HIV-Specific CD8+ T Cell-Mediated Viral Suppression Correlates With the Expression of CD57.

Background: Virus-specific CD8(+) T-cell responses are believed to play an important role in the control of HIV-1 infection; however, what constitutes an effective HIV-1 CD8(+) T-cell response remains a topic of debate. The ex vivo viral suppressive capacity was measured of CD8(+) T cells from 44 HIV-1-positive individuals. The phenotypic and cytokine profiles, and also the specificity of the CD8(+) T cells, were correlated with the suppression of HIV-1 replication.

Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) at Different Stages of HIV-1 Disease Is Not Associated with the Proportion of Exhausted CD8+ T Cells.

CD8+ T cell-restricted immunity is important in the control of HIV-1 infection, but continued immune activation results in CD8+ T cell dysfunction. Early initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART) and the duration of ART have been associated with immune reconstitution. Here, we evaluated whether restoration of CD8+ T cell function in HIV-1-infected individuals was dependent on early initiation of ART.

HIV-specific ADCC improves after antiretroviral therapy and correlates with normalization of the NK cell phenotype.

Background: Natural killer (NK) cell phenotype and function have recently gained much attention as playing crucial roles in antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). We investigated NK cell function, as measured by ADCC, in HIV-1-positive individuals before and 6 months after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiation.

Method: The ability of antibodies and NK cells to mediate ADCC was investigated separately and in combination in an autologous model.