Characterization of the HIV-1 transcription profile after romidepsin administration in ART-suppressed individuals.

Methods: Read-through, total (TAR), elongated (longLTR), polyadenylated (polyA) and multiply-spliced (Tat-Rev) HIV transcripts and total HIV DNA were quantified at baseline (visit 1) and 4 h after the second (visit 10b) and third (visit 11b) romidepsin infusions.

Results: Read-through, total, elongated, and polyadenylated HIV transcripts increased after romidepsin infusion (P = 0.020, P = 0.0078, P = 0.0039, P = 0.027, respectively), but no changes were observed in multiply-spliced HIV RNA or HIV DNA. No change was observed in the ratio of read-through/total HIV transcripts. The ratio of elongated/total HIV RNA increased after romidepsin (P = 0.016), whereas the ratio of polyadenylated/elongated HIV decreased. Both elongated HIV transcripts and total HIV DNA correlated negatively with the time to viral rebound after interruption of ART.

Conclusion: Read-through, total, elongated, and polyadenylated HIV transcripts increased after romidepsin infusion (P = 0.020, P = 0.0078, P = 0.0039, P = 0.027, respectively), but no changes were observed in multiply-spliced HIV RNA or HIV DNA. No change was observed in the ratio of read-through/total HIV transcripts. The ratio of elongated/total HIV RNA increased after romidepsin (P = 0.016), whereas the ratio of polyadenylated/elongated HIV decreased. Both elongated HIV transcripts and total HIV DNA correlated negatively with the time to viral rebound after interruption of ART.