We purified CD38+++CD4+ T cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, measured their level of HIV-1 DNA by PCR, and found that about 10% of this population was infected.
A higher HIV RNA level also was associated with increases in activated CD8(+)CD38(+) and CD8(+)HLA-DR(+) cells (P<.05), and a higher level of activated CD8(+)CD38(+) cells was independently associated with reduced CD4 gain (P<.05).
Expression of CD38 and HLA- DR on CD8+T cells, a measure of HIV-associated immune activation, was inversely related to pyrazinamide clearance, with increasing immune activation associated with decreasing pyrazinamide clearance.
Interestingly, a triple positive (CD300a+PD1+CD38+) subset was expanded in naïve HIV-1 infected patients, while it was very rare in healthy donors and patients on cART.
In rectal tissue, there were positive associations between integrated HIV DNA with PD-1+ CD4+ T-cells (1.44 fold-change in integrated HIV DNA per 10-unit increase in PD-1+ CD4+ T cells; 95% CI = 1.01-2.05; P = .045) and CD38+HLA-DR+ CD8+ T cells (1.40 fold-change in integrated HIV DNA per 1-unit increase in CD38+HLA-DR+ CD8+ T cells; 95% CI = 1.05-1.86; P = .02).
At the end of therapy and 1 month later, there were significant reductions in the expression of HLA-DR and CD38 in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, as well as levels of proviral HIV DNA, sCD14, LPS, 16S rDNA, and D-dimer (P < .001).
In HIV-1-infected individuals, plasma viral loads were monitored by NucliSense HIV-1 QT assay and T cell counts and expression of the activation marker CD38 were determined by flow cytometry.
After LcS ingestion, peripheral CD4⁺ T-cell and Th2 (CXCR3<sup>-</sup>CCR6<sup>-</sup>CD4⁺) counts significantly increased in both HIV-infected groups; Th17 (CXCR3<sup>-</sup>CCR6⁺CD4⁺) counts increased in all three groups; regulatory T-cell (CD25<sup>high</sup>CD4⁺) counts decreased in the ART(+) and HIV(-) groups; activated CD8⁺ cells (CD38⁺HLA-DR⁺CD8⁺) decreased from 27.5% to 13.2% (<i>p</i> < 0.001) in HIV(+) children; and plasma HIV load decreased slightly but significantly among HIV(+) children.