Albuquerque, A. S.Foxall, R. B.Cortesão, C. S.Soares, R. S.Doroana, M.Ribeiro, A.Lucas, M.Antunes, F.Victorino, R. M.Sousa, A. E.2015-07-142015-07-142007Clinical Immunology (2007) 125, 67–751521-6616http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1521661607012764http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clim.2007.07.001http://hdl.handle.net/10451/18446© 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.A significant proportion of HIV-1+ patients with suppression of viremia under antiretroviral therapy fail to recover CD4(+) T-cell counts (ART-Discordants). Similarly, untreated HIV-2+ patients can also exhibit major CD4 depletion in spite of undetectable viremia. We characterize here the immunological disturbances associated with major CD4-lymphopenia in these two scenarios as compared to untreated viremic HIV-1+ patients with similar CD4-lymphopenia and HIV-1+ patients with successful immunological and virological responses under ART. Low CD4 counts were associated with major naive CD4 and CD8 depletion, irrespective of type of infection or ART-exposure. However, ART-Discordants exhibited lower levels of T-cell activation as compared to both untreated HIV-2 and HIV-1 cohorts, and a less marked increase in circulating IL-7 despite similar CD4 depletion. Nevertheless, ART-Discordants showed a preserved Bcl-2 expression, suggesting increased IL-7 consumption, which in conjunction with the relatively lower T-cell activation may contribute to their CD4 count stability and low rate of opportunistic infections.engHIV/AIDSHIV-2Antiretroviral therapyImmunological reconstitutionIL-7T-cell activationjournal article