[Changes in CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets in HIV-infected children differently correlate with viral replication and thymic function].
OBJECTIVE
We intended to study the relationship between T-cell subsets with plasmatic detectable viral load (VL) and T-receptor excision circles (TREC).


METHODS
Twenty HIV-infected children on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) were recruited in a 1-year longitudinal retrospective study. We analyzed the relationship between changes in peripheral blood T-cell subsets, VL and TREC markers by lineal regression.


RESULTS
Memory and activated CD4+ T-cells increases had a negative association with log10 TRECs increases. However, naive CD4+ T-cells increases had a positive association with log10 TRECs increases. In contrast, memory, activated and effector CD8+ T-cells increases positively correlated with log10 VL increases. On the other hand, naive CD8+ T-cells increases had a negative association with log10 VL increases.


CONCLUSIONS
CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells subsets change in a different way as a response to the changes produced by HAART in HIV vertically infected children. CD4+ T-cells are more dependent on thymic function and CD8+ T-cells are more dependent on viral replication. Thus, the decline in cellular activation would allow the production of more naive T-cells by the thymus.
Resino
Salvador
S
Laboratorio de Inmunobiología Molecular, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
Pérez
Alicia
A
Galán
Isabel
I
Bellón
José M
JM
Muñoz-Fernández
M Angeles
MA
D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000502:physiology; D019562:Viral Load