Severe immune dysregulation affects CD4 +CD25 hiFoxP3 + regulatory T cells in HIV-infected patients with low-level CD4 T-Cell repopulation despite suppressive highly active antiretroviral therapy

Abstract

We hypothesized that CD4 +CD25 hiFoxP3 + regulatory T cells (Tregs) could be involved in the high immune activation existing in patients with low-level CD4 T-cell repopulation under suppressive high active antiretroviral therapy (hereafter, "LLR patients"). Sixteen LLR patients, 18 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected controls (hereafter, "HIV controls"), and 16 healthy subjects were included. The frequency of CD4 +CD25 hiFoxP3 + and HIV-specific Treg suppressive function were assessed. Relationships between Treg and CD4/CD8 activation (HLA-DR/CD38) and the frequency of naive CD4 T-cells were assessed. Low-level patients showed a higher Treg frequency but reduced HIV-specific immunosuppressive functions than HIV controls. Whereas in healthy subjects a strong negative correlation between Tregs and activated CD8 T cells emerged (r =-0.75, P