Plasma inflammatory biomarkers predict CD4+ T-cell recovery and viral rebound in HIV-1 infected Africans on suppressive antiretroviral therapy.
Kroeze S., Rossouw TM., Steel HC., Wit FW., Kityo CM., Siwale M., Akanmu S., Mandaliya K., De Jager M., Ondoa P., Reiss P., De Wit TFR., Kootstra NA., Hamers RL.
This multi-country prospective study investigated whether persistent systemic inflammation, measured by eight plasma biomarkers, in HIV-1-infected Africans during suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) (viral load<50 copies/mL), was associated with CD4+ T-cell recovery and viral rebound (>1,000 copies/mL) during long-term treatment. On-ART sCD14 and CRP concentrations were inversely associated with subsequent CD4+ T-cell counts. Risk of viral rebound was increased for participants with higher on-ART CXCL10 concentrations, and reduced for those with a greater sCD163 decline during the first year of ART. Persistent systemic inflammation predicted CD4+ T-cell recovery and viral rebound, warranting further mechanistic research in relation to clinical outcomes.