AIDS prevention and control in the Yunnan region by T cell subset assessment

Prior to being spread throughout broader China, multiple human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 genotypes were originally discovered in the Yunnan Province. As the HIV-1 epidemic continues its spread in Yunnan, knowledge of the influence of gender, age, and ethnicity to instances of HIV reservoirs will benefit monitoring the spread of HIV.

The degree to which T cells are depleted during an HIV infection depends on the levels of immune activation. T-cell subsets were assessed in newly-diagnosed HIV/AIDS patients in Yunnan, and the influence of age, gender, and ethnicity were investigated. Patients that were newly diagnosed with the HIV-infection between the years 2015 and 2018 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical College were selected for this study (N = 408). The lymphocyte levels and T cell subsets were retrospectively measured in whole blood samples by FACS analysis.

The median CD4 count was 224 ± 191 cells/μl. Significantly higher mean frequencies and absolute numbers were observed in CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD45+, and CD3+CD4+/CD45+ in females compared to males. Han patients showed a higher total number of CD3+T cells and the ratio of CD3+ /CD45+ cells compared to any other ethnic minority (P < 0.001). The numbers of CD3+ T-cells, CD3+CD8+ T cells, and CD45+ T cells were highest in the age group ≥ 60. Significant differences were observed in the counts of CD3+, CD3+CD8+, and CD45+ cells and the ratio of CD3+/CD45+ and CD3+CD4+/CD45+ cells between the ≤ 29 and 30-59 age groups.

This study has revealed that low levels of CD4+ T cells can be observed in newly-diagnosed HIV/AIDS patients in the Yunnan province. It has also been demonstrated that gender, age, and ethnicity have a significant association with the ratio of T-cell subsets that may contribute to virus progression and disease prognosis in individuals belonging to certain subsets of the population. This study has highlighted the importance of HIV/AIDS screening in at-risk populations to ensure timely and adequate clinical management in Yunnan.