mL.