title: Antiretroviral treatment of HIV infection does not influence HIV-specific immunity but has an impact on non-specific immune activation.
abstract: HIV-specific and non-specific immune responses are crucial in the immunopathogenesis of HIV infection. Therefore, the objective of our study was to analyse the frequency and functional status of HIV-specific CD8+ T cells and the expression of non-specific activation markers on CD8+ T cells in HIV+ patients, and to assess the effects of combined antiretroviral treatment (cART). We examined 28 HIV+ patients, including 13 patients not receiving therapy and 15 patients on cART therapy using ELISpot assay and flow cytometry with intracellular and MHC tetramer staining. MHC tetramers detected HIV-specific CD8+ T cells in 6 HIV+ patients on cART and in 7 untreated individuals; the ELISpot method detected these cells in 5 untreated HIV+ individuals only. Reduced intracellular IFN-γ and IL-2 production by HIV-specific CD8+ T cells was detected in both treated and untreated HIV+ patients, and multifunctional CD8+ T cells simultaneously producing these cytokines were not found in any patient. In contrary to these findings, the percentage of CD8+ T cells expressing CD38 and HLA-DR was significantly higher in untreated patients as compared to HIV+ patients on cART. Together, these results suggest that the alterations of HIV-specific immunity are not influenced by the therapy of HIV infection; whereas, the non-specific chronic immune activation is down-regulated by cART.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and University Hospital Bulovka, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zofia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bartovská
authors.forename: Ondřej
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Beran
authors.forename: Hanuš
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rozsypal
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holub
mesh_terms: D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D058501:Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma; C498154:CD38 protein, human; D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1