Decrease in immune activation in HIV-infected patients treated with highlyactive antiretroviral therapy correlates with the function of hematopoietic progenitor cells and the number of naive CD4(+) cells

This study was conducted to determine the impact of immune activation, cyto kine production and apoptosis on the naive CD4(+) cell count and the functi on of hematopoietic progenitor cells during the initial phase of highly act ive antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Blood samples from 11 HIV-infected pati ents were collected prior to HAART and after 4 and 12 weeks of therapy. Flo w cytometry mas used to determine the naive CD4(+) count and activated T ce lls. The cloning efficiency of progenitor cells was determined using a colo ny-forming cells assay. Finally, apoptosis and cytokine production were det ermined. During the study period, the naive CD4(+) count and the cloning ef ficiency increased significantly. Immune activation was found in HIV-infect ed patients and decreased during HAART. The level of immune activation corr elated negatively with both the naive CD4(+) count and the function of prog enitor cells. A negative correlation was found between apoptosis and the na ive CD4(+) count. Alterations in cytokine production during HAART or correl ation between cytokine production and the naive CD4(+) count or the cloning efficiency of progenitor cells were not detected. In conclusion, immune ac tivation in HIV-infected patients treated with HAART is inversely correlate d with the function of progenitor cells and the naive CD4(+) count.