Increased CD95+ or CD160+ double-negative T-cell subsets are associated with incomplete immune reconstitution in ART-treated people living with HIV

Objective: To investigate the expression patterns of CD95 and CD160 on double-negative T (DN T) cells and their association with incomplete immune reconstitution in people living with HIV. Methods: subsets. Associations between DN T-cell phenotypes and INR were evaluated using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses, with odds ratios (ORs) calculated per 10% increase in cell percentages. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess discriminatory ability. Results: DN T cells demonstrated lower discriminatory performance (AUC = 0.687). Adding DN T-cell phenotypic parameters to a baseline clinical model modestly improved discriminatory performance. Conclusion: Incomplete immune reconstitution in PLWH is associated with phenotypic alterations of DN T cells characterized by increased CD95 and CD160 expression. These findings provide a phenotypic characterization of DN T-cell alterations associated with immune dysregulation in INR and may offer insights for further mechanistic investigation.