Limited HIV infection of central memory and stem cell memory CD4+ T cells is associated with lack of progression in viremic individuals.

ABSTRACT: A rare subset of HIV-infected individuals, designated viremic non-progressors (VNP), remain asymptomatic and maintain normal levels of CD4+ T-cells despite persistently high viremia. To identify mechanisms potentially responsible for the VNP phenotype, we compared VNPs (average >9 years of HIV infection) to HIV-infected individuals who have similar CD4+ T-cell counts and viral load, but who are likely to progress if left untreated ("putative progressors", PP), thus avoiding the confounding effect of differences related to substantial CD4+ T cell depletion. We found that VNPs, compared to PPs, had preserved levels of CD4+ stem cell memory cells (TSCM (p<0.0001), which was associated with decreased HIV infection of these cells in VNPs (r = -0.649, p = 0.019). In addition, VNPs had decreased

SUBMITTER: Klatt NR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4148445 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature