Early antiretroviral therapy-treated perinatally HIV-infected seronegative children demonstrate distinct long-term persistence of HIV-specific T-cell and B-cell memory

OBJECTIVE: To investigate long-term persistence of HIV-specific lymphocyte immunity in perinatally HIV-infected children treated within the first year of life.

DESIGN: Twenty perinatally HIV-infected children who received ART therapy within the first year of life (early treated) and with stable viral control (>5 years) were grouped according to their serological response to HIV.

METHODS: Western blot analysis and ELISA defined 14 HIV-seropositive and six seronegative patients. Frequencies of gp140-specific T-cell and B-cell, and T-cell cytokine production were quantified by flow cytometry in both seronegatives and seropositives. Transcriptional signatures in purified gp140-specific B-cell subsets, in response to in-vitro stimulation with HIV peptides was evaluated by multiplex RT-PCR.

RESULTS: Gp140-specific T cells and B cells persist at similar levels in both groups. A higher production of IL-21 in gp140-specific T cells was found in seropositives vs. seronegatives (P = 0.003). Gene expression in switched IgM-IgD- gp140-specific memory B cells after stimulation with HIV peptides in vitro demonstrated a differential expression of genes involved in signal transduction and activation after BCR/TLR triggering and B-cell activation. Genes relating to antibody production (PRDM1) and T-B cognate stimulation (CXCR4, IL21R) were differentially induced after in-vitro stimulation in seronegatives vs. seropositives suggesting a truncated process of B-cell maturation.

CONCLUSION: HIV-specific memory B and T cells persist in early treated regardless their serological status. Seronegatives and seropositives are distinguished by gp140-specific T-cell function and by distinct transcriptional signatures of gp140-specific B cells after in-vitro stimulation, presumably because of a different antigen exposure. Such qualitative insights may inform future immunotherapeutic interventions.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2020

Erschienen:

2020

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:34

Enthalten in:

AIDS (London, England) - 34(2020), 5 vom: 01. Apr., Seite 669-680

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Cotugno, Nicola [VerfasserIn]
Morrocchi, Elena [VerfasserIn]
Rinaldi, Stefano [VerfasserIn]
Rocca, Salvatore [VerfasserIn]
Pepponi, Ilaria [VerfasserIn]
di Cesare, Silvia [VerfasserIn]
Bernardi, Stefania [VerfasserIn]
Zangari, Paola [VerfasserIn]
Pallikkuth, Suresh [VerfasserIn]
de Armas, Lesley [VerfasserIn]
Levy, Ofer [VerfasserIn]
Rossi, Paolo [VerfasserIn]
Pahwa, Savita [VerfasserIn]
Palma, Paolo [VerfasserIn]
EPIICAL Consortium [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Anti-Retroviral Agents
Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 18.02.2021

Date Revised 05.10.2022

published: Print

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1097/QAD.0000000000002485

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM307560848