title: Pilot study of the effects of intermittent interleukin-2 on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific immune responses in patients treated during recently acquired HIV infection.
abstract: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiated during acute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection may preserve HIV-specific CD4+ T cell responses that are thought to enhance HIV-specific CD8+ T cell function. The present pilot study was designed to determine whether preserved HIV-specific immune responses are augmented by the administration of the immunomodulatory agent interleukin (IL)-2. Nine persons recently (<6 months) infected with HIV were randomized to receive HAART alone or HAART plus 3 cycles of intermittent IL-2 during a 12-month period. Although HAART plus IL-2 significantly increased counts of total and naive CD4+ T cells, compared with HAART alone, there was no increase in CD4+ or CD8+ HIV-specific immune responses. In addition, adjuvant IL-2 therapy did not reduce the pool of HIV-infected resting CD4+ T cells. Thus, although intermittent IL-2 plus HAART quantitatively increased CD4+ T cells, this increase was not selective for HIV-specific CD4+ or CD8+ T cell responses in recently infected persons.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. mdybul@nih.gov
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dybul
authors.forename: Bertha
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: Tae-Wook
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belson
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Migueles
authors.forename: Jesse S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Justement
authors.forename: Betsey
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Herpin
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Claire W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hallahan
authors.forename: Richard T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Davey
authors.forename: Julia A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Metcalf
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Connors
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Fauci
mesh_terms: D000480:Alkynes; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D048588:Benzoxazines; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D004357:Drug Synergism; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D019469:Indinavir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D010078:Oxazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018119:Stavudine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000480:Alkynes; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D048588:Benzoxazines; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010078:Oxazines; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine; D019469:Indinavir; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D018119:Stavudine; C098320:efavirenz