Previous studies reported that this active naive T cells normalize slowly after several months and increase remarkably in the following years.21,22In this study, the observation time was only 24 weeks. and at the onset of IRIS. IL-2 and interferon (IFN)- levels were significantly higher at week 4 and at the onset of IRIS in IRIS patients than in non-IRIS patients. In contrast, IL-4 and IL-10 levels were significantly lower at week 4 and at the onset of IRIS in IRIS patients than in non-IRIS patients. Plasma IL-7 decreased gradually with the progression of HAART. The level of IL-7 was higher in IRIS patients than in non-IRIS patients at all follow-up time points. An imbalance of Th1/Th2 cytokines, a consistently low CD+CD25+Fox3+percentage, and a high IL-7 level may be crucial in the pathogenesis of IRIS in AIDS patients who had received HAART. == Introduction == Highly active antiretroviraltherapy (HAART) is currently the most effective way to treat acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HAART can dramatically suppress the replication of human immunodeficiency computer virus (HIV), rebuild the immune function of infected patients, and reduce the incidence of opportunistic infections.1,2However, shortly after the initiation of HAART, about 1030% of patients receiving HAART contract more severe illnesses, opportunistic infections, or infections from new pathogens. This phenomenon was described in literature as immune reconstruction disease (IRD) or immune reconstruction inflammation syndrome (IRIS).3,4IRIS Calcitriol (Rocaltrol) is a life-threatening syndrome. Preventing the development of IRIS is usually of great significance to improving the prognosis of AIDS. Despite the progress made in understanding the manifestations of IRIS, the pathogenesis of IRIS in HAART-treated AIDS patients remains largely unknown. The treatment efficacy of HAART is mainly evaluated by the decrease in HIV-1 viral load and the degree of reconstitution of the immune system.5However, the implications of the rebuilding of immune function for the development of IRIS in AIDS patients Calcitriol (Rocaltrol) have not been widely reported. In particular, Rabbit polyclonal to HSD17B12 the immunopathogenesis of IRIS is usually rarely elucidated. In this study, we investigated the T lymphocyte subsets, Th1 and Th2 cytokines, and interleukin (IL)-7 levels at weeks 0, 12, and 24 after HAART treatment and at the onset of IRIS in AIDS patients who developed IRIS compared to patients who did not develop IRIS 24 weeks after initial HAART. == Subjects and Methods == == Study design == This is a prospective observational study. All patients were treated with the conventional HARRT regimen: lamivudine, 300 mg per dose, once per day; zidovudine, 300 mg per dose, twice per day; and nevirapine, 200 mg per dose, once per day, which were changed to twice per day 2 weeks later if no side effects were observed. Patients who developed IRIS were allocated to the IRIS group, while patients who did not develop IRIS until 24 weeks were assigned to the non-IRIS group. Blood samples were collected from 47 IRIS cases and 191 non-IRIS cases for the detection of lymphocyte subsets, Th1 and Th2 cytokines, and IL-7 level at weeks 0, 12, and 24 post-HAART and at the onset of IRIS. == Subjects == A total of 238 patients with AIDS (163 male and 65 female) who received HAART in the Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from October 2007 to September 2009 were enrolled in this study. This study was preapproved by the medical ethics committee of Second Xiangya Hospital. Patients were informed of the purpose of the study, the possible side effects, and other considerations. Written informed consent forms were obtained from all patients. All AIDS patients were diagnosed according to the AIDS Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines (National Ministry of Health, China, Calcitriol (Rocaltrol) 2006). All patients were confirmed to be HIV-1 positive and met the requirements of National AIDS antiviral treatment manuals (second edition) for initiating HAART. The patients Calcitriol (Rocaltrol) were followed up for 24 weeks. The average age of the patients was 38.3 years with a range from 29.5 to 45.3 years. The assessment of IRIS and non-IRIS during follow-up was based on the widely accepted IRIS criteria.6Thirty-one healthy students and employees (20 male and 11.