Incomplete normalization of regulatory T-cell frequency in the gut mucosa of Colombian HIV-infected patients receiving long-term antiretroviral treatment

Abstract

ABSTARCT: To evaluate the effect of late initiation of HAART and poor immune reconstitution on the frequency of regulatory T-cells (Treg) in the peripheral blood and gut of HIV-infected patients, we studied Colombian HIV-infected patients who had been on suppressive HAART for at least one year. They had undetectable viremia but were either immunological responders (HIR); (CD4 counts .500 cells/ml) or non-immunological responders (NIR); (CD4 T-cell count ,300 cells/ml). Untreated HIV-infected patients and uninfected controls from the same region were also evaluated.