Affiliations 

  • 1 Y. R. Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education, VHS Hospital Campus, Taramani, Chennai, India
  • 2 University of Maryland School of Medicine, College Park, MD 20742, United States
  • 3 Emory University, 201 Dowman Dr, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States
Curr HIV Res, 2018;16(4):302-314.
PMID: 30543175 DOI: 10.2174/1570162X17666181212122607

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Anti-viral cytokine expressions by cytotoxic T-cells and lower activation rates have been reported to correlate with suppressed HIV replication in long-term non-progressors (LTNP). Immune mechanisms underlying disease non-progression in LTNP might vary with HIV-1 subtype and geographical locations.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates cytokine expression and T-cells activation in relation to disease non-progression in LTNP.

METHODS: HIV-1 Subtype C infected LTNP (n=20) and progressors (n=15) were enrolled and flowcytometry assays were performed to study HIV-specific CD8 T-cells expressing IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α and MIP-1β against gag and env peptides. CD4+ T-cell activation was evaluated by surface expression of HLADR and CD38.

RESULTS: Proportions of cytokines studied did not differ significantly between LTNP and progressors, while contrasting correlations with disease progression markers were observed in LTNP. CD4+ T-cell activation rates were significantly lower in LTNP compared to progressors which indicate the potential role of T-cell activation rates in disease non-progression in LTNP.

CONCLUSION: LTNP and progressors showed similar CD8+ T-cell responses, but final conclusions can be drawn only by comparing multiple immune factors in larger LTNP cohort with HIV-1 infected individuals at various levels of disease progression. A possible role of HIV-1 subtype variation and ethnic differences in addition to host-genetic and viral factors cannot be ruled out.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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