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Kuhn L, Paximadis M, Da Costa Dias B, Shen Y, Mncube S, Strehlau R, Shiau S, Patel F, Burke M, Technau KG, Sherman G, Loubser S, Abrams EJ, Tiemessen CT. Predictors of cell-associated HIV-1 DNA over one year in very early treated infants. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 74:1047-1054. [PMID: 34185838 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Younger age of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation is associated with a smaller viral reservoir size in perinatally-acquired HIV-1 infection, but there is wide variability among early-treated infants. Predictors of this variability are not fully described. METHODS Sixty-three neonates diagnosed with HIV-1 <48 hours after birth in Johannesburg, South Africa were started on ART as soon as possible. Fifty-nine (94%) infants received daily nevirapine prophylaxis from birth until ART start. Viably-preserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) collected at regular intervals to 48 weeks, and from respective mothers at enrolment, were tested using integrase-targeted, semi-nested, real-time quantitative hydrolysis probe (TaqMan) PCR assays to quantify total HIV-1 subtype C viral DNA (vDNA). Predictors were investigated using Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) regression models. RESULTS Thirty-one (49.2%) infants initiated ART <48 hours, 24 (38.1%) <14 days and 8 (12.7%) >14 days of birth. Three-quarters were infected despite maternal antenatal ART (however, only 9.5% of women had undetectable viral load closest to delivery) and 86% were breastfed. Higher infant CD4+ T-cell percentage and viral load <100,000 copies/ml pre-ART were associated with lower levels of vDNA copies/10 6 PBMC equivalents in the first 48 weeks after ART start. No antenatal maternal ART and breastfeeding were also associated with lower vDNA. Older age at ART initiation had a discernible negative impact when initiated >14 days. CONCLUSIONS Among very early treated infants, higher CD4+ T-cell percentage and viral load <100,000 copies/ml pre-ART, infection occurring in the absence of maternal antenatal ART and breastfeeding were associated with lower levels of HIV-1 DNA in the first 48 weeks of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Kuhn
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria Paximadis
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Services, and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Bianca Da Costa Dias
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Services, and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Yanhan Shen
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sizanani Mncube
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Services, and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Renate Strehlau
- Empilweni Services and Research Unit, Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Stephanie Shiau
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ
| | - Faeezah Patel
- Empilweni Services and Research Unit, Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (WRHI), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Megan Burke
- Empilweni Services and Research Unit, Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Karl-Günter Technau
- Empilweni Services and Research Unit, Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Gayle Sherman
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Services, and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Empilweni Services and Research Unit, Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Shayne Loubser
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Services, and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Elaine J Abrams
- ICAP at Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Caroline T Tiemessen
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Services, and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Shalekoff S, Loubser S, Dias BDC, Strehlau R, Shiau S, Wang S, He Y, Abrams EJ, Kuhn L, Tiemessen CT. Normalization of B Cell Subsets but Not T Follicular Helper Phenotypes in Infants With Very Early Antiretroviral Treatment. Front Pediatr 2021; 9:618191. [PMID: 33996678 PMCID: PMC8118125 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.618191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Infant HIV-1-infection is associated with high morbidity and mortality if antiretroviral treatment (ART) is not initiated promptly. We characterized development of circulating T follicular helper cells (cTfh) and their relationship to naïve/memory B cell subsets in a cohort of neonates initiating ART within the first week of life. Methods: Infants were diagnosed within 48 hours of birth and started ART as soon as possible. The frequency and phenotype of cTfh and B cells were analyzed at enrollment (birth -19 days) and at 4, 12, and 72 weeks of age in blood of 27 HIV-1-intrauterine-infected and 25 HIV-1 exposed uninfected (HEU) infants as part of a study in Johannesburg, South Africa. cTfh cells were divided into Tfh1, Tfh2, and Tfh17 subsets. B cell phenotypes were defined as naïve, resting memory, activated memory and tissue-like memory cells. Results: HIV-1-infected infants had higher frequencies of cTfh cells than HEU infants up to 12 weeks of age and these cTfh cells were polarized toward the Tfh1 subset. Higher frequencies of Tfh1 and lower frequencies of Tfh2 and Tfh17 correlated with lower CD4+ T cell percentages. Lower frequencies of resting memory, with corresponding higher frequencies of activated memory B cells, were observed with HIV-1 infection. Importantly, dysregulations in B cell, but not cTfh cell, subsets were normalized by 72 weeks. Conclusion: Very early ART initiation in HIV-1-infected infants normalizes B cell subsets but does not fully normalize perturbations in cTfh cell subsets which remain Tfh1 polarized at 72 weeks. It remains to be determined if very early ART improves vaccine antibody responses despite the cTfh and B cell perturbations observed over the time course of this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Shalekoff
- Centre for HIV & STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Shayne Loubser
- Centre for HIV & STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Bianca Da Costa Dias
- Centre for HIV & STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Renate Strehlau
- Empilweni Services and Research Unit, Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Stephanie Shiau
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Shuang Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Yun He
- Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Elaine J. Abrams
- ICAP at Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, and Department of Pediatrics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Louise Kuhn
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Caroline T. Tiemessen
- Centre for HIV & STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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