Immune function and phenotype before and after highly active antiretroviral therapy

• Published in: Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) Vol. 21; no. 5; p. 376
• Main Authors: Søndergaard, S R, Aladdin, H, Ullum, H, Gerstoft, J, Skinhøj, P, Pedersen, B K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 15.08.1999
• Subjects: Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Antigens, CD - analysis; Biomarkers; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Cells, Cultured; Disease Progression; Drug Therapy, Combination; Follow-Up Studies; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Protease Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Humans; Immunophenotyping; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - classification; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; Time Factors
• ISSN: 1525-4135
• DOI: 10.1097/00126334-199908150-00004

Immune functions represented by equal CD4 counts before and after highly active antiretroviral therapy (i.e., pre- and post-HAART) in the same HIV-infected patients, were examined. Twelve HIV-infected patients were included. Patients had equal CD4 counts pre- and post-HAART and were studied on average 30 months pre-HAART and 17 months post-HAART. Post-HAART, CD8+ T cells expressed greater amounts of CD28 (p < .02), smaller amounts of CD38 (p < .02), and a reduced proportion of CD4+CD28+ T cells expressed CD38+ (p < .01). Proliferation increased (p < 10) in lymphocyte cell cultures stimulated with pokeweed mitogens or Candida, and was correlated to expression of CD28 on T cells (p < .02). The proportion of CD3-CD16-CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells increased (p < .05) and CD3-CD16+CD56- NK cells declined (p < .01). Production of interferon-gamma increased (p < .10). The number of naive and memory T cells, the non-major histocompatibility complex (non-MHC)-restricted and HIV-specific MHC-restricted cytotoxicity and the production of macrophage inflammatory protein-1gamma were unchanged. The finding of increased expression of CD28, correlating to increased proliferation capacity, and diminished expression of CD38 on T cells, indicates that following long-term HAART, repopulation occurs with less activated cells with increased proliferative capacity. This finding may be of clinical importance in considering risk and vulnerability for progression of opportunistic infections post-HAART.