T cell activation is associated with lower CD4+ T cell gains in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with sustained viral suppression during antiretroviral therapy.

Although T cell activation is associated with disease progression in untreated human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, its significance in antiretroviral-treated patients is unknown. Activated (CD38(+)HLA-DR(+)) T cell counts were measured in 99 HIV-infected adults who had maintained a plasma HIV RNA level