Summary
The average lifespan of HIV-infected subjects remains shorter compared
to uninfected individuals. Immunosenescence may be responsible for this
difference despite effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) with
successful viral suppression. Here, we evaluated the effects of HIV and
ART exposure on T cell aging in male homosexual HIV subjects.
CD4+ T cell activation (HLA-DR+) and
senescence (CD57+) markers were analyzed by flow
cytometry, and telomere length was quantified by real-time PCR.
Specifically, we observed an increase in activation and senescence
markers on total CD4+ T cell populations in
HIV-infected subjects. We also observed a reduction in senescence
markers on terminally differentiated memory T(TemRA) cells and
activation markers on central memory T(TCM), effector memory T(TEM), and
TemRA cells in ART-treated HIV subjects. Furthermore, we also observed
an extension of telomere length in memory CD4+ T
cells, rather than naive CD4+ T cells, after viral
control by ART. Our results indicate that HIV-infected patients exhibit
a premature T cell aging phenotype with accelerated immune senescence.
Partial recovery of immune senescence and differentiation aberrances is
achieved in CD4+ T cells in HIV patients on ART.
Overall, these results suggest that HIV infection, rather than ART
exposure, influences the T cell aging process.