T cell changes after combined nucleoside analogue therapy in HIV primary infection.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the immune changes after treatment of acute HIV-1 infection with triple nucleoside analogue therapy.


METHODS
Immunological and virological parameters were monitored from day 0 to weeks 36-44 in eight patients [median CD4 cells = 451 cells/microl (range: 149-624), viral load = 4.8 log10 copies/ml (range: 6.5-3.3)] who started at time of primary HIV infection (PHI) a therapy including zidovudine (ZDV), didanosine (ddl), and lamivudine (3TC).


METHODS
Lymphoid subsets were evaluated on peripheral blood lymphocytes by four-colour flow cytometry using a panel of mAbs directed against differentiation and activation markers.


RESULTS
We observed a median -2.1 (range: -1; -3.3) log10 copies/ml viral load decrease and a median +158 cells/microl (range: +7 to +316) CD4 cell count increase at week 4 reaching normal CD4 cell count values of 761 CD4 cells/microl (range: 389-1153) at weeks 36-44. Virus undetectability was obtained at week 24 for all subjects. A rapid CD4 T cell amplification involved both memory and naive CD4 T cells. This was associated with a very rapid and significant decrease in activation markers [human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR), CD38] on both CD4 and CD8 T cell subsets together with a CD8+CD28+ cell increase as early as week 4.


CONCLUSIONS
These results show that early therapy with nucleoside analogues can correct the immunological abnormalities observed in CD4 and CD8 T cell subsets at the time of PHI. This early kinetics in T cell recovery appears to be faster than in established disease.
Carcelain
G
G
Laboratoire d'Immunologie Cellulaire, CNRS-UMR 7527, Hôpital Pitié-Salpétriêre, Paris, France. carcel@ccr.jussieu.fr
Blanc
C
C
Leibowitch
J
J
Mariot
P
P
Mathez
D
D
Schneider
V
V
Saimot
A G
AG
Damond
F
F
Simon
F
F
Debré
P
P
Autran
B
B
Girard
P M
PM
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors