Improved CD4+ cell response to short term treatment in human immunodeficiency virus infected subjects attending Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria

Abstract

Background: The replication and life cycle of HIV within CD4 T cells is understood in molecular detail, less is known about how this human retrovirus promotes the loss of CD4 T lymphocytes. It is this cell death process that drives clinical progression to acquired
immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, CD4⁺ T cell proliferation is rapidly delay by a functional interplay of regulatory T cells and CTLA4. The interplay paralyzes CD4⁺ T cell differentiation, redirecting metabolic circuits, and reducing their accumulation in the site of infection. The mechanisms are actively maintained throughout HIV progression and CD4⁺ T cells rapidly recommence proliferation and functional differentiation. We demonstrated the significant increase in CD4⁺ cells count in six (6) months on cART. This indicates an increase in the number of CD4⁺ T cell is a central part of immune improvement phase and lead to immune defense ability to kill the HIV virus. In this study, we aimed to determine the CD4⁺ T cell count recovery in HIV-infected subjects on cART attending ABUTH within six months.
Materials and Methods: We employed quasi experimental design, where non-probability sampling techniques was used in recruiting thirty-eight (38) naive HIV patients up to six (6) months on Combine Antiretroviral Therapy (cART) and ten (10) controls. We quantified the CD4⁺ T cells count using Partec CyFlow Counter; Germany.
Results: The median CD4⁺ T cell counts using Friedman test was increased significantly with p-value of 0.0001 in treated HIV-infected participants after six (6) months and Controls. The median and interquartile range (IQR) of the CD4⁺ T cell counts of HIVinfected ART naive participants at baseline, on treatment, and controls were 199 (92.75-402.8) Cell/μL, 379.5 (265.5-569.8) Cell/μL and 1316 (1082-1480) respectively. The result shows the increase of CD4⁺ T cell counts recovery within six months on cART.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the importance of CD4⁺ T cell counts recovery indicate the central part of immune improvement phase in the defense mechanism against HIV virus.