Efficient thymopoiesis contributes to the maintenance of peripheral CD4 T cells during chronic human immunodeficiency virus type 2 infection

Gautier, D.; Beq, S.; Cortesão, C. S.; Sousa, A. E.; Cheynier, R.

http://hdl.handle.net/10451/20110

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Abstract(s)

Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) infection leads to a lifelong asymptomatic period in the majority of patients. Even in patients with progressive disease, a slow CD4 count decline characterizes the chronic phase of HIV-2 infection, suggesting that peripheral T-cell homeostasis is controlled better following HIV-2 infection than following HIV-1 infection. Herein we showed that, in contrast to HIV-1-infected patients, HIV-2-infected patients demonstrate enhanced thymic function compared to age-matched healthy individuals. The correlation between higher thymic production and lower CD4 T-cell loss in these patients suggests that efficient thymopoiesis is implicated in the long-lasting maintenance of CD4 T-cell counts in HIV-2 disease.