IN-VIVO DELAYED-TYPE HYPERSENSITIVITY SKIN-TEST ANERGY IN HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 INFECTION IS ASSOCIATED WITH T-CELL NONRESPONSIVENESS IN-VITRO

In a cross-sectional study, the prevalence of delayed-type hypersensit ivity skin test anergy (DTHA) was examined in 136 asymptomatic human i mmunodeficiency virus-infected participants in relation to immunologic and virologic parameters. DTHA was assessed with a multitest cell-med iated immunity skin test. Of the 136 participants, with a mean CD4 T c ell count of 335 x 10(6)/L, 25 were anergic (18.4%). In the stepwise f orward multivariate logistic regression models, after adjustment for C D4 T cell counts, depending on whether it was analyzed continuously or after dichotomization (20th percentile), both T cell reactivity to CD 2 plus CD28 antibodies or to CD3 antibodies were the most predictive m arkers of DTHA (odds ratio, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.94; and odds ratio, 2.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-8.3, respectively). This study shows a strong correlation between the decreased T cell re sponses in vitro and DTHA, Therefore, next to DTHA testing, T cell fun ction assays may be useful to test immune reconstitution observed duri ng antiretroviral treatment.