AUTHOR=Song Aixin , Li Zhen , Luo Zhenwu , Lu Xiaofan , Wang Rui , Liu Lifeng , Xia Wei , Wan Zhuang , Zhang Tong , Su Bin , Jiang Wei , Wu Hao 

TITLE=Effects of Early and Delayed Antiretroviral Therapy on Plasma Anti-CD4 Autoreactive IgG and Its Association With CD4+ T-Cell Recovery in Acute HIV-Infected Individuals

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2020

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.00449

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2020.00449

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=Background: Plasma levels of anti-CD4 autoantibodies are increased in chronically HIV-infected patients and inversely correlated with CD4+ T-cell recovery under viral-suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, it remains unknown the effect of early ART on plasma anti-CD4 autoantibody levels in acute HIV infection (AHI).
Methods: In this cohort study, we evaluated the effect of early and delayed initiation of ART on plasma anti-CD4 autoantibody levels in AHI individuals (n = 90). Blood samples were collected from men who had sex with men (MSM) with acute infection, pre-ART, and 4, 24, 48, and 96 weeks after ART. Plasma levels of anti-CD4 immunoglobulin G (IgG) were measured by ELISA. 
Results: We found that plasma anti-CD4 IgG levels were significantly increased in AHI individuals compared with healthy controls (HCs) prior to ART. Notably, early ART decreased plasma anti-CD4 IgG to the levels similar to HCs starting at 24 weeks (W). However, delayed initiation of ART did not significantly reduce plasma anti-CD4 IgG levels in AHI individuals. Moreover, the peripheral CD4+ T-cell counts were inversely correlated with plasma anti-CD4 IgG levels in AHI individuals at 48 and 96W after early ART but not after delayed ART. 
Conclusions: Taken together, our findings demonstrate for the first time that early ART, but not delayed initiation of ART, is effective in influencing anti-CD4 autoantibody production and recovering CD4+ T-cell counts in AHI individuals.