Analysis of regulatory T‐cells and of their na?ve and memory‐like subsets in long‐term treated aviremic HIV+ patients and untreated viremic patients

摘要

Purpose of the study Although HIV infection impacts the proportion and phenotype of regulatory T‐cells (Tregs), discrepant results have been reported depending on the surface markers employed to characterize them and on the patient populations. In addition, the effects of a long‐term combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) on Treg cells have not been thoroughly documented. Our study investigated the frequency and number of Tregs and their phenotype in two different groups of HIV‐infected patients: one aviremic undergoing long‐term cART and one viremic na?ve to cART showing a similar CD4+ cell count. Methods Thirty‐six HIV+ patients with sustained suppression of plasma viremia ( Summary of results In viremic untreated and aviremic long‐term cART‐treated patients the percentage and number of the total Treg cells were not different from those of HD. However, the analysis of Treg phenotype showed a marked redistribution of the Treg subpopulations: in the untreated viremic patients, both the percentage and number of the TregCM subset decreased compared to HD and cART‐treated patients, whereas only the percentage of na?ve Tregs increased. In particular, the percentage of TregCM was inversely correlated with the viral load (r=?0.51; p=0.016). Conclusions In our aviremic long‐term cART‐treated and viremic untreated patients, the total Treg cell population seems to be unaffected by HIV infection. However, our results showed that the analysis of the na?ve and memory‐like Treg subsets may provide a better understanding of the real contribution of Tregs in HIV disease and therapy.