title: Effect of Antiretroviral Therapy on the Memory and Activation Profiles of B Cells in HIV-Infected African Women.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus infection induces a wide range of effects in B cells, including skewed memory cell differentiation, compromised B cell function, and hypergammaglobulinemia. However, data on the extent to which these B cell abnormalities can be reversed by antiretroviral therapy (ART) are limited. To investigate the effect of ART on B cells, the activation (CD86) and differentiation (IgD, CD27, and CD38) profiles of B cells were measured longitudinally in 19 HIV-infected individuals before (median, 2 mo) and after ART initiation (median, 12 mo) and compared with 19 age-matched HIV-uninfected individuals using flow cytometry. Twelve months of ART restored the typical distribution of B cell subsets, increasing the proportion of naive B cells (CD27-IgD+CD38-) and concomitantly decreasing the immature transitional (CD27-IgD+CD38+), unswitched memory (CD27+IgD+CD38-), switched memory (CD27+IgD-CD38-or CD27-IgD-CD38-), and plasmablast (CD27+IgD-CD38high) subsets. However, B cell activation was only partially normalized post-ART, with the frequency of activated B cells (CD86+CD40+) reduced compared with pre-ART levels (p = 0.0001), but remaining significantly higher compared with HIV-uninfected individuals (p = 0.0001). Interestingly, unlike for T cell activation profiles, the extent of B cell activation prior to ART did not correlate with HIV plasma viral load, but positively associated with plasma sCD14 levels (p = 0.01, r = 0.58). Overall, ART partially normalizes the skewed B cell profiles induced by HIV, with some activation persisting. Understanding the effects of HIV on B cell dysfunction and restoration following ART may provide important insights into the mechanisms of HIV pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ramla F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Tanko
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa.
authors.forename: Andreia P
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9003-222X
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa.
authors.forename: Tracey L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4013, South Africa.
authors.forename: Nigel J
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4530-234X
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.affiliation: Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4013, South Africa.
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3582-5718
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Samsunder
authors.affiliation: Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4013, South Africa.|Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032; and.
authors.forename: Quarraisha
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0985-477X
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Abdool Karim
authors.affiliation: Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4013, South Africa.|Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032; and.
authors.forename: Salim S
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4986-2133
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Abdool Karim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa.|Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riou
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; wendy.burgers@uct.ac.za.|Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa.
authors.forename: Wendy A
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3396-9398
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Burgers
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents