Evaluation of T-cell response to CD3 plus CD28 monoclonal antibodies in HIV-1 infected subjects treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy.

To investigate whether highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) could improve CD28 molecule expression and CD28-costimulation pathway function we tested the effect of CD28-costimulation on T cell receptor/CD3 induced proliferative responses in a group of HIV-1-infected subjects with CD4+ cells>200/mmc before and after HAART. CD3-mediated responses are recovered or improved after HAART. However the ability of potentiating the responses through CD28-costimulation seemed conserved before therapy and decreased in parallel with increase of response to CD3 alone. These results confirm the integrity of CD28-pathway of costimulation in patients with CD4+ cells>200/mmc and suggest an inverse correlation between magnitude of response to CD3 alone and increase of CD3 response due to anti-CD28 addition.

Contact dermatitis in subjects infected with HIV type 1.

In the course of HIV type 1 infection, up to 90% of patients may have skin disease. We studied a group of 26 HIV-infected patients (15 women, 11 men) with symptoms of skin disease or diffuse itching; they were patch tested for common contactants to determine whether allergic contact dermatitis was the cause of their symptoms. We found that approximately one third of HIV-1-positive patients with cutaneous symptoms not related to allergic contact dermatitis had positive patch tests for environmental contactants; in most of them this sensitization was directly related to skin symptoms.

Long-term evaluation of cellular immunity during antiretroviral therapy and immunization with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Env glycoprotein in HIV-1-infected persons.

Cellular immune responses to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) antigens, microbial recall antigens, and CD3 monoclonal antibody were studied in HIV-1-infected asymptomatic patients in a phase II, double-blind trial of immunization with recombinant HIV-1 gp160 in or not in association with zidovudine. A vigorous and persistent lymphoproliferative response (LPR) to HIV-1 Env antigens was observed in vaccinated patients. Neither Env-specific lymphocyte cytotoxicity nor LPR to recall antigens was significantly influenced by gp160 administration. The induction of LPRs to HIV-1 envelope proteins did not show positive effects on the course of HIV-1 infection. Patients treated with zidovudine alone or in combination with the immunogen showed improvement of T lymphocyte responses and transient reduction of viremia. These results suggest that antiretroviral therapy is more beneficial than immunization with gp160 and should always be considered in association with future vaccination and immunotherapeutic interventions in HIV-1-infected subjects.