Both CD31+and CD31- naive CD4+ T cells are persistent HIV type 1-infected reservoirs in individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy

Abstract

Background. Naive T cell recovery is critical for successful immune reconstitution after antiretroviral therapy (ART), but the relative contribution of CD31+ and CD31- naive T cells to immune reconstitution and viral persistence is unknown. Methods. In a cross-sectional (n = 94) and longitudinal (n = 10) study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients before and after ART, we examined the ratio of CD31+ to CD31- naive CD4+ T cells. In the longitudinal cohort we then quantified the concentration of HIV-1 DNA in each cell subset and performed single-genome amplification of virus from memory and naive T cells. Results. Patients receiving ART had a higher proportion of CD31+ CD4 + T cells than HIV-1-infected individuals naive to ART and uninfected control subjects (P