Effect of HIV on Thymic Function before and after Antiretroviral Therapy in Children
Citations Over TimeTop 10% of 2000 papers
Abstract
Studies were undertaken to investigate the role of the thymus in T cell reconstitution in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children treated with antiretroviral therapy. Nine pediatric patients who acquired HIV perinatally were treated with multidrug combinations of antiretroviral agents. Plasma virus load and CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets were measured, and thymus function was measured by quantifying T cell receptor rearrangement excision circles in peripheral blood. Patients with virus loads remaining >400 RNA copies/mL plasma were classified as virologic nonresponders. Thymus function was initially decreased in all subjects. After antiretrovirus therapy, peripheral CD4+ T cells increased in all subjects. Thymus function was restored in 4 of 5 virologic responders but in only 1 of 4 virologic nonresponders. This suggests that HIV has an adverse effect upon thymic function in pediatric HIV infection. Potent antiretroviral therapy restores thymic function but is affected by the degree to which virus suppression is achieved.
Related Papers
- → Sustained Viral Suppression and Immune Recovery in HIV Type 1--Infected Children after 4 Years of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy(2005)32 cited
- Visceral leishmaniasis in HIV-infected patients with non-detectable HIV-1 viral load after highly active antiretroviral therapy.(1999)
- → Patterns of response (CD4 cell count and viral load) at 6 months in HIV-infected patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy(1999)28 cited
- → Characterization of nef Gene of HIV Type 1 in Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Treated AIDS Patients with Discordance between Viral Load and CD4 + T Cell Counts(2002)7 cited
- Clinical immunology and HIV infection.(1993)