Effect of Cytomegalovirus-Induced Immune Response, Self Antigen–Induced Immune Response, and Microbial Translocation on Chronic Immune Activation in Successfully Treated HIV Type 1–Infected Patients: The ANRS CO3 Aquitaine Cohort

Abstract

We evaluated the impact of cytomegalovirus (CMV)–induced immune responses, autoimmune-induced immune responses, and microbial translocation on immune activation in 191 human immunodeficiency virus type 1–infected patients from the ANRS CO3 Aquitaine Cohort. All enrolled subjects had achieved long-term virological suppression during receipt of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). HLA-DR⁺/CD38⁺ expression was 16.8% among CD8⁺ T cells. Independent of age, CD4⁺ T-cell count, 16S ribosomal DNA load, and regulatory T-cell count, positive results of Quantiferon CMV analysis (P = .02), positive results of CMV-pp65 enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot analysis (P = .01), positive results of CMV-pp65–specific CD8⁺ T-cell analysis (P = .05), and CMV seropositivity (P = .01) were associated with a higher percentage of CD8+ T cells that expressed HLA-DR+/CD38+. Autoimmune response and microbial translocation were not associated with immune activation. Therefore, the CMV-induced immune response seems to be associated with chronic immune activation in cART recipients with sustained virological suppression.

chronic immune activation, CMV-induced immune response, microbial translocation, autoimmune-induced immune response, HIV-infection, antiretroviral therapy