Correlation between blood telomere length and CD4+ CD8+ T-cell subsets changes 96 weeks after initiation of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-1-positive individuals

PLoS One. 2020 Apr 8;15(4):e0230772. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230772. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

In 31 participants who started first-line antiretroviral therapy in the NEAT 001/ANRS 143 clinical trial, we found after 96 weeks a statistically significant increase in blood telomere length (TL) of 0.04 (T/S Ratio) (p = 0.03). This increase was positively correlated with both the change in the percentage of CD4+ T-cells and with the decrease of CD38+ molecules on Central Memory CD8+ and negatively correlated with the change in the percentage of CD4+ Effector Memory cells. Increase in TL could be an expression of immune reconstitution and the associated decrease in immune activation. We acknowledge for the low statistical power due to the small sample size and the potential for false positive results due to multiple testing. Hence, further studies are needed to confirm these observations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1 / immunology
  • Adult
  • Anti-Retroviral Agents / immunology*
  • Anti-Retroviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / methods
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count / methods
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy
  • HIV Infections / immunology*
  • HIV Seropositivity / immunology
  • HIV-1 / drug effects
  • HIV-1 / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Memory / immunology
  • Immunophenotyping / methods
  • Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • Telomere / immunology*
  • Viral Load / immunology

Substances

  • Anti-Retroviral Agents
  • ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1

Grants and funding

This work was supported by NEAT-ID Foundation (not for profit private foundation to promote research and education projects in the HIV field); Red Temática Cooperativa de Investigación en Sida; and Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (supported by FEDER funds; grant number PI13/01467) The NEAT 001/ANRS 143 trial was supported by Gilead Sciences, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Merck Laboratories. French National Institute for Health and Medical Research–France Recherche Nord and Sud Sida- HIV Hepatites (Inserm-ANRS) was the sponsor and a founder of the trial. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.