Early and persistent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)- specific T helper dysfunction in blood and lymph nodes following acute HIV-1 infection

Luwy K. Musey, John N. Krieger, James P. Hughes, Timothy W. Schacker, Lawrence Corey, M. Juliana McElrath

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

109 Scopus citations

Abstract

Without potent antiretroviral therapy, most human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected persons experience a progressive decline in CD4+ T cells and impairment in T helper function. It is unclear how soon after infection T cell dysfunction occurs. T helper responses were examined in blood and lymphoid tissue of 39 untreated patients with acute HIV-1 infection. Within the first 3 months, lymphoproliferative responses to mitogen, recall antigens, and HIV-1 antigens were impaired. After 6-9 months, responses to phytohemagglutinin and recall antigens improved. However, HIV-1- specific lymphoproliferation remained largely undetectable throughout 2 years of infection, and results were similar upon evaluation of lymphoid cells. Rare patients with HIV-1-specific responses had significantly lower plasma HIV-1 RNA levels than did nonresponders. These results indicate that T helper dysfunction occurs early after HIV-1 acquisition and that untreated individuals rarely recover HIV-specific helper responses; these findings lend support for early therapeutic intervention to prevent the destruction and further impairment of the T helper cells.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)278-284
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Infectious Diseases
Volume180
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1999

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Financial support: NIH (AI-45206, AI-027757, AI-41535, AI-35605, DK49477); IARTP fellowship (to L.K.M.).

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