Samples were obtained from a cohort of 17 patients with early HIV infection (<6 months after infection) who initiated ART, and the C2V5 region of the HIV-1 envelope (env) gene was amplified via single genome amplification (SGA) to determine the peripheral plasma HIV quasispecies.
We compared the pattern of evolution of the HIV-1 env gene between individuals with recent HIV infection whose virus exhibited either a low or a high rate of escape from neutralizing antibody responses.