Hml. Spiegel et al., Changes in frequency of HIV-1-specific cytotoxic T cell precursors and circulating effectors after combination antiretroviral therapy in children, J INFEC DIS, 180(2), 1999, pp. 359-368
Combination antiretroviral therapy has had a major role in reducing human i
mmunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) plasma viral loads in HIV-1-infected a
dults but a variable effect in infants, in whom complete viral suppression
appears to be less readily achieved. In adults, after the reduction in plas
ma viremia, there is a decrease in the numbers of circulating cytotoxic T c
ell (CTL) effecters and precursors in the majority of patients. This longit
udinal study assessed the effect of combination drug therapy on the frequen
cy of HIV-1-specific CTL responses in 8 HIV-1-infected children. Following
treatment, the frequency of HIV-1-specific CTL responses initially increase
d, especially in children with incomplete viral suppression but with increa
sing CD4(+) cell counts. In children with complete viral suppression, the f
requency of HIV-1-specific CTL responses decreased, suggesting that viral r
eplication is required to maintain CTL responses in the systemic circulatio
n.