Reconstitution of naive T cells during antiretroviral treatment of HIV-infected adults is dependent on age.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the influence of age on the regeneration rate of naive and memory T cells in the blood of 45 adults on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).


METHODS
The age of the patients ranged from 25 to 57 years. Naive cells were defined as CD45RA+CD27+. Cells negative for CD45RA and/or CD27 were considered memory type cells.


RESULTS
The recovery rates of naive CD4 and CD8 T cells were similar, were negatively correlated with age and were decreasing 5% and 3.6% per year, respectively. In a multivariate regression analysis, only age was significantly correlated with the naive T cell recovery rates. The recovery rate of memory T cells showed no relation to age. The average regeneration rate of naive CD4 T cells during HAART, i.e., 0.34 x 10(6) cells/l per day, is not lower than regeneration rates in HIV-negative adults following cytotoxic chemotherapy or CD4 monoclonal antibody therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
These observations suggest that the thymus contributes considerably to the regeneration of naive T cells in adults on HAART, and that the impact of HIV infection on naive T cell production is small, or rapidly reversible.
Cohen Stuart
James
J
Department of Virology, Eijkman-Winkler Institute, University Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Hamann
Dörte
D
Borleffs
Jan
J
Roos
Marijke
M
Miedema
Frank
F
Boucher
Charles
C
de Boer
Rob
R
D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects*; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / Q000032:analysis
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens