Memory CD4+ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood that express integrins a4ß7 preferentially recirculate through gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), a proposed site of significant HIV-1 replication. Tregs and activated CD4 + T cells in GALT could also be particularly susceptible to infection. We therefore hypothesized that infection of these subsets of memory CD4+ T cells may contribute disproportionately to the HIV-1 reservoir. A cross-sectional study of CD4 + T cell subsets of memory CD45RO + cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was conducted using leukapheresis from eight subjects with untreated chronic HIV-1 infection. Realtime polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to quantify total and integrated HIV-1 DNA levels from memory CD4 + T cells sorted into integrin b7 + vs. b7 -, CD25 + CD127 low Treg vs. CD127 high , and activated CD38 + vs. CD38 -. More than 80% of total HIV-1 DNA was found to reside in the integrin b7-negative nongut-homing subset of CD45RO + memory CD4 + T cells. Less than 10% was found in highly purified Tregs or CD38+ activated memory cells. Similarly, integrated HIV-1 DNA copies were found to be more abundant in resting non-gut-homing memory CD4 + T cells (76%) than in their activated counterparts (23%). Our investigations showed that the majority of both total and integrated HIV-1 DNA was found within non-gut-homing resting CD4 + T cells.