Adipokines as New Biomarkers of Immune Recovery: Apelin Receptor, RBP4 and ZAG Are Related to CD4<sup>+</sup> T-Cell Reconstitution in PLHIV on Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy

oleh: Elena Yeregui, Jenifer Masip, Consuelo Viladés, Pere Domingo, Yolanda M. Pacheco, Julià Blanco, Josep Mallolas, Verónica Alba, Montserrat Vargas, Graciano García-Pardo, Eugènia Negredo, Montserrat Olona, Judit Vidal-González, Maria Peraire, Anna Martí, Laia Reverté, Fréderic Gómez-Bertomeu, Manuel Leal, Francesc Vidal, Joaquim Peraire, Anna Rull

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-02-01

Deskripsi

A significant proportion of people living with HIV (PLHIV) who successfully achieve virological suppression fail to recover CD4<sup>+</sup> T-cell counts. Since adipose tissue has been discovered as a key immune organ, this study aimed to assess the role of adipokines in the HIV immunodiscordant response. This is a multicenter prospective study including 221 PLHIV starting the first antiretroviral therapy (ART) and classified according to baseline CD4<sup>+</sup> T-cell counts/µL (controls > 200 cells/µL and cases ≤ 200 cells/µL). Immune failure recovery was considered when cases did not reach more than 250 CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells/µL at 144 weeks (immunological nonresponders, INR). Circulating adipokine concentrations were longitudinally measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. At baseline, apelin receptor (APLNR) and zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein (ZAG) concentrations were significantly lower in INRs than in immunological responders (<i>p</i> = 0.043 and <i>p</i> = 0.034), and they remained lower during all ART follow-up visits (<i>p</i> = 0.044 and <i>p</i> = 0.028 for APLNR, <i>p</i> = 0.038 and <i>p</i> = 0.010 for ZAG, at 48 and 144 weeks, respectively). ZAG levels positively correlated with retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) levels (<i>p</i> < 0.01), and low circulating RBP4 concentrations were related to a low CD4<sup>+</sup> T-cell gain (<i>p</i> = 0.018 and <i>p</i> = 0.039 at 48 and 144 weeks, respectively). Multiple regression adjusted for clinical variables and adipokine concentrations confirmed both low APLNR and RBP4 as independent predictors for CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells at 144 weeks (<i>p</i> < 0.001). In conclusion, low APLNR and RBP4 concentrations were associated with poor immune recovery in treated PLHIV and could be considered predictive biomarkers of a discordant immunological response.