Effects of the baseline function of NKT like cells on HIV development

To better understand the baseline function of the NKT like cells in HIV infected individuals,we collected peripheral blood from HIV infected individuals and healthy controls,and analyzed interferon-γ(IFN-γ) frequency and CD107a expression of natural killer T like cells by flow cytometry.We found that the individuals with high IFN-γ secretion in NKT like cells has slower disease progression(P 0.008,P 0.001).IFN-γ production of NKT like cells correlated inversely with viral loads(r=-0.472 and P=0.037),and positively with CD4+ T cells counts(r=0.402 and P=0.027).In conclusion,IFN-γ production by NKT like cells in HIV patients might be one of the multiple factors against HIV infection,and is an indicator for HIV infection progression.