Interleukin-10-secreting CD4 cells from aged patients with AIDS decrease in-vitro HIV replication and tumour necrosis factor alpha production.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of age on the proliferative response, cytokine profile and viral kinetics in AIDS patients treated successfully with antiretroviral drugs.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), CD4 cell-depleted PBMC or CD4 T cells from young adult and aged HIV-1-infected patients were activated in vitro with anti-CD3 with or without interleukin (IL)-2. Lymphoproliferation and cytokines were measured after 3 days and in-vitro HIV-1 replication after 7 days.