Role of Transmitted Gag CTL Polymorphisms in Defining Replicative Capacity and Early HIV-1 Pathogenesis
Figure 7
RC affects the rate of CD4 decline in a manner that may be independent of viral load.
(A) In a subset of individuals for which longitudinal CD4+ counts were available for at least 1 year post infection (n = 63), RC of Gag-MJ4 chimeras negatively correlated with the average CD4+ counts of linked recipients within the first year (Spearman rank correlation, r = −0.24, p = 0.02). (B) Kaplan-Meier plots in which the endpoint was defined as the first CD4+ count below 350. Interval cut-off for endpoint was set to 36 months. The difference in median time to endpoint between those receiving viruses with RC<1 (n = 14) and RC>2 (n = 20) was 384 days (Log-rank test, p = 0.029). (C) Kaplan-Meier plots in which the endpoint was defined as the first CD4+ count below 300. Interval cut-off for endpoint was set to 36 months. The difference in median time to endpoint between those receiving viruses with RC<1 (n = 14) and RC>2 (n = 20) was >800 days (Log-rank test, p = 0.014). (D) The difference in median VL between RC groups RC<1, RC 1–2, and RC >2 were not significantly different (Mann Whitney U test), consistent with the effect of RC on CD4 decline being independent of VL.