title: Cytokine and Chemokine Signature in Elite Versus Viremic Controllers Infected with HIV.
abstract: HIV long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs) maintaining high CD4(+) T-cell counts without antiretroviral therapy (ART) are divided into elite controllers (ECs) with undetectable and viremic controllers (VCs) with low viral loads. Little is known about the long-term changes of T-cell subsets and inflammation patterns in ECs versus VCs. The aim of the study was to explore the long-term evolution of CD4(+) T-cell levels in LTNPs and to analyze cytokine profiles in ECs versus VCs. Nineteen ECs and 15 VCs were enrolled from the natural virus controller cohort (NaViC). T-cell counts were monitored over years, the mean annual change was calculated, and plasma concentrations of 25 cytokines were evaluated using a multiplex bead array. While absolute numbers of T cells did not differ between ECs and VCs over time, we observed a significant decrease of CD4(+) T-cell percentages in VCs, but not in ECs (median [interquartile range]: ECs: 37% [28-41] vs. VCs: 29% [25-34]; p = .02). ECs had lower levels of macrophage inflammatory protein-1β (MIP-1β, p = .003), interferon γ-induced protein-10 (IP-10, p = .03), and monokine induced by interferon-γ (MIG, p = .02). CD4(+) T-cell percentages inversely correlated with MIP 1-β (r = -0.42, p = .017) and IP-10 (r = -0.77, p < .0001). A subtle decline of CD4(+) T-cell percentages could be observed in VCs, but not in ECs, which was associated with higher plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Hence, even low levels of HIV replication might go along with a progressive decline in CD4(+) T-cell counts in LTNPs.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Cologne , Cologne, Germany .|2 German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) , partner site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany .
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Platten
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Cologne , Cologne, Germany .
authors.forename: Norma
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: 3 Institute of Virology, University of Cologne , Cologne, Germany .
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trapp
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Neurology, University of Cologne , Cologne, Germany .
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Flossdorf
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, m&i Specialty Hospital Bad Pyrmont , Bad Pyrmont, Germany .
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meyer-Olson
authors.affiliation: 2 German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) , partner site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany .|6 Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg, Germany .
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schulze Zur Wiesch
authors.affiliation: 7 J. H. Goethe University Germany , Frankfurt, Germany .
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stephan
authors.affiliation: 8 Center for HIV and Hepatogastroenterology , Dusseldorf, Germany .
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mauss
authors.affiliation: 9 Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Epidemiology, University of Cologne , Cologne, Germany .
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Cologne , Cologne, Germany .
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Bergwelt-Baildon
authors.affiliation: 2 German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) , partner site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany .|10 Department of Medicine, University Medical Center , Bonn, Germany .
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rockstroh
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Cologne , Cologne, Germany .|2 German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) , partner site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany .
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fätkenheuer
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Cologne , Cologne, Germany .|2 German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) , partner site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany .
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lehmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D020276:HIV Long-Term Survivors; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines