Comparison of HIV DNA decay and immune recovery between early and chronic HIV-infected individuals 96 weeks after ART

Objectives Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) has prolonged the lives of HIV-infected individuals, HIV reservoir remains the main stumbling block to HIV cure. Presently, early ART initiation is one of the effective measures to reduce the HIV reservoir. The effects of ART in Chinese individuals with acute and early HIV infection (AEHI) and chronic HIV infection (CHI) were analyzed in this study. Methods We performed virological and immunological parameter analysis in 29 AEHI and 19 CHI individuals who were initiated into ART in Beijing, China. The HIV DNA, CD4(+) T-cell and CD8(+) T-cell counts, and CD4/CD8 ratios between the two groups were compared using statistical analyses. Results At weeks 48 and 96, the total HIV DNA was significantly lower in the AEHI group than that the CHI group (2.48 [2.26-2.66] vs. 3.06 [2.79-3.33] log10 copies/10(6) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), p < 0.01 at week 48 and 2.17 [1.85-2.45] vs. 2.92 [2.73-3.24] log10 copies/10(6) PBMCs, p < 0.01 at week 96, respectively). The CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio in the AHI group at week 24 was significantly higher than that in the CHI group (0.71 [0.50-0.99] vs. 0.45 [0.34-0.65], p = 0.08). After 48 weeks of ART, there was still a negative correlation between the CD4/CD8 ratio and the HIV DNA level in the CHI group rather than the AEHI group. Conclusions Early ART initiation could enhance an earlier immunological recovery in AEHI. Immunological normalization after ART initiation could provide important protection against the viral reservoir seeded in AEHI individuals.