The Relationship between T Cell Proliferative Responses and Plasma Viremia during Treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection with Combination Antiretroviral Therapy

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 181; no. 4; pp. 1249 - 1263
• Main Authors: Binley, James M., Schiller, Daryl S., Ortiz, Gabriel M., Hurley, Arlene, Nixon, Douglas F., Markowitz, Martin M., Moore, John P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01.04.2000; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: AIDS/HIV; Ambulatory Care Facilities; Anti-HIV Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Antigens; antiretroviral agents; Biological and medical sciences; CD4 antigen; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Cell Division; Drug Therapy, Combination; Gag protein; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV; HIV 1; HIV Core Protein p24 - analysis; HIV Infections - drug therapy; human immunodeficiency virus 1; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Major Article; Medical sciences; RNA; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes - cytology; Time Factors; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Viral Load; Viremia; Viremia - drug therapy; Viruses; Human; Immunopathology; Drug combination; HIV-1 virus; Viremia; HAART protocole; Retroviridae; AIDS; Cellular immunity; Immune deficiency; Lentivirus; Biological monitoring; Infection; Virus; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Viral disease; T-Lymphocyte; Antiviral; Human immunodeficiency virus; Viral load
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/315379

The relationship between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 replication and CD4+ T cell function was examined. T lymphocyte proliferation in response to both HIV-1 antigens and recall antigens was measured in HIV-1—infected individuals before and after they received highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). No correlation was observed between baseline viral load or CD4+ T cell count and the T cell proliferative response to HIV-1 Gag. Suppression of viremia was not associated with an increase in T cell proliferative responses. Emergence of viral replication during short periods of intermittent therapy promoted generalized activation of T helper lymphocytes, manifested by increased T cell proliferative responses to HIV-1 Gag and recall antigens. Recovery of CD4+ T cell responses occurred in some individuals who initiated HAART years after infection and who were intermittently adherent to drug treatment. Thus, CD4+ T cell responses can sometimes be regenerated if viral load is suppressed to allow some immune recovery and if antigenic stimulation is later provided.