Changes in CD8 cell subpopulations induced by antiretroviral therapy in human immunodeficiency virus infected patients

Although CD4+ T cells are the main target of HIV infection, CD8+ cells also play important roles in the interaction between HIV and the host immune system. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of anti-HIV therapy on the relative proportion of some important CD8+ cell subpopulations. Five HIV-infected patients were enrolled, and blood samples were collected several times, within 90 days from the initiation of therapy. CD4+ cell count and HIV viremia were investigated, as well as the expression of CD38, HLA-DR, CD28, CD57, CD30, CD95 molecules on CD8+ cells. A complex remodeling of CD8+ cell subpopulations took place between week 2 and week 7 of treatment. This remodeling mainly consisted of: i) decrease of CD8+CD38+ and CD8+DR+ cells; ii) increase of CD8+CD28+ cells; and iii) decreased expression of the CD95/Fas molecule on CD8+ cells. Overall, these findings suggest that effective anti-HIV therapy induces changes of CD8+ subpopulations showing the reversal of the state of chronic activation that is caused by viral replication.