title: The effect of a year of highly active antiretroviral therapy on immune reconstruction and cytokines in HIV/AIDS patients.
abstract: To investigate the effect of a year of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on immune reconstruction and cytokine production in HIV/AIDS patients, 35 AIDS patients were recruited for HAART treatment and 35 healthy volunteers were assigned as controls. The dynamic changes in HIV load, blood T cell subset counts, as well as interleukin (IL)-12, interferon (IFN)-γ, and interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) levels in AIDS patients were evaluated before HAART and at 6 and 12 months after therapy. Our results revealed that HIV virus load in HIV/AIDS patients was reduced below the detectable limit after patients received 6 months of HAART. CD3(+)CD4(+), CD4(+)CD45RA(+)62L(+), and CD4(+)CD45RO(+) T cells were found to be significantly decreased in HIV/AIDS patients compared to the healthy controls, but increased after HAART. CD3(+)CD8(+) and CD8(+)CD38(+) cells were found to be increased in HIV/AIDS patients but decreased after HAART. Plasma IL-12 and IFN-γ levels were lower but IP-10 level was higher in AIDS patients compared to controls. HAART significantly improved IL-12 and IFN- γ levels but reduced IP-10 level in AIDS patients (p<0.01). CD4(+)CD45RA(+)62L(+) and CD4(+)CD45RO(+) T cells were positively correlated with plasma IL-12/IFN-γ levels (p<0.05), but negatively correlated with plasma IP-10 level. However, CD3(+)CD8(+) cells were negatively correlated with plasma IL-12 and IFN-γ levels, but positively correlated with IP-10 level (p<0.05). HAART benefits HIV/AIDS patients by not only inhibiting virus replication but also by contributing to immune reconstruction, such as restoring subsets of T cells and adjusting cytokine production in HIV/AIDS patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yunhai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yuhuang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Huaying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Si
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Zi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10 / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D019562:Viral Load / Q000187:drug effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C114753:CXCL10 protein, human; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D016207:Cytokines; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma