Five to ten percent of HIV-1 infected individuals remain asymptomatic up to a year after infection. This type of infection is known as a long-term non-progressive (LTNP)infection, and can be characterized as a viral phenotype with a lack of CD4+ T-cell death. This study deals specifically with a group of Long-term non-progressors known as the French ALT group, who have a form of the virus that is considerably less cytopathic. Because mutations in the Viral Protein R (Vpr) region of the HIV-1 genome have been observed to cause similar viral phenotypes, the ALT patient Vpr alleles were investigated. Several polymorphisms were identified in hypervariable loci, most of which result in significant Vpr aa changes.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Scofield, Michael David

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-011105-134331

Advisor

• Adams, David S.

Year

• 2005

Date created

• 2005-01-11

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biology & Biotechnology

Rights statement

• In Copyright