In vivo effect of statins on the expression of the HIV co-receptors CCR5 and CXCR4

Table 2 Prediction of co-receptor usage shift in proviral sequences from mononuclear cells

	Total sequences obtained	Lovastatin	Placebo	P value (Fisher’s exact test)
Baseline	91	44/91	47/9	NA
(Number X4 X4/R5 strains)		(8)	(8)	NA
12 months post treatment	72	38/72	34/72	NA
Number of paired sequences	61	32/61 (52.5%)	29/61 (47.5%)	NA
Clinical model	Total tropism shift	5/32 (15.6%)	6/29 (20.7%)	0.7426
Clinical model	R5 shift to X4 or X4R5	3/32 (9.4%)	4/29 (13.8%)	0.6988
Clonal model	Total tropism shift	8/32 (25.0%)	5/29 (17.2%)	0.5411
Clonal model	R5 shift to X4 or X4R5	4/32 (12.5%)	4/29 (13.8%)	1.0

The geno2pheno (G2P) algorithm was used at the beginning of the study and 12 months post treatment with lovastatin (40 mg/day) or placebo in asymptomatic HIV-1-infected patients. Isolation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and proviral DNA preparation were as described in Methods. The G2P prediction algorithm is available at http://coreceptor.bioinf.mpi-inf.mpg.de/index.php. NA, No applicable statistical analysis. At the baseline were found 8 individuals with X4 or X4R5 circulating strains in lovastatin treated group, and 8 individuals at placebo treated group.

ISSN: 1742-6405