title: T-cell mean telomere lengths changes in treatment naïve HIV-infected patients randomized to G-CSF or placebo simultaneously with initiation of HAART.
abstract: The effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) on mean telomere restriction fragment (TRF) length of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was examined in 11 treatment naïve human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals with a CD4+ T-cell count < 350 cells/mm3. Patients were randomized to HAART combined with G-CSF thrice weekly for 12 weeks (n = 6) or placebo (n = 5). An increase in the mean TRF lengths was observed in PBMC of patients on HAART after 24 weeks of treatment mainly owing to increased mean CD8+ T-cell TRF lengths. However, in the group of patients on HAART combined with G-CSF no changes of PBMC mean TRF length was observed during treatment or during 12 weeks of follow-up. The mean CD4+ T-cell TRF length did not change in any of the two groups. These results confirm that HAART induces mainly the lengthening of the mean CD8+ T-cell TRF length. However, G-CSF given simultaneously with HAART induces an inhibition of the expected lengthening in mean TRF length. These results do therefore not support the use of adjuvant G-CSF treatment simultaneously when initiating HAART and should further be evaluated before use in non-neutropenic HIV-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. Infdisha@rh.dk
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aladdin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Von Essen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schjerling
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katzenstein
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gerstoft
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Skinhøj
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Klarlund Pedersen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ullum
mesh_terms: D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016615:Telomere / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor