Antiretroviral therapy prior to acute viral replication preserves CD4 T cells in the periphery but not in rectal mucosa during acute simian immunodeficiency virus infection.

ABSTRACT: The rectal mucosa is a major site for human immunodeficiency virus entry and CD4 T-cell depletion. The early and near-total loss of these cells from the rectal mucosa severely compromises the ability of the mucosal immune system to control various opportunistic infections. Protecting these cells from infection and destruction can delay disease progression, leading to a better long-term outcome. Here we show that effective suppression of viral infection in memory CD4 T cells from the rectal mucosa and peripheral blood to a very low level with antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiated prior to the peak of infection is associated with opposite outcomes in these tissues. A near-total loss of CD4 T cells in the rectal mucosa contrasted with preservation of most memory CD4 T cells in peripheral blo

SUBMITTER: Kader M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2573260 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature