title: CD4 T cell survival after intermittent interleukin-2 therapy is predictive of an increase in the CD4 T cell count of HIV-infected patients.
abstract: Administration of interleukin (IL)-2 to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients leads to significant increases in CD4 T cell counts. We previously have shown that IL-2 induces increased proliferation and survival of CD4 T cells. Deuterium labeling studies were undertaken to study the relationship between IL-2-induced increases in the CD4 T cell count and the effects of IL-2 on cell proliferation and survival. A strong inverse correlation was noted between the rate of decay of the label in CD4 cells and increases in CD4 cell counts (R =or- 0.67; P<.001). This correlation was not seen with the level of proliferating cells. Although the CD4 cell count at baseline and the number of CD4 cells expressing CD25 were also predictive of increases in the CD4 cell count, the rate of decay remained the most statistically significant predictor in multivariate regression models. Thus, an increase in the survival of CD4 T cells appears to be the critical mechanism leading to sustained increases in the CD4 cell counts of HIV-infected patients receiving intermittent IL-2 therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA. readsa@niaid.nih.gov
authors.forename: Sarah W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Read
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lempicki
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Mascio
authors.forename: Sharat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srinivasula
authors.forename: Rosanne
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sachau
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bosche
authors.forename: Joseph W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Adelsberger
authors.forename: Irini
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sereti
authors.forename: Richard T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Davey
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tavel
authors.forename: Chiung-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Haleem J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Issaq
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: H  Clifford
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kovacs
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003903:Deuterium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D018579:Patient Selection
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007376:Interleukin-2; D003903:Deuterium; D005947:Glucose