HIV-1-specific CD4+ T lymphocyte turnover and activation increase upon viral rebound.

ABSTRACT: HIV-specific CD4+ T helper lymphocytes are preferred targets for infection. Although complete interruption of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) can form part of therapeutic manipulations, there is grave concern that the resumption of viral replication might destroy, perhaps irreversibly, these T helper populations. High viremia blocks the proliferation capacity of HIV-specific helper cells. However, cytokine production assays imply that some antigen-specific effector function is retained. Despite this careful work, it remains unclear whether the return of HIV-1 replication physically destroys HIV-1-specific T helper cells in the peripheral blood. Difficulties in producing stable peptide-MHC class II complexes and the very low frequencies of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells have delayed

SUBMITTER: Scriba TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC544605 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature