In Rare Cases, Immune System Fails Despite HIV Suppression | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

In Rare Cases, Immune System Fails Despite HIV Suppression | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Thursday, April 18, 2019 In Rare Cases, Immune System Fails Despite HIV Suppression NIAID Scientists Identify Paradoxical Response to HIV Medication in Five Individuals Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is usually very effective at suppressing HIV in the body, allowing a person’s immune system to recover by preventing the virus from destroying CD4+ T cells. Scientists have now identified a rare, paradoxical response to ART known as extreme immune decline, or EXID. Five individuals evaluated at NIH experienced a significant decline in CD4+ T cell levels despite suppression of HIV below detectable levels for more than three years, according to a report published online today in JCI Insight.