Purpose: To determine the relationship between plasma and intraocular human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) viral loads in 12 consecutive patients undergoing ganciclovir implant surgery for cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis.
Methods: Aqueous and vitreous specimens were assayed for HIV-1 viral load by polymerase chain reaction analysis (Roche Amplicor HIV Monitor; Roche Diagnostics Systems, Inc, Branchburg, New Jersey).
Results: It was possible to quantitatively assay HIV-1 burden in intraocular fluids using polymerase chain reaction analysis. In general, patients with plasma viral loads less than 250,000 copies/ml had undetectable (<200 copies/ml) HIV-1 in their aqueous and vitreous.
Conclusions: It is likely that intraocular viral levels have several determinants in addition to plasma viral loads, with which they only partially correlate.