title: Residual viremia in patients on antiretroviral therapy incorporating nevirapine is not associated with the gag-specific cellular immune response.
abstract: To determine whether residual plasma viremia in HIV(+) patients on nevirapine-including antiretroviral therapy (ART) is related to anti-HIV cellular immune responses, a case-control study was conducted comparing residual viremia in patients with detectable and undetectable Gag-specific T-cell responses. Gag-specific responses were measured by IFN-γ ELISpot. Residual viremia was determined at two consecutive hospital visits by an ultra-sensitive technique with a detection limit of 2 copies/ml. Median residual viremia was not different in patients with a positive Gag-specific ELISpot (n = 25) compared to those with a negative Gag-specific ELISpot (n = 30, P = 0.91). Ten of 25 (40%) patients with consistent detectable residual viremia and 4 of 12 (33%) patients with consistently undetectable residual viremia had a positive Gag-specific ELISpot. Undetectable residual viremia was associated with the duration of ART including nevirapine (P < 0.05), but not with the Gag-specific ELISpot response. Gag-specific CTL in patients on ART therefore appear to have no impact on the virus-producing cells that are responsible for residual viremia during ART.
authors.affiliation: EA4271 Immunovirology and Genetic Polymorphism Laboratory, University of Nantes, LUNAM Universités, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Dorian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McIlroy
authors.forename: Clotilde
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Allavena
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodallec
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Billaud
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferré
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Raffi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D058501:Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019829:Nevirapine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014766:Viremia; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D019829:Nevirapine
keywords: CTL; HIV; antiretroviral therapy; viremia