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Updated: Sep 29, 2026

In Vitro Assay to Evaluate the Impact of Immunoregulatory Pathways on HIV-specific CD4 T Cell Effector Function
Published on: October 15, 2013
Immunological and virological factors at baseline may predict response to structured therapy interruption in early
Felipe García1, Montserrat Plana, Gabriel Mestre
1Clinic Institute of Infections and Immunology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer, Hospital Clínic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Background:
The objective was to analyse which baseline factors could predict a favourable outcome after structured therapy interruption (STI).
Methods:
Data of three Spanish pilot studies of STI in early stage chronic HIV-1-infected patients were analysed. A set of 37 variables at baseline was used. Plasma and tonsillar tissue viral load (VL), lymphocyte immunophenotyping and proliferative responses (LPR) to mitogens and specific antigens, and HIV-1 specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses were assessed at baseline. Response was defined as a VL set-point after 6 months off antiretroviral therapy after the last interruption of < 5000 copies/ml and 0.5 log(10) below baseline PVL before any antiretroviral therapy.
Results:
After STI, the 44 patients were classified as follows: 18 (41%) as responders, 26 (59%) as non-responders. In the univariate analysis patients who responded had a significantly lower baseline level of CD4CD38 (P = 0.0068) and naive CD4 T cells (P = 0.03), and a higher level of memory CD4 T cells (P = 0.03) and proliferative response to tetanus toxoid (TT) (P = 0.01) and HIV-1 p24 (P = 0.03) than non-responders. A model incorporating five qualitative variables transformed according to the median value (CD4CD38, CD4 naive and memory T cells and stimulation index to TT and HIV-1 p24) at baseline could classify 97% of patients correctly (P = 0.0001).
Conclusions:
A level of memory CD4 T cells and proliferative response to recall antigens above the median may predict a good response to STI, suggesting that preserved memory response in CD4 T cells is important factor.
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