Gut Homing CD4+ and CD8+ T-Cell Frequencies in HIV Infected Individuals on Antiretroviral Treatment

PLoS One. 2016 Nov 29;11(11):e0166496. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166496. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

The depletion of mucosal CD4+ T-cells occurs early in HIV infection and despite years on antiretroviral treatment (ART), this population never reconstitutes to pre-HIV infection levels. In an effort to understand the effect of ART initiation and different ART regimens on the reconstitution of mucosal T cells within the gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), we quantified the frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressing the gut homing receptors CCR9 and β7 in peripheral blood (PB) of HIV infected individuals naive to ART and treated individuals on both short-term (less than a year) and long-term ART (more than 2 years). We found that the gut homing CD4+ T cells were depleted in ART-naive individuals and increased after ART initiation but levels were not comparable to HIV uninfected individuals. Gut homing CD4+ T cell activation decreased after ART initiation whilst gut homing CD8+ T cell activation remained elevated in ART experienced individuals, especially in those individuals taking protease inhibitors. Our findings provide new insights into the effects of ART initiation and ART regimens on the frequency and immune status of gut homing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-HIV Agents / pharmacology*
  • Anti-HIV Agents / therapeutic use
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy*
  • HIV Infections / immunology*
  • HIV Infections / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Intestines / drug effects
  • Intestines / immunology*
  • Lymphocyte Activation / drug effects
  • Male
  • NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B / metabolism
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the Mexican Government (Comisión de Equidad y Género de las Legislaturas LX-LXI and Comisión de Igualdad de Género de la Legislatura LXII de la H. Cámara de Diputados de la República Mexicana). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.