Th17 and Th17/Treg ratio at early HIV infection associate with protective HIV-specific CD8(+) T-cell responses and disease progression

JULIANA FALIVENE; YANINA GHIGLIONE; NATALIA LAUFER; MARÍA EUGENIA SOCÍAS; MARÍA PÍA HOLGADO; MARÍA JULIA RUIZ; CYNTHIA MAETO; MARÍA INÉS FIGUEROA; LUIS D. GIAVEDONI; PEDRO CAHN; HORACIO SALOMÓN; OMAR SUED; GABRIELA TURK; MARÍA MAGDALENA GHERARDI

Scientific Reports

Nature Publishing Group

Lugar: London; Año: 2015

2045-2322

The aim of this study was to analyze Th17 and Treg subsets and their correlation with anti-HIV T-cellresponses and clinical parameters during (acute/early) primary HIV infection (PHI) and up to one yearpost-infection (p.i). Samples from 14 healthy donors (HDs), 40 PHI patients, 17 Chronics, and 13 Elitecontrollers (ECs) were studied. The percentages of Th17 and Treg subsets were severely altered inChronics, whereas all HIV-infected individuals (including ECs) showed Th17/Treg imbalance comparedto HDs, in concordance with higher frequencies of activated CD8+ T-cells (HLA-DR+/CD38+). Betterclinical status (higher CD4 counts, lower viral loads and activation) was associated with higher Th17and lower Treg levels. We found positive correlations between Th17 at baseline and anti-HIV CD8+T-cell functionality: viral inhibitory activity (VIA) and key polyfunctions (IFN-γ+/CD107A/B+) at bothearly and later times p.i, highlighting the prognostic value of Th17 cells to preserve an effectiveHIV T-cell immunity. Th17/Treg ratio and the IL-17 relative mean fluorescence intensity (rMFI of IL-17) were also positively correlated with VIA. Taken together, our results suggested a potential linkbetween Th17 and Th17/Treg ratio with key HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses against the infection.