Positive Effects of Combined Antiretroviral Therapy on CD4+ T Cell Homeostasis and Function in Advanced HIV Disease
B. Autran,
*
G. Carcelain,
T. S. Li,
C. Blanc,
D. Mathez,
R. Tubiana,
C. Katlama,
P. Debré,
J. Leibowitch
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) increases
CD4+ cell numbers, but its ability to correct the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-induced immune deficiency remains
unknown. A three-phase T cell reconstitution was demonstrated after
HAART, with: (i) an early rise of memory CD4+ cells, (ii) a
reduction in T cell activation correlated to the decreasing retroviral
activity together with an improved CD4+ T cell reactivity
to recall antigens, and (iii) a late rise of "naïve"
CD4+ lymphocytes while CD8+ T cells declined,
however, without complete normalization of these parameters. Thus,
decreasing the HIV load can reverse HIV-driven activation and
CD4+ T cell defects in advanced HIV-infected patients.
B. Autran, G. Carcelain, T. S. Li, C. Blanc, P. Debré,
Laboratoire d'Immunologie Cellulaire, URA CNRS 625, Hôpital
Pitié-Salpétriêre, 47-83 Boulevard de
l'Hôpital, Paris, France.
D. Mathez and J. Leibowitch, Service d'Immunologie
Hématologie, Hôpital Raymond Poincaré, Garches,
France.
R. Tubiana and C. Katlama, Service de Maladies Infectieuses et
Tropicales, Hôpital Pitié-Salpétriêre, Paris,
France.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
autran{at}psl.ap-hop-paris.fr
These authors contributed equally to this work.
