Increased Regulatory T-Cell Percentage Contributes to Poor CD4+ Lymphocytes Recovery: A 2-Year Prospective Study After Introduction of Antiretroviral Therapy

摘要

Background.?The primary aim of this study was to determine the impact of regulatory T cells (Tregs) percentage on immune recovery in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients after antiretroviral therapy introduction. Methods.?A 2-year prospective study was conducted in HIV-1 chronically infected naive patients with CD4 count 500 cells/mm3. Regulatory T cells were identified as CD4+CD25highCD127low cells among CD4+ lymphocytes. Effect of Treg percentage at inclusion on CD4 evolution overtime was analyzed using a mixed-effect Poisson regression for count data. Results.?Fifty-eight patients were included (median CD4 = 293/mm3, median Treg percentage = 6.1%). Percentage of Treg at baseline and CD4 nadir were independently related to the evolution of CD4 absolute value according to time: (1) at any given nadir CD4 count, 1% increase of initial Treg was associated with a 1.9% lower CD4 absolute value at month 24; (2) at any given Treg percentage at baseline, 10 cell/mm3 increase of CD4 nadir was associated with a 2.4% increase of CD4 at month 24; and (3) both effects did not attenuate with time. The effect of Treg at baseline on CD4 evolution was as low as the CD4 nadir was high. Conclusions.?Regulatory T-cell percentage at baseline is a strong independent prognostic factor of immune recovery, particularly among patients with low CD4 nadir.