Magnitude of Type I Interferon Responses by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells After TLR7 Stimulation Is Associated With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Reservoir Sizes in Cisgender Women With HIV-1 on Antiretroviral Therapy.

This article focuses on the relationship between plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) type I interferon (IFN) responses and the size of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reservoir in cisgender women with HIV-1 (WWH) on stable antiretroviral therapy (ART). In a cohort of 20 WWH, higher IFN-α and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production by pDCs following Toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8) stimulation inversely correlated with levels of intact and total proviral HIV-1 DNA in CD4 T cells, suggesting stronger innate immune responses are associated with smaller HIV-1 reservoirs. Additionally, baseline expression of the interferon-stimulated gene ISG15 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells correlated with pDC cytokine responses, indicating a link between type I IFN activity and reservoir size. These findings highlight a potential role for type I IFN responses in modulating HIV-1 persistence during ART in WWH, warranting further investigation into underlying mechanisms.