CD38+CD8+ T-cells negatively correlate with CD4 central memory cells in virally suppressed HIV-1-infected individuals

• Published in: AIDS (London) Vol. 22; no. 15; pp. 1937 - 1941
• Main Author: KOLBER, Michael A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01.10.2008
• Subjects: ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1 - analysis; Adult; Aged; AIDS/HIV; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Biological and medical sciences; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Follow-Up Studies; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Infections - virology; HIV-1; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunodeficiencies; Immunodeficiencies. Immunoglobulinopathies; Immunologic Memory; Immunopathology; Immunophenotyping; Infectious diseases; Lymphocyte Activation - immunology; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Viral Load; HIV/AIDS; Immunopathology; cell activation; Retroviridae; AIDS; Immune deficiency; Lentivirus; Infection; Virus; naive cells; Immunological investigation; Viral disease; memory cells; T-Lymphocyte; CD38; Human immunodeficiency virus
• ISSN: 0269-9370; 1473-5571
• DOI: 10.1097/QAD.0b013e32830f97e2

Studies have found that CD8 T-cell activation, as measured by CD38 expression, in HIV-1-infected individuals on suppressive therapy for longer than 12 months is not predictive of CD4 T-cell recovery. Owing to the fact that reconstitution of memory and naive T-cell populations occurs differentially over time, this study evaluated whether distinct memory/naive CD4 T-cell subsets correlated with CD38 on CD8 T-cells. Whole blood from 13 participants was used to evaluate activation phenotypic markers on CD8 lymphocytes and memory/naive phenotypes on CD4 lymphocytes. These HIV-1-infected individuals had stable CD4 cell counts for more than 1 year while on suppressive combination antiretroviral therapy. The results demonstrate that CD4 central memory and naive cell populations contribute to the magnitude of CD4 T-cell reconstitution. CD4 central memory has a significant negative correlation with the percentage of CD38-activated CD8 T-cells. This suggests that CD8 activation is important in CD4 recovery from a low CD4 T-cell nadir.