Impaired CD4 T Cell Memory Response to Streptococcus pneumoniae Precedes CD4 T Cell Depletion in HIV-Infected Malawian Adults

Abstract

Asymptomatic HIV-infected Malawian adults show early signs of pneumococcal- specific immune dysregulation with a shift in the balance of CD4 memory, T helper 17 cells and Treg. Together these data offer a mechanistic understanding of how antigen-specific T cell dysfunction occurs prior to T cell depletion and may explain the early susceptibility to IPD in those with relatively preserved CD4 T cell numbers.