Persistent viral load in patients on HAART is associated with a higher level of activation-induced apoptosis of CD4(+) T cells.
Apoptosis is one of the mechanisms involved in the persistent CD4(+) T cell lymphopenia occurring in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The aim of this study was to look at the relationship between the level of T cell apoptosis in patients on HAART and their HIV viral load measurement. Forty-five patients receiving HAART for a median time of 5 months were included: 13 had an undetectable viral load and 32 had a viral load > or = 200 copies/mL. No relationship was observed between the level of spontaneous T cell apoptosis and the viral load measurement. Patients with a viral load > or = 200 copies/mL exhibited a significantly higher level of CD4-induced apoptosis of CD4(+) T cells, compared with patients with undetectable viraemia (38 versus 15%, respectively, P = 0.03). Activation-induced apoptosis may be involved in the paucity of the immune reconstitution observed in HIV-infected patients treated with HAART.
Roger
P M
PM
Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital de l'Archet, Nice, France.
Breittmayer
J P
JP
Cottalorda
J
J
Ticchioni
M
M
Mondain
V
V
Dellamonica
P
P
Bernard
A
A
D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000009:adverse effects; D017209:Apoptosis; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000502:physiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019562:Viral Load