Figure 2.

Patients with higher plasma viral load show higher HIV-specific CD4 T-cell responses in early PHI. Patients were segregated based on the level of plasma viral load at baseline: the group with higher viral load (HVL) was defined as blood HIV-RNA copies/mL > median and the group with lower viral load (LVL) as HIV-RNA copies/mL ≤ median (A). CD8 T-cell activation levels (% HLA-DR⁺CD38⁺ CD8 T cells) (B), CD4 T-cell counts (C), and % HLA-DR⁺ CD4 T cells (D) are depicted in both patient groups. Freshly isolated CD4 T cells (at baseline) were stimulated with HIV-1 gag p24 protein for 72 h and frequencies of IFN-γ⁺ (E), IL-17⁺ (F), IL-2⁺ (G), as well as of IFN-γ⁺IL-17⁺ (H) CD4 T cells are shown in HVL and LVL patients. P-values of Mann–Whitney tests are indicated on each panel.