1. Lymphoid Fibrosis Occurs in Long-Term Nonprogressors and Persists With Antiretroviral Therapy but May Be Reversible With Curative Interventions
- Author
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Sanchez, Joyce L, Hunt, Peter W, Reilly, Cavan S, Hatano, Hiroyu, Beilman, Gregory J, Khoruts, Alexander, Jasurda, Jake S, Somsouk, Ma, Thorkelson, Ann, Russ, Samuel, Anderson, Jodi, Deeks, Steven G, and Schacker, Timothy W
- Subjects
Medical Microbiology ,Biomedical and Clinical Sciences ,Immunology ,Clinical Research ,Sexually Transmitted Infections ,HIV/AIDS ,Infectious Diseases ,2.1 Biological and endogenous factors ,Aetiology ,Infection ,Good Health and Well Being ,Adult ,Anti-Retroviral Agents ,Biopsy ,CD4 Lymphocyte Count ,CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ,Cohort Studies ,Disease Progression ,Female ,Fibrosis ,HIV Infections ,HIV Long-Term Survivors ,HIV-1 ,Humans ,Longitudinal Studies ,Lymphoid Tissue ,Male ,Middle Aged ,Rectum ,Virus Replication ,HIV ,fibrosis ,HIV controllers ,Biological Sciences ,Medical and Health Sciences ,Microbiology ,Biological sciences ,Biomedical and clinical sciences ,Health sciences - Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication causes lymphoid tissue (LT) fibrosis, which causes CD4(+) T-cell depletion. It is unknown whether people who spontaneously control HIV replication have LT fibrosis. We measured LT fibrosis and CD4(+) T cells in 25 HIV controllers, 10 noncontrollers, 45 HIV-positive individuals receiving therapy, and 10 HIV-negative individuals. Controllers had significant LT fibrosis and CD4(+) T-cell depletion, similar to noncontrollers, but the so-called Berlin patient (in whom HIV infection was cured) had near normal LT. Thus, LT fibrosis occurs in all HIV-infected subjects, and current therapy does not reverse it. Reversal of fibrosis during a curative intervention suggests that ongoing low-level virus production may maintain LT fibrosis.
- Published
- 2015