Slow progressor of human immunodeficiency virus: 20 years follow-up of a case from North India.

A case of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection from North India is described with a 20-year follow-up. Patient first reported in 1993 when he was detected HIV positive, remained healthy without treatment, married in 1999 and did not transmit the disease to his children or his wife and was lost to follow-up. He was thought to be an elite controller. After 15 years of the initial visit, his CD4 cells, however, were found to be low, with a viral load of 10,000/copies/ml. He was negative for human leukocyte antigen B57 and B27 alleles with a normal expression of CCR5 and CXCR4 on CD4 cells. Lymphocytes showed a significant production of tumour necrosis factor alpha and interferon γ, but not of interleukin (IL)-2, IL4 or IL10. It is possible that gut infection, common in India, could have triggered T cell activation in the ensuing years, resulting in activation of HIV. The case illustrates the significance of long-term follow-up of these patients for timely institution of anti-retroviral therapy.