Restoration of normal interleukin-2 production by CD4(+) T cells of human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients after 9 months of highly active antiretroviral therapy

The present study investigated immune restoration in patients at intermedia te stages of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease after initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). A progressive increase in bo th memory and naive CD4(+) T cells was observed from the first weeks of the rapy, concomitant with a decrease in the expression of activation markers o n CD8(+) T cells. The early-activation marker CD69 remained, however, overe xpressed on T cells after suboptimal stimulation in vitro, indicative of pe rsistent immune activation. The percentage of interleukin (IL)-2-producing CD4(+) T cells significantly increased from 9 months of HAART In most patie nts, CD4(+) T cells recovered an ability to produce IL-2 on stimulation, si milar to that of HIV-seronegative controls. Reversal of T-cell anergy may b e a key event in immune restoration for achieving long-term clinical benefi t with HAART.