Persistence of integrated HIV DNA in CXCR3 CCR6 memory CD4R T cells in HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy

Abstract

Background: HIV latent infection can be established in vitro by treating resting CD4+ T cells with chemokines that bind to chemokine receptors (CKR), CCR7, CXCR3, and CCR6, highly expressed on T cells. Objective: To determine if CKR identify CD4+ T cells enriched for HIV in HIV-infected individuals receiving suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). Design: A cross-sectional study of CKR expression and HIV persistence in blood from HIV-infected individuals on suppressive ART for more than 3 years (n=48). A subset of 20 individuals underwent leukapheresis and sorting of specific CD4+ T-cell subsets. Methods: We used flow cytometry to quantify CCR5, CCR6, CXCR3, and CXCR5 expression on CD4+ T ..