CD8+ T-Cell Responses before and after Structured Treatment Interruption in Ugandan Adults Who Initiated ART with CD4+ T Cells <200 Cell/μL: The DART Trial STI Substudy
Figure 4
Breadths of CD8+ T-cell responses after 12 weeks of STI and matching time point on CT. Study participants were evaluated for CD8+ T-cell responses to complete peptide pools corresponding to Gag, Nef, Tat, Vpr, Vpu, Rev and Vif HIV proteins. Response to the two Gag pools was analysed concomitantly to represent response to the Gag protein. Breadth of CD8+ T-cell response was defined as the number of HIV pools recognised by an individual. Median change in breadth was defined as the increase or decrease in number of pools recognised. Positive readouts indicate increase while negative readouts indicate decrease. The figure demonstrates changes in the breadth of CD8+IFNγ + (a), CD8+Perforin+ (b) and CD8+IFNγ +Perforin+, (c) responses among CT and STI participants; and compares the median number of peptide pools targeted with the induction of CD8+IFNγ + (d), CD8+Perforin+ (e), and CD8+IFNγ +Perforin+ (f) at the end of one STI cycle. Horizontal lines represent medians.
