Differences in clinical course in zidovudine-treated asymptomatic HIV-infected men associated with T-cell function at intake.
Declining CD4+ T-cell numbers and anti-CD3-induced T-cell responsiveness are prognostic markers for progression of HIV infection. We investigated the effect of long-term (2-year) zidovudine treatment on these immunological markers in a group of nine asymptomatic p24-antigenaemic men, five of whom progressed to AIDS. A group of 10 untreated HIV-infected men, five of whom progressed to AIDS, was studied as a control. At intake, 1 year before the start of treatment, CD4+ T-cell numbers in the groups were not significantly different. However, at that time progressors already exhibited an extremely low anti-CD3-induced T-cell responsiveness compared with non-progressors. In all people T-cell responsiveness and the number of CD4+ T-cells had improved 6 months after the start of zidovudine treatment. However, CD4+ T-cell numbers were not persistently elevated, and restoration of T-cell responsiveness was of only short duration. Our results show that zidovudine treatment in the asymptomatic phase of HIV infection did not result in a sustained improvement in T-cell function. Furthermore, they suggest that differences in clinical course among zidovudine-treated asymptomatics may be caused by heterogeneity of this group with respect to T-cell functional capacity at the start of treatment.
Central Laboratory of the Netherlands Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Amsterdam.
R A
RA
Gruters
F G
FG
Terpstra
J M
JM
Lange
M T
MT
Roos
T
T
Harkema
J W
JW
Mulder
F
F
De Wolf
P T
PT
Schellekens
F
F
Miedema
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002452:Cell Count; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D015215:Zidovudine