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Abstract

To investigate the effect of a year of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on immune reconstruction and cytokine production in HIV/AIDS patients, 35 AIDS patients were recruited for HAART treatment and 35 healthy volunteers were assigned as controls. The dynamic changes in HIV load, blood T cell subset counts, as well as interleukin (IL)-12, interferon (IFN)-γ, and interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) levels in AIDS patients were evaluated before HAART and at 6 and 12 months after therapy. Our results revealed that HIV virus load in HIV/AIDS patients was reduced below the detectable limit after patients received 6 months of HAART. CD3⁺CD4⁺, CD4⁺CD45RA⁺62L⁺, and CD4⁺CD45RO⁺ T cells were found to be significantly decreased in HIV/AIDS patients compared to the healthy controls, but increased after HAART. CD3⁺CD8⁺ and CD8⁺CD38⁺ cells were found to be increased in HIV/AIDS patients but decreased after HAART. Plasma IL-12 and IFN-γ levels were lower but IP-10 level was higher in AIDS patients compared to controls. HAART significantly improved IL-12 and IFN- γ levels but reduced IP-10 level in AIDS patients (p<0.01). CD4⁺CD45RA⁺62L⁺ and CD4⁺CD45RO⁺ T cells were positively correlated with plasma IL-12/IFN-γ levels (p<0.05), but negatively correlated with plasma IP-10 level. However, CD3⁺CD8⁺ cells were negatively correlated with plasma IL-12 and IFN-γ levels, but positively correlated with IP-10 level (p<0.05). HAART benefits HIV/AIDS patients by not only inhibiting virus replication but also by contributing to immune reconstruction, such as restoring subsets of T cells and adjusting cytokine production in HIV/AIDS patients.

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The Effect of a Year of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy on Immune Reconstruction and Cytokines in HIV/AIDS Patients

Abstract

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