Similar changes in plasmacytoid dendritic cell and CD4 T-cell counts during primary HIV-1 infection and treatment.
OBJECTIVE
Reduced dendritic cell (DC) frequencies and functions in individuals with longstanding HIV-1 infection are predictive of opportunistic infections and AIDS. To investigate possible early alterations in DC levels after HIV infection, we prospectively examined plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) and myeloid dendritic cell (mDC) frequencies and plasma IFN-alpha levels in patients undergoing primary HIV-1 infection (PHI).


METHODS
Peripheral blood DC frequencies and absolute counts were determined by flow cytometry. Plasma IFN-alpha levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
In comparison to uninfected subjects, pDC, but not mDC, levels were reduced (P < 0.001) in subjects with PHI, especially in those with high viral loads or low CD4 T-cell counts. During 24-48 weeks of observation, untreated subjects experienced slight declines in pDC and CD4 T-cell levels. In contrast, subjects initiating early antiretroviral therapy (ART) exhibited increases (P < 0.001) in pDC and CD4 T-cell counts. No effect of treatment on mDC counts was observed. Circulating plasma IFN-alpha was undetectable by ELISA regardless of the duration of HIV-1 infection.


CONCLUSIONS
PHI is characterized by a reduction in pDC and CD4 T-cell counts that correlates with the magnitude of virus replication and is not evidenced by the mDC count or plasma IFN-alpha level. Early ART appears to have similar restorative effects on pDC and CD4 T-cell counts.
Killian
M Scott
MS
Department of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Fujimura
Sue H
SH
Hecht
Frederick M
FM
Levy
Jay A
JA
D000328:Adult; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D007371:Interferon-gamma