Evaluation of T Cell Receptor Gene Rearrangement Excision Circles after Antiretroviral Therapy in Children Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 183; no. 10; pp. 1445 - 1454
• Main Authors: Chavan, Surendra, Bennuri, Bindu, Kharbanda, Monica, Chandrasekaran, Alamelu, Bakshi, Saroj, Pahwa, Savita
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 15.05.2001; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Factors; AIDS; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; antiretroviral therapy; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Antiretrovirals; Antiviral agents; Apoptosis; Biological and medical sciences; CD4 antigen; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Child; Child, Preschool; Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte; HIV; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - genetics; HIV Infections - immunology; human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunology; Infant; Infants; Infectious diseases; Major Articles; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; T cell receptor excision circle; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - classification; Transponders; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Viral Load; Virology; Viruses; Human; Immunopathology; T cell receptor; Thymus gland; Suppression; Retroviridae; Infant; AIDS; Lentivirus; Immune deficiency; Blood; Infection; Virus; Blood cell; Treatment; Gene; Viral disease; T-Lymphocyte; Gene rearrangement; Antiviral; Human immunodeficiency virus; Child
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/320197

Immune reconstitution after antiretroviral therapy in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected patients may result from the recovery of thymus function, peripheral redistribution, or decreased T cell destruction. This study investigated levels of T cell receptor gene rearrangement excision circles (TRECs) as a measure of recent thymic emigrant cells in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 50 HIV-infected infants and children who were followed-up for 40 months after the start or change of antiretroviral therapy. At baseline, patients exhibited fewer TRECs than did uninfected control subjects. The increase in TRECs after antiretroviral therapy was greater in infants than in older HIV-infected children. Of interest, patients who demonstrated discordant responses (i.e., increased CD4 T cell counts without significant virologic suppression) also had substantial gains in TRECs. Furthermore, TRECs correlated positively with the number of CD4 and naive T cells and negatively with age and virus load. Measurement of TRECs may serve as a useful tool for evaluating immune reconstitution in HIV-infected children receiving antiretroviral therapy