PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Wang, Chao AU - Edilova, Maria I. AU - Wagar, Lisa E. AU - Mujib, Shariq AU - Singer, Meromit AU - Bernard, Nicole F. AU - Croughs, Thérèse AU - Lederman, Michael M. AU - Sereti, Irini AU - Fischl, Margaret A. AU - Kremmer, Elisabeth AU - Ostrowski, Mario AU - Routy, Jean-Pierre AU - Watts, Tania H. TI - Effect of IL-7 Therapy on Phospho-Ribosomal Protein S6 and TRAF1 Expression in HIV-Specific CD8 T Cells in Patients Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy AID - 10.4049/jimmunol.1601254 DP - 2018 Jan 15 TA - The Journal of Immunology PG - 558--564 VI - 200 IP - 2 4099 - http://www.jimmunol.org/content/200/2/558.short 4100 - http://www.jimmunol.org/content/200/2/558.full SO - J. Immunol.2018 Jan 15; 200 AB - IL-7 therapy has been evaluated in patients who do not regain normal CD4 T cell counts after virologically successful antiretroviral therapy. IL-7 increases total circulating CD4 and CD8 T cell counts; however, its effect on HIV-specific CD8 T cells has not been fully examined. TRAF1, a prosurvival signaling adaptor required for 4-1BB–mediated costimulation, is lost from chronically stimulated virus-specific CD8 T cells with progression of HIV infection in humans and during chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis infection in mice. Previous results showed that IL-7 can restore TRAF1 expression in virus-specific CD8 T cells in mice, rendering them sensitive to anti–4-1BB agonist therapy. In this article, we show that IL-7 therapy in humans increases the number of circulating HIV-specific CD8 T cells. For a subset of patients, we also observed an increased frequency of TRAF1+ HIV-specific CD8 T cells 10 wk after completion of IL-7 treatment. IL-7 treatment increased levels of phospho-ribosomal protein S6 in HIV-specific CD8 T cells, suggesting increased activation of the metabolic checkpoint kinase mTORC1. Thus, IL-7 therapy in antiretroviral therapy–treated patients induces sustained changes in the number and phenotype of HIV-specific T cells.