Increased thymic mass and circulating naive CD4 T cells in HIV-1-infected adults treated with growth hormone.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether treatment with growth hormone (GH) enhances thymopoiesis in individuals infected with HIV-1.


METHODS
Five HIV-1-infected adults were treated with GH for 6-12 months in a prospective open-label study. Immunological analyses were performed before GH treatment and repeated at 3 month intervals after GH initiation. Thymic mass was analysed using computed tomography with quantitative density and volume analysis. Analysis of circulating lymphocytes, including naive and memory T cell subsets, was performed using multiparameter flow cytometry.


RESULTS
GH treatment was associated with a marked increase in thymic mass in all GH recipients. Circulating naive CD4 T cells also increased significantly in all patients during GH therapy, suggesting an enhancement of thymopoiesis.


CONCLUSIONS
GH has significant effects on the human immune system, including the reversal of thymic atrophy in HIV-1-infected adults. De-novo T cell production may thus be inducible in immunodeficient adults.
Napolitano
Laura A
LA
Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94141, USA.
Lo
Joan C
JC
Gotway
Michael B
MB
Mulligan
Kathleen
K
Barbour
Jason D
JD
Schmidt
Diane
D
Grant
Robert M
RM
Halvorsen
Robert A
RA
Schambelan
Morris
M
McCune
Joseph M
JM
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019891:Leukopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D019382:Human Growth Hormone