Total and naive CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-cell dynamics over seroconversion and during HIV infection.

Abstract

<p>Total CD4⁺ T-cell counts (a), total CD8⁺ T-cell counts (b), naive CD4⁺ T-cell counts (c) and naive CD8⁺ T-cell counts (d) per μl of blood over seroconversion and during untreated HIV infection. Longitudinal data are connected by straight lines (n = 18), while cross-sectional data are denoted by open circles. The pre-seroconversion measurements (“Pre”) were measured between 2.8 and 11.4 years pre-seroconversion; since the change in T-cell numbers in healthy individuals is negligible in such a period of time, we used these measurements as the best estimate of the T-cell numbers at the moment of seroconversion. Cross-sectional data were collected during acute (n = 7) and chronic HIV infection (n = 27) as well as during progression to AIDS (n = 16) and were compared to age-matched healthy controls (n = 38). The p-values for the declines in phase I and phase II are given in the figure, while the difference between cross-sectional data from healthy and HIV-infected subjects are marked by an asterisk if the p-value<0.05.</p