High CD4 count before HIV treatment contributes to smaller HIV reservoir on ART
Researchers found that people infected with HIV who maintained a CD4+ count during untreated infection as high as that in people not infected with HIV had a much smaller HIV reservoir after several years on treatment. The team found that a smaller HIV reservoir was linked to activity in a specific immunological pathway (STAT5 signalling). Across most measures of HIV persistence on treatment, women had lower levels than men. Together, this indicates that people who maintain a very high CD4+ count until starting ART may have certain immunological advantages. This may make them good candidates for HIV cure interventions.
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