Proviral load analysis of mononuclear leukocytes. Genomic DNA was isolated from lymphocytes and used in a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay to detect proviral copy numbers. (A) Rabbits treated with 20 mg/kg CsA before infection displayed significant increases in the number of proviral copies up to 4 weeks after infection. The difference between 10 mg/kg CsA-treated rabbits and the control rabbits was not statistically significant. (B) Rabbits treated with 20 mg/kg CsA after infection displayed a decrease in the number of provirus-carrying lymphocytes after the beginning of CsA treatment.