Depletion of naive CD4 T cells by CXCR4-using HIV-1 variants occurs mainly through increased T-cell death and activation.

Objective: Using SCID-Hu mice models and in vitro culture systems, it has been shown that syncytium inducing/CXCR4 using (X4) HIV-1 variants affect thymic function through infection and killing of CXCR4 thymocytes. The effect of X4-emergence on naive, memory and effector T-cell subset kinetics in vivo is, however, not known.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Methods: Analysis of changes in naive, memory and effector CD4 and CD8 T-cell numbers and cell division before and after the emergence of X4 variants.

Results: Significantly lower numbers of CD4 T cells in patients with X4 variants (n = 18) compared to patients with non-syncytium inducing/CCR5 using variants (n = 74) were due to increased loss of naive and CD27 memory CD4 T cells. In addition, emergence of X4 variants was associated with a small but significant decline in naive CD8 T-cell numbers and increased proportions of dividing CD4 and CD8 naive, memory and effector T cells.

Conclusion: Loss of naive T cells may suggest thymic dysfunction, however, such an effect would explain only part of the accelerated naive CD4 T-cell decline because of the longevity of naive T cells. Our data suggest that the accelerated naive CD4 T-cell decline induced by X4 variants is caused mainly by increased death and recruitment to the memory compartment of these cells.