Failure to restore the Vγ2-Jγ1.2 repertoire in HIV-infected men receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)

Gammadelta (γδ) T cells expressing the Vγ2-Jγ1.2Vδ2 (Vγ9-JPVδ2, alternate nomenclature) T cell receptor (TCR) constitute the major peripheral blood population of γδ T cells in adult humans and are specifically depleted during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. Vγ2-Jγ1.2Vδ2 T cells provide a convenient model for assessing the impact of antiretroviral therapy on cell populations that are not susceptible to direct infection because they do not express CD4 and depletion occurs by indirect mechanisms. We obtained longitudinal PBMC samples from 16 HIV-infected individuals who enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) and were starting highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Vγ2-Jγ1.2Vδ2 T cells were depleted in these individuals as a result of HIV infection. Despite evidence for clinical benefits of HAART, the Vγ2-Jγ1.2Vδ2 T cell repertoire did not recover after HAART initiation irrespective of treatment duration. These studies highlight important defects among cell subsets lost due to indirect effects of HIV.