Characteristics of DC subsets in chronic HIV-1 infected patients during antiretroviral therapy / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To understand the dynamics of DC subsets in chronic HIV-infected patients during antiretroviral therapy (ART).Methods Seventeen treatment-naive chronic HIV-infected patients were enrolled in our study,and blood was collected at week 0,4,12,24,48 and 60 of ART.Additional 15 HIV-uninfected age-matched healthy adults and 15 long term non-progressors(LTNP) were recruited as controls.CD4+T cell counts and viral loads were examined routinely.The counts of DC subsets were measured by flow cytometry and IFN-α plasma levels were measured by ELISA.Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16.0.Results ( 1 ) Before ART,mDC ( percentage and absolute count) in ⅢⅤ-infected group were significantly lower than those in healthy group and LTNP group,P＜0.001 in both groups.After 60 weeks of ART,mDC in HIV-infeeted group were significantly increased,and there were no significant differences compared with healthy controls and LTNP group.(2) pDC and IFN-α plasma levels remained relatively stable during ART,and similar to those in healthy controls and LTNP group.(3)Significant associations were found for DC subsets and CD4+ T cell counts before ART.mDC subsets at week 12,24,60 post ART were positively correlated with CD4+ T cell counts,and negntively correlated with virus load.Changes in mDC at week 8 post ART positively correlated with the changes in CD4+T cells at week 60 post ART,and negatively correlated with the changes in virus load at week 60 post ART.Conclusion The counts of mDC significantly reduced in HIV-infected patients,increased after ART,and positively correlated with CD4+ T cell counts.The findings suggest that mDC may play an important role in controlling HIV infection,mDC may serve as an early predictor for immune reconstitution in the initiation of ART.