H. Aladdin et al., T-cell mean telomere lengths changes in treatment naive HIV-infected patients randomized to G-CSF or placebo simultaneously with initiation of HAART, SC J IMMUN, 54(3), 2001, pp. 301-305
The effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and granulocyte
colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) on mean telomere restriction fragment (TR
F) length of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was examined in I I
treatment naive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals wit
h a CD4(+) T-cell count < 350cells/mm(3). Patients were randomized to HAART
combined with G-CSF thrice weekly for 12 weeks (n = 6) or placebo (n = 5).
An increase in the mean TRF lengths was observed in PBMC of patients on HA
ART after 24 weeks of treatment mainly owing to increased mean CD8(+) T-cel
l TRF lengths. However, in the group of patients on HAART combined with G-C
SF no changes of PBMC mean TRF length was observed during treatment or duri
ng 12 weeks of follow-up. The mean CD4(+) T-cell TRF length did not change
in any of the two groups. These results confirm that HAART induces mainly t
he lengthening of the mean CD8(+) T-cell TRF length. However, G-CSF given s
imultaneously with HAART induces an inhibition of the expected lengthening
in mean TRF length. These results do therefore not support the use of adjuv
ant G-CSF treatment simultaneously when initiating HAART and should further
be evaluated before use in non-neutropenic HIV-infected patients.