T-cell response of advanced aids patients after highly active antiretroviral therapy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the response on late stage Chinese AIDS patients after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).


METHODS
From October 2002 to March 2004, 20 cases of late stage Chinese AIDS patients were selected to participate in this opened and randomised study, we purposely chose those with CD4+ T cell counts <100/mm3. All of them had one or two opportunistic infections and none had been treated with anti-HIV drugs. All patients were tested with CD4+ (naive CD4+ T cell defined by CD45RA+ and CD62L+, memory CD4+ T cell defined by CD45RA-), CD8+ T cell, plasma HIV viral load, and clinical manifestations on before, during, and after HAART (5 different regimes) on 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.


RESULTS
Before HAART mean CD4+ T cell counts were 32 +/- 31 (range 2-91)/mm3, and plasma HIV viral load were 5.07 +/- 0.85 (range 2.04-5.70) log copies/mL. In 1 month's time patients treated with HAART had mean CD4+ and CD8 T cell counts increasing rapidly. After 1 month the increasing speed turned to slow down, but HIV viral load decreased predominantly within the first 3 months. The major part of increasing CD4+ T cells were memory CD4+ T cells, as fol naive CD4+ T cells increasing low and slow. Clinical symptoms and signs improved, and opportunistic infections reduced. The quality of life will be far much better than before. Each patient was followed for 12 months, and had finished 12 months' HAART.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report in China that late stage Chinese AIDS patients after HAART could have their immune reconstitution. The regular pattern is similar to what had been reported in Western countries and also in China. So it is worth to treat late stage Chinese AIDS patients with HAART.
Wang
Ai-xia
AX
Department of Medicine Infectious Diseases Section, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730.
Li
Tai-sheng
TS
Cao
Yun-zhen
YZ
Han
Yang
Y
Qiu
Zhi-feng
ZF
Xie
Jing
J
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016049:Didanosine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019829:Nevirapine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018119:Stavudine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019562:Viral Load
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D019829:Nevirapine; D018119:Stavudine; D016049:Didanosine