Fig. 1. Normal CD4 T-cell counts for age and low immune activation despite high viral loads in pediatric non-progressors, in association with evidence of low levels of microbial translocation.

a–c. Absolute CD4 T-cell count, CD4% (percentage of peripheral blood lymphocytes expressing CD4) and viral load in ART-naïve pediatric subject 517-C over the first 10 years of life. 10^th, 50^th and 90^th centile of absolute CD4 T-cell counts and CD4% are shown in panels A-B for uninfected children over the first 10 years of life^18–19. d. Longitudinal viral load data from 170 ART-naïve pediatric non-progressors. Viral load declines with age over the first 5 years (r=−0.34, p<0.0001) but then plateaus thereafter. e. Current absolute CD4 T-cell counts and viral loads in 170 pediatric non-progressors. f. Lack of correlation between CD4 T-cell count and viral load in 170 pediatric non-progressors. G–h. Immune activation (CD38/HLA-DR expression) on CD4+ T-cells (panel g) and CD8+ T-cells (panel h) is inversely correlated with absolute CD4 T-cell count in ART-naïve children aged>5yrs (n=163 HIV-infected children and n=21 HIV-uninfected children). i. Levels of soluble CD14 are significantly lower in pediatric non-progressors (absolute CD4 T-cell count >750 cells/mm³, n=14) than in progressors (absolute CD4 T-cell count <500 cells/mm³, n=16) and similar to HIV-uninfected children (n=21). j. Levels of intestinal fatty acid binding protein are lower in pediatric non-progressors (n=14) and HIV-uninfected children (n=21) compared to progressors (n=19). Comparisons between groups were calculated by Mann-Whitney tests (*p<0.05; **p<0.01). P- and r-values for bivariate associations were calculated by Spearman rank correlation tests.