Violeta Lara-Aguilar, Manuel Llamas-Adán, Óscar Brochado-Kith, Celia Crespo-Bermejo, Sergio Grande-García, Sonia Arca-Lafuente, Ignacio de Los Santos, Carmen Prado, Mario Alía, Coral Sainz-Pinós, Amanda Fernández-Rodríguez, Luz Martín-Carbonero, Ricardo Madrid, Verónica Briz
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Around 10% of people with HIV (PWH) exhibit a low-level viremia (LLV) under antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, its origin and clinical significance are largely unknown, particularly at viremias between 50 and 200 copies/mL and under modern ART based on integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs). Our aim was to characterize their poor immune response against HIV in comparison to individuals with suppressed viremia (SV) and non-HIV controls (NHC).
Methods: Transversal observational study in 81 matched participants: 27 PWH with LLV, 27 PWH with SV, and 27 NHC. Activation (CD25, HLA-DR, and CD38) and senescence [CD57, PD1, and HAVCR2 (TIM3)] were characterized in peripheral T-cell subsets by spectral flow cytometry. 45 soluble biomarkers of systemic inflammation were evaluated by immunoassays. Differences in cell frequencies and plasma biomarkers among groups were evaluated by a generalized additive model for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS) and generalized linear model (GLM) respectively, adjusted by age, sex at birth, and ART regimen.
Results: The median age was 53 years and 77.8% were male. Compared to NHC, PWH showed a lower CD4+/CD8+ ratio and increased activation, senescence, and inflammation, highlighting IL-13 in LLV. In addition, LLV showed a downtrend in the frequency of CD8+ naive and effector memory (EM) type 1 compared to SV, along with higher activation and senescence in CD4+ and CD8+ EM and terminally differentiated effector memory RA+ (TEMRA) subpopulations. No significant differences in systemic inflammation were observed between PWH groups.
Conclusion: LLV between 50 and 200 copies/mL leads to reduced cytotoxic activity and T-cell dysfunction that could affect cytokine production, being unable to control and eliminate infected cells. The increase in senescence markers suggests a progressive loss of immunological memory and a reduction in the proliferative capacity of immune cells. This accelerated immune aging could lead to an increased risk of developing future comorbidities. These findings strongly advocate for heightened surveillance of these PWH to promptly identify potential future complications.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Biomedical Science is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that focuses on fundamental and molecular aspects of basic medical sciences. It emphasizes molecular studies of biomedical problems and mechanisms. The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), Taiwan supports the journal and covers the publication costs for accepted articles. The journal aims to provide an international platform for interdisciplinary discussions and contribute to the advancement of medicine. It benefits both readers and authors by accelerating the dissemination of research information and providing maximum access to scholarly communication. All articles published in the Journal of Biomedical Science are included in various databases such as Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS, CABI, CAS, Citebase, Current contents, DOAJ, Embase, EmBiology, and Global Health, among others.