HIV and decreased risk of multiple sclerosis: role of low CD4+ lymphocyte count and male prevalence

J Neurovirol. 2017 Feb;23(1):147-151. doi: 10.1007/s13365-016-0471-2. Epub 2016 Jul 18.

Abstract

In this retrospective case-control study, we compared the number of circulating lymphocyte subsets among 31 healthy controls, 18 naïve and 40 antiretroviral-treated HIV patients, 28 untreated and 18 treated relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Lymphocyte subsets were no different between untreated MS patients and controls. Untreated and treated MS had a lower CD8+ count and a higher CD4+ number compared to untreated and treated HIV patients except similar CD4+ number between treated MS and HIV patients. CD4/CD8 ratio was lower in female HIV non-responders and in relapsing MS women compared, respectively, to female HIV responders and remitting MS women, and there were no differences in men.

Keywords: CD4+ count; HIV positive dermatological patients; Multiple Sclerosis; circulating lymphocytes; gender.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-HIV Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active
  • Biomarkers / analysis
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • CD4-CD8 Ratio
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / virology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / virology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Glatiramer Acetate / therapeutic use
  • HIV Infections / diagnosis*
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy
  • HIV Infections / immunology
  • HIV Infections / virology
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use*
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Interferon-beta / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / diagnosis*
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / drug therapy
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / immunology
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / virology
  • Prognosis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sex Factors
  • Viral Load / drug effects

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • Biomarkers
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Glatiramer Acetate
  • Interferon-beta