RAPID PROGRESSION TO AIDS IN A PATIENT WITH INFECTION FROM A STRAIN OF SYNCYTIUM FORMING HIV-1

A woman who had recently become infected with HIV-1 after sexual relations with a seropositive subject presented a rapid fall in CD4+ T lymphocytes and evolved to AIDS 13 months after primoinfection. The most plausible cause for the rapid disease progression in this patient was the observation of a viral syncytium forming phenotype. The plasmatic viremia was high throughout the follow up despite the administration of antiretroviral drugs.