T-Cell Subsets (T CM , T EM , T EMRA ) and Poly-Functional Immune Response in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection and Different T-CD4 Cell Response.

Objective: Dynamic changes of cytotoxic T cell responses against Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1) infection have been the subject of an innovative investigation using antiretroviral therapy (ART). Currently, human CD8 naïve central memory (T _CM ), effector memory (T _EM ), and effector memory cells re-expressing CD45RA (T _EMRA ) T-cells have been thoroughly studied with ART. CD45RA is a marker usually found on naïve T-cells.
Materials and Methods: We performed a longitudinal study of mono-/polyfunctional T-cells in the peripheral blood while targeting three functionally distinct cell populations of CD4 ⁺ and CD8 ⁺ T-cells (single IL2 and IFN-γ, dual IL2/IFN-γ) in 50 HIV-1 patients. These patients consisted of 5 controllers, 15 non-controllers, 20 ART responders, and 10 highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) non-responders.
Results: We found that (1) non-controllers had the highest rate of IFN-γ-expressing CD4 or CD8, but the lowest rate of IL2-producing CD4 or CD8. (2) The control of HIV-1 infection was associated with polyfunctional Gag-specific T cell responses in controllers and responders. (3) Non-responders had high serum levels of IL2 and IFN-γ. There was a high percentage of CD4 ⁺ T cell response cells within the less differentiated phenotype in controllers. CD8 ⁺ T cell showed a high rate of T _EM and T _EMRA in responders.
Conclusion: High levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines are typical in non-responders, exhausted T-cells may be associated with HIV-1 progression.
(© 2019 by the Association of Clinical Scientists, Inc.)