Persistent HIV Type 1 Seronegative Status Is Associated With Lower CD8+ T-Cell Activation

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Virology
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a key strategy for preventing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection.
• Understanding factors associated with HIV-1 acquisition risk is crucial for refining prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare T-cell activation levels between individuals who acquired HIV-1 and those who remained uninfected during the iPrEx PrEP trial.
• To investigate whether T-cell activation serves as a potential biomarker for elevated HIV-1 infection risk.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of T-cell activation markers, specifically CD38(+)HLA-DR(+) CD8(+) T cells, in participants of the Preexposure Prophylaxis Initiative (iPrEx) trial.
• Comparison of T-cell activation frequencies between HIV-1 seroconverters and HIV-1 seronegative participants.

Main Results:

• A significantly greater frequency of CD38(+)HLA-DR(+) CD8(+) T cells was observed in individuals who seroconverted to HIV-1 compared to those who remained uninfected (1.30% vs. 0.82%, P = .005).
• An odds ratio of 4.26 (95% CI, 1.54-11.78) indicated a strong association between elevated CD8+ T-cell activation and HIV-1 infection.

Conclusions:

• CD8+ T-cell activation is significantly higher in individuals who acquire HIV-1 infection.
• T-cell activation may function as a valuable biomarker for identifying individuals at increased risk of HIV-1 acquisition.