T-lymphocyte subset dynamics in well-treated HIV-infected men during a bout of exhausting exercise

Abstract

In healthy individuals the substantial lymphocytosis during a bout of exhausting exercise constitutes primarily mature T cells from the peripheral lymphoid organs but naïve T cells are also recruited. This study investigated whether the defective CD4 + T-lymphocyte count in peripheral blood during rest in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients would also be observed following a maximal output ergometer bicycle test. At rest, in 45 well-treated HIV-infected patients, mature and naïve CD4 + T-lymphocyte counts were decreased whereas the less immune active CD8 + T lymphocytes were increased compared with 10 healthy control subjects. In response to exercise mature and naïve CD4 + T lymphocytes increased less and mature and naïve CD8 + T lymphocytes increased most in HIV-infected patients. In conclusion, defective resting mature and naïve CD4 + T lymphocytes in well-treated HIV-infected patients are also reflected in defective acutely mobilized active immune cells following exhausting exercise. The CD4 + T-lymphocyte count is highly sensitive to physical activity.

Keywords::

• HIV
• acute exercise
• CD4 + cell counts
• CD8 + cell counts
• immunology

Declaration of interest: The study was supported by research grants from the Danish Research Council for Health and Disease, the Helga and Peter Korning's Foundation, Clinical Institute at Aarhus University, and Hvidovre University Hospital. None of the funding bodies had involvement in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest associated with this manuscript.

Supplementary material available online

Supplementary Table I available online at http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/23744235.2015.1055584.