title: Serum immune activation markers are persistently increased in patients with HIV infection after 6 years of antiretroviral therapy despite suppression of viral replication and reconstitution of CD4+ T cells.
abstract: The effect of long-term antiretroviral therapy on serum immune activation markers was assessed in a cohort of 63 patients before and after 6 years of boosted lopinavir-based antiretroviral therapy. High levels of most markers were associated with lower CD4(+) T cell counts at baseline and at year 6, with the exception of soluble cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (sCTLA-4); high levels of sCTLA-4 were associated with higher CD4(+) T cell counts at year 6. Abnormalities of serum immune activation markers persisted after 6 years of ART but probably had different causes. Further investigation of the clinical usefulness of assaying immunoglobulin A, neopterin, and sCTLA-4 levels to assess the effectiveness of treatments for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease are warranted.
authors.affiliation: School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia, and Department of Clinical Immunology and Immunogenetics, Royal Perth Hospital and PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Perth, Australia. martyn.french@health.wa.gov.au
authors.forename: Martyn A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: French
authors.forename: Martin S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Jean M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tschampa
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Landay
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D012367:RNA, Viral