Evidence mapPaperPMID 42357621Full record

ArticleViruses2026

Low-Level Viremia in People Living with HIV: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Uğur Önal, Egemen Özdemir, Şeyma Öncül, Hazel Öztürk Belik, Esra Kazak, Yasemin Heper, Harun Ağca, Emel Yılmaz, Halis Akalın

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Article in Viruses, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Uğur ÖnalDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa 16059, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0001-6194-3254
Egemen ÖzdemirDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa 16059, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0003-2890-6392
Şeyma ÖncülDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa 16059, Türkiye.ORCID 0009-0004-6041-2194
Hazel Öztürk BelikDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa 16059, Türkiye.
Esra KazakDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa 16059, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0002-7380-2501
Yasemin HeperDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa 16059, Türkiye.
Harun AğcaDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa 16059, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0002-2651-2034
Emel YılmazDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa 16059, Türkiye.
Halis AkalınDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa 16059, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0001-7530-1279

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDurable virological suppression is achieved in the majority of people living with HIV (PLWH) receiving contemporary antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, a subset of patients experience persistent low-level viremia (LLV), the clinical relevance and underlying determinants of which remain incompletely understood.

methodsAdult PLWH followed between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2025 were retrospectively evaluated. LLV was defined as detectable HIV-1 RNA < 200 copies/mL on at least two consecutive measurements during follow-up in individuals receiving ART for at least 6 months. Patients with sustained virological suppression served as controls. Propensity score matching (1:1) was performed using variables associated with LLV in univariate analyses. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to identify factors independently associated with LLV, and a

resultsAmong 880 PLWH, 45 patients with LLV and 113 virologically suppressed controls were included. LLV was associated with lower baseline CD4+ T-cell counts, higher baseline HIV-1 RNA levels, delayed virological suppression at weeks 8 and 24, increased frequency of AIDS-defining illnesses and a higher prevalence of metabolic comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus or dyslipidemia in univariate analysis. After propensity score matching, 32 patients remained in each group, with no clear association between low-level viremia and antiretroviral regimen class. Multivariable regression analysis showed baseline CD4+ T-cell count < 200 cells/µL, and the presence of ≥1 metabolic comorbidity (hypertension, diabetes mellitus or dyslipidemia) remained independently associated with LLV.

conclusionsOur findings suggest that LLV is associated with host-related factors rather than antiretroviral regimen failure. The coexistence of immunological impairment and metabolic comorbidities in patients with LLV underscores the importance of comprehensive clinical evaluation.

Indexed as

HIV InfectionsViremiaAdultAnti-HIV AgentsCD4 Lymphocyte CountFemaleHIV-1HumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesRNA, ViralViral LoadAnti-HIV AgentsRNA, Viralantiretroviral therapyCD4+ T-cell countHIVlow-level viremiametabolic comorbidityrisk factors

Identifiers

PMID42357621
PMCPMC13307737

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.