The Distribution and Immune Profile of T Cell Subsets in HIV-Infected Children from Uganda.

Abstract T cell activation is an important mechanism in HIV-associated immune depletion. We have previously demonstrated an association between the hyperactivation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and low CD4 status in HIV-infected Ugandan children. In this study, we explore differences in activation between naive and memory T cells in HIV-infected Ugandan children. A significant correlation between CD4- and CD8-mediated immune activation and CD4 status was observed only in the memory T cells. Antiretroviral (ART) untreated and treated HIV-positive and HIV-negative children displayed similar profiles of activation and distribution within the CD4+ naive T cells. In contrast, significantly higher immune activation of the memory CD4+ T cell subset was seen in ART-untreated children when compared to ART-treated or HIV-negative children. ART-mediated viral suppression led to the correction of CD4+ immune activation to levels seen in uninfected children but did not increase the size of the memory CD4+ T cell population...