Profiles of Lymphocyte Subtypes in HIV‐Infected People With Different Immunologic Responses to Antiretroviral Therapy

Immunophenotyping of blood lymphocyte subtypes can provide vital information for diagnosing and treating immunological nonresponse for people living with HIV (PLHIV). This study aimed to characterize lymphocyte subtypes among PLHIV with different immunologic responses. We recruited PLHIV from the Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital in Guangzhou between 1 November to 31 December 2023. Participants were grouped into immunological responders (IR, CD4+ T cell count ≥ 500 cells/μL) and immunological non-responders (INR, < 350 cells/μL) after more than 4 years of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Flow cytometry was used to determine the profiles of peripheral blood lymphocyte subtypes. Spearman rank correlation analysis was conducted between lymphocyte subtypes and disease progression indicators. A total of 387 PLHIV were included, among whom 255 were INR and 132 IR. The number of total B and T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, natural killer T-like cells, and the percentage of naive helper T lymphocytes were decreased in INR group than those in IR. However, the percentages of memory helper T lymphocytes and suppressor T lymphocytes were more abundant in INR. Notably, we found that levels of the immune activation cells were higher in INR group, since the percentages of activated helper T lymphocytes and activated T lymphocytes were more abundant in INR. Lymphocyte subtypes had slight correlations with WBC, PLT, Scr and Glu. This study described the comprehensive immune cell profile of lymphocyte subtypes and provided clues for a deeper understanding of the mechanism of poor immunologic recovery in INR.