HIV set point

The HIV set point is the viral load of a person infected with HIV, which stabilizes after a period of acute HIV infection. The set point is reached after the immune system has developed specific Cytotoxic T cells and begins to attempt to fight the virus. The higher the viral load of the set point, the faster the virus will progress to AIDS; the lower the viral load of the set point, the longer the patient will remain in clinical latency. The only effective way to lower the set point is through highly active antiretroviral therapy. The set point is not completely fixed and constant, but can be quite dynamic with significant fluctuations.