Fig. 6: MAIT cells in acute HIV-1 infection become dysfunctional in early chronic infection.

PBMC from one pre-infection and three post-infection time points from the acute capture cohort study subjects (n = 20) were stimulated with E. coli, PMA/ionomycin, or without stimulation, to examine expression of markers of cytotoxicity (CD107a and GrzB) and cytokine production (IFNγ and TNF) in MAIT cells. a Example flow cytometry gating showing the functional read out within the MAIT cell gate in unstimulated (black) and stimulated (red) cells. b MAIT cell functionality after stimulation with mildly fixed E. coli, or c PMA/ionomycin is displayed longitudinally with data from one pre-infection and three post-infection time points in acute infection as the percentage of MAIT cells positive for functional markers, and the median of these markers at pre-infection is shown dashed black line. Longitudinal median values shown as a solid red or turquoise line, respectively. d The percentage of MAIT cells from b and c expressing at least one function is shown longitudinally. *p ≤ 0.05. In b, c, and d, statistical analysis was performed using the nonparametric Friedman test with the Dunn’s multiple comparison test. PBMC, Peripheral blood mononuclear cells. MAIT cells are identified as CD161++Vα7.2+ cells within CD3+CD14-CD19- live lymphocytes. VL viral load. The source data underlying d are provided as a Source Data file.