Table 1.
Survival time, average viral load, and viral constant
| Patient | ta, years | v̄, copies HIV-1 RNA/ml × 104 | Viral constant, viral years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 108† | 3.8 | 11.3 | 1,128 |
| 30 | 4.0 | 16.2 | 1,439 |
| 26† | 4.1 | 15.7 | 1,434 |
| 6 | 4.6 | 12.0 | 1,415 |
| 33 | 4.9 | 7.85 | 1,232 |
| 69 | 5.6 | 5.65 | 1,195 |
| 80 | 6.4 | 4.45 | 1,207 |
| 56 | 6.4 | 3.23 | 1,040 |
| 94 | 6.9 | 4.61 | 1,336 |
| 42† | 7.5 | 3.35 | 1,239 |
| 85 | 7.6 | 4.52 | 1,448 |
| 103 | 7.6 | 6.06 | 1,671 |
| 19† | 7.9 | 1.39 | 849 |
| 21† | 9.5 | 4.72 | 1,853 |
| 1 | 10.6 | 2.98 | 1,651 |
| 54† | 13.7 | 1.32 | 1,432 |
| Mean | 6.9 | 6.58 | 1,348 |
| Min | 3.8 | 1.32 | 849 |
| Max | 13.7 | 16.2 | 1,853 |
| SD | 2.7 | 4.73 | 252 |
Average viral load for a given patient was calculated as the arithmetic mean of all viral load measurements for that patient. This method presupposes nothing about the trend viral load follows over time, provided measurements are taken at roughly even time intervals, and is therefore compatible with both the set point hypothesis and observations of exponential increase over time. Note that the viral constant (ta·v̄0.49) is relatively unchanged from patient to patient around a mean of 1,348 ± 63 viral years (σ = 252). †, Patients who experienced a significant exponential increase in viral load.