1. State the type of study that was conducted.Prospective cohort. 2. What is the research question? Is detectable HIV-1 DNA represents replication-competent virus capable of initiating HIV-1 replication in the absence of cART?3. What was known or unknown before the study was conducted? the levels of HIV-1 DNA were already measured.
During the study, the following were already known. It was known that cART controls the replication of HIV-1, yet they were undetectable. Children experienced rebound during HIV-1 suppression when therapy was discontinued. Latent reservoir aid as the barrier when cure is being conducted, and it was known that during CD4+ T circulation HIV-1 DNA was detectable (McManus et al., 2016, p. 2). 4. What was the purpose of the study (should be at end of introduction)?
The study sought to find out the relationship between the levels of PBMC HIV-1 DNA circulation and the viremic exposure duration during the time of treatment preferably one year. The process also studied the levels quantified in testing the levels of PBMC HIV-1 DNA (McManus et al., 2016, p. 2). 5. What was the outcome and was it consistent with the researcher(s)' original research question?
The outcome of the study was consistent with the researchers' question. There was correlation between conducted pre- therapy log10 PBMC HIV-1 with the log10 DNA during plasma pre-therapy. The results were significant since there was p=0.002 deviance (McManus et al., 2016, p. 4). On the other hand, the levels of HIV-1 RNA showed r=0.59 and p<0.001. The study had difficulty in detecting the difference between LT and ET. Essentially, cART results concerning PBMC HIV-1 DNA were consistent. The consistency complied with the previous studies on the virologic controls. There was a significant decline in the replication of HIV during cARTS’s first year (McManus et al., 2016, p. 8).
6. What recommendation(s) did the researcher offer for future studies?
The researchers recommended the need to reduce HIV-1 reservoirs. Further, they recommended that more research be done on the effectiveness of the “Mississippi baby” approach. This will help in developing a lasting solution concerning remission of HIV-1 in children (McManus et al., 2016, p. 8).7. Do you feel the findings and research design are real and valid? Why or why not?
The findings are valid. Based on the research conducted, the researchers used appropriate data and various data collection techniques. The sample chosen gave inferential results. The researchers manipulated data to come up with meaningful conclusions concerning the cohort. Stata software was used to interpret data (McManus et al., 2016, p. 3). Regression and correlation models helped to interpret non-transformed data. Further, the parameters used were appropriate in developing the correlation with both the qualitative and quantitative data presentation. The research design also indicates the use of descriptive statistics, for example, the use of percentile to explain the pre-therapy responses. The design also helped in knowing the magnitude of the treatment regarding the replication of HIV-1 RNA and HIV-1 DNA in infants.
References
McManus, M., Mick, E., Hudson, R., Mofenson, L. M., Sullivan, J. L., Somasundaran, M., & Luzuriaga, K. (2016). Early Combination Antiretroviral Therapy Limits Exposure to HIV-1 Replication and Cell-Associated HIV-1 DNA Levels in Infants. PLOS ONE, 11(4), e0154391. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0154391
