'This means that the virulence normalized by the amount of virus… which for HIV is heritable is much higher for the VB variant,' the study's authors wrote. CD4 cells, also known as T-cells, are a subset of white blood cells that fight infection and protect the body's immune system.
The study found that patients infected with the variant of subtype-B HIV-1, dubbed the VB variant, showed 'significant' differences before antiretroviral treatment compared with individuals infected with other HIV variants.Īccording to the study, individuals with the VB variant reported a higher level of the virus in their blood and showed a CD4 cell count that declined twice as fast as those infected with other strains. Researchers in the Netherlands have discovered a 'highly virulent variant' of HIV that causes a more rapid decline in immune system strength and can result in more damaging health outcomes if not treated early.
