Activation and coreceptor expression of T lymphocytes induced by highly active antiretroviral therapy in Chinese HIV/AIDS patients.
BACKGROUND
At the end of 2005, 650,000 people lived with human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) in China, of whom 75 000 were AIDS patients. Many AIDS patients received highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) supported by the "China CARES" program but the immune responses of HAART were seldom reported. This study investigated the effect of HAART on the activation and coreceptor expression of T lymphocytes in Chinese HIV/AIDS patients and evaluated its effect on immune reconstitution.


METHODS
Seventeen HIV/AIDS patients were enrolled and three-color-flow cytometry was used to detect the activation of HLA-DR CD38 and the coreceptor CCR5, CXCR4 expression on T lymphocytes in whole blood samples taken from the patients before and after 3- or 6-month HAART.


RESULTS
The activation percents of CD4(+), CD8(+) T lymphocytes were significantly higher before therapy than the normal controls (HLA-DR/CD4: 40.47 +/- 18.85 vs 11.54 +/- 4.10; CD38/CD4: 81.34 +/- 10.86 vs 53.34 +/- 11.44; HLA-DR/CD8: 63.94 +/- 12.71 vs 25.67 +/- 9.18; CD38/CD8: 86.56 +/- 11.41 vs 58.84 +/- 6.16, all P < 0.01). After 6-month combined antiretroviral treatment, the activation of T lymphocytes in HIV/AIDS patients was significantly decreased (HLA-DR/CD4: 28.31 +/- 13.48; CD38/CD4: 69.88 +/- 12.64; HLA-DR/CD8: 46.56 +/- 18.64; CD38/CD8: 70.17 +/- 14.54, all P < 0.01 compared with the pre-treatment values). Before the treatment, CCR5 expression on CD8(+) T lymphocytes was up-regulated while CXCR4 expression on CD8(+) T lymphocytes downregulated in HIV/AIDS patients compared with the normal controls (CD8/CCR5: 70.91 +/- 10.03 vs 52.70 +/- 7.68; CD8/CXCR4: 24.14 +/- 11.08 vs 50.05 +/- 11.68, all P < 0.01). After 6-month HAART, CCR5 expression on CD8(+) T lymphocytes significantly decreased (56.35 +/- 12.96, P < 0.01), while CXCR4 expression on CD8(+) T lymphocytes increased (36.95 +/- 9.96, P < 0.05) compared with the pre-treatment and the normal controls. A significant statistical relationship was observed between the expression of activation markers, CCR5 and the CD4(+) T lymphocyte counts after HAART (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Reduced activation of T lymphocytes and a normalization of coreceptor expression were observed in Chinese HIV/AIDS patients after HAART. Immunity can be restored in HIV/AIDS patients receiving HAART.
Zhang
Zi-ning
ZN
Key Laboratory of Immunology of AIDS, Ministry of Health, First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
Shang
Hong
H
Jiang
Yong-jun
YJ
Liu
Jing
J
Dai
Di
D
Diao
Ying-ying
YY
Geng
Wen-qing
WQ
Jin
Xin
X
Wang
Ya-nan
YN
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D019707:Receptors, Chemokine