Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope–Stimulated Interleukin‐2 Production and Survival of Infected Children with Severe and Mild Clinical Disease

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Interleukin (IL)–2 production after stimulation with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope (Env) peptides, tetanus toxoid, and phytohemagglutinin was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 25 HIV-1–infected children with mild and 24 with severe clinical disease and from 15 uninfected children. Env-specific IL-2 production was detected in PBMC of 26.5% of HIV-1–infected children but in none of the uninfected. The absence of Env-specific responses at enrollment among infected children was associated with a 6-fold increased risk of mortality within a year, adjusting for clinical severity (P=.04). Among those with severe clinical disease, Env-stimulated IL-2 reactivity in PBMC was negatively correlated with HIV-1 RNA copy numbers in plasma at enrollment and was positively correlated with CD4 T cell percentages 1 year later. HIV-specific cellular immune responses may play a role in containing progression of HIV-1 infection in children, despite early deficits in cell-mediated immunity

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: