Research
T cell Activation does not drive CD4 decline in longitudinally followed HIV-infected Elite Controllers
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* Corresponding author: Nicole F Bernard nicole.bernard@mcgill.ca
1 Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
2 Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
3 Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
4 Immunodeficiency Service and Division of Hematology, Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
5 Clinique L'Actuel, Montréal, Québec, Canada
6 Clinique du Quartier Latin, Montréal, Québec, Canada
7 Clinical Sciences Division and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
8 Maple Leaf Clinic, Toronto, ON, Canada
9 Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
AIDS Research and Therapy 2011, 8:20 doi:10.1186/1742-6405-8-20
Published: 16 June 2011Abstract
Background
Elite controllers (EC) are a rare subset of HIV infected individuals who control viral load below 50 copies/ml of plasma without treatment.
Methods
Thirty four EC were studied. The slope of CD4 count change was available for 25 of these subjects. We assessed immune activation by measuring the percent of CD38+HLA-DR+CD8+ T cells in the EC group and comparing it with that in 24 treatment-naïve HIV disease progressors and 13 HIV uninfected healthy controls.
Results
Compared to HIV uninfected subjects, EC had higher percentages of CD38+HLA-DR+CD8+ T cells (p < 0.001) that was lower than that observed in progressors (p < 0.01). Fifteen of 25 EC had a slope of CD4 count change that was not significantly different from 0 while 3 had a positive and 7 a negative CD4 count slope. Immune activation did not distinguish EC subsets with stable/increasing versus declining CD4 counts.
Conclusions
Elevated immune activation in ECs is not associated with a faster rate of CD4 decline