Serum leptin and CD4+ T lymphocytes in HIV+ children during highly active antiretroviral therapy.
OBJECTIVE
Because leptin, the adipocyte-derived hormone, affects thymocyte survival, proliferation of naïve T lymphocytes and the production of proinflammatory cytokines, we aimed to investigate the role of this molecule in immunoreconstitution during highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).


METHODS
Prospective longitudinal cohort study. A series of 20 HIV+ children were studied. The subjects were grouped by their increase in serum leptin levels after HAART.


METHODS
All participants were weight-stable, free of endocrine disorders and opportunistic infections and equally distributed for sex (males, n=10; females, n=10). Body mass index (BMI), serum lipids, leptin, CD4+ T cells and HIV-1 RNA were measured before initiation of HAART and after a 2-year follow-up.


RESULTS
Serum leptin concentration positively correlated with CD4+ lymphocyte number before treatment. HAART significantly reduced viraemia and increased serum levels of lipids in all patients, whereas a significant increase in CD4+ cells and serum leptin was observed in the majority of patients. Notably, in children where HAART was not effective in increasing CD4+ lymphocyte counts, serum leptin did not increase.


CONCLUSIONS
To our knowledge, these findings reveal for the first time a novel link among CD4+ T lymphocytes, serum leptin and highly active anteretroviral theraphy.
Matarese
G
G
Istituto di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche and Cattedra di Immunologia, Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare, Università di Napoli Federico II, Roma, Italy.
Castelli-Gattinara
G
G
Cancrini
C
C
Bernardi
S
S
Romiti
M L
ML
Savarese
C
C
Di Giacomo
A
A
Rossi
P
P
Racioppi
L
L
D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015992:Body Mass Index; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D019562:Viral Load
D020738:Leptin; D008055:Lipids