Differential expression of CXCR3 and CCR6 on CD4⁺ T-lymphocytes with distinct memory phenotypes characterizes tuberculosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome.

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) occurs in up to 40% of individuals co-infected with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and HIV, primarily upon antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. Phenotypic changes in T-cells during TB-IRIS and their relationship with systemic inflammation are not fully understood. In this prospective cohort study, we followed 48 HIV-positive patients with PTB from South India before and after ART initiation, examining T-lymphocyte subsets and inflammatory biomarkers in peripheral blood. Quantification of naïve (CD27⁺CD45RO^-) as well as effector memory CD4⁺ T cells (CD27^-CD45RO⁺) at weeks 2-6 after ART initiation could distinguish TB-IRIS from non-IRIS individuals. Additional analyses revealed that ART reconstituted different quantities of CD4⁺ T lymphocyte subsets with preferential expansion of CXCR3⁺ CCR6^- cells in TB-IRIS patients. Moreover, there was an expansion and functional restoration of central memory (CD27⁺CD45RO⁺) CXCR3⁺CCR6^- CD4⁺ lymphocytes and corresponding cytokines, with reduction in CXCR3^-CCR6⁺ cells after ART initiation only in those who developed TB-IRIS. Together, these observations trace a detailed picture of CD4⁺ T cell subsets tightly associated with IRIS, which may serve as targets for prophylactic and/or therapeutic interventions in the future.

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