HIV-1 Tat is present in the serum of people living with HIV-1 despite viral suppression
La protéine Tat du VIH-1 est présente dans les sera des personnes vivant avec le VIH malgré la thérapie antirétrovirale
Résumé
Objectives: Despite successful human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) control with combination antiretro- viral therapy (cART), individuals with HIV still face health risks, including cancers, cardiovascular and neurocognitive diseases. An HIV protein, Tat, is potentially involved in these HIV-related diseases. Previ- ous studies demonstrated circulating Tat in the blood of untreated people with HIV. Here, we measured Tat levels in the serum of cART-treated people with HIV to examine the effect of cART on Tat production.
Methods: Serum samples from 63 HIV-positive and 20 HIV-seronegative individuals were analyzed using an ELISA assay that detected Tat concentrations above 2.5 ng/mL. Results: Among HIV-positive individuals, the Tat level ranged from 0 to 14 ng/mL. 25.4% (16 out of 63) exceeded the 2.5 ng/mL cut-off, with a median HIV Tat level of 4.518 [3.329-8.120] ng/mL. No correlation was revealed between Tat levels and CD4 + T cell counts, serum HIV RNA, p24 antigen, or anti-Tat levels.
Conclusions: Despite cART, circulating HIV Tat persists and may contribute to HIV-related diseases. This emphasizes the need for further research on