CASP1 and HIV-1 infection: Transcripts for caspases 1 (median 1.5-fold), 3 (median 1.4-fold), and 6 (median 1.8-fold), all proteases involved in programmed cell death, as well as IFI16 (median 1.8-fold), a DNA sensor involved in cell death and associated with HIV-1 infection (33), were also increased by peak VL, but only levels of transcripts for caspase 1 and IFI16 reached statistical significance.