Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes and human retrovirology : official publication of the International Retrovirology Association
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J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. Hum. Retrovirol. · Aug 1998
CD8+ T-lymphocyte activation in HIV-1 disease reflects an aspect of pathogenesis distinct from viral burden and immunodeficiency.
The CD8+ T-cell response is central to control and eventual elimination of persistent viral infections. Although it might be expected that CD8+ T-cell activation would be associated with a better clinical outcome during viral infections, in long-term HIV-1 infection, high levels of CD8+ T-cell activation are instead associated with faster disease progression. ⋯ The pathogenetic reason why CD8+ T-cell activation is associated with poor outcome in HIV-1 disease remains unknown. Possibly CD8+ T-cell activation contributes to immunologic exhaustion, hyporesponsiveness of T cells to their cognate antigens, or perturbations in the T-cell receptor repertoire.