Peter A Kessler
Emory University, USA
Title: Role of regulatory T cells in mother to child transmission of HIV
Biography
Biography: Peter A Kessler
Abstract
T cell activation increased rapidly in the first 6 weeks of life, more pronounced on CD8+ T cells; a further increase in activation was observed at the time of weaning from breastfeeding at 6 months of age. In contrast, the frequency of Treg was stable over the first 6 weeks of life (median, 0.5%), slightly decreased between 6 weeks and 6 months (median at 6 months, 0.3%) and then slightly increased between 6 months (time of weaning) and 12 months of age (median, 0.45%). HIV-infected infants had significantly higher frequencies of activated T cells than uninfected infants (P<0.01), as expected. At the time of birth, HIV-exposed uninfected infants had higher levels of Treg, compared to infants infected in utero (Figure, P=0.03). Among infants with negative HIV tests at birth, Treg % tended to be higher in those who were HIV-infected by 6 months of life, compared with those who remained uninfected (median, 1.25% vs. 0.55%).