# Immune and hematologic alterations associated with CD4+ T-cell depletion in people living with HIV in Morocco

## TL;DR

This study shows how HIV-related CD4+ T-cell loss affects immune and blood cell levels in Moroccan patients, highlighting the need for comprehensive monitoring.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific immune and hematologic changes linked to CD4+ T-cell depletion in a Moroccan HIV population.

## Key findings

- CD4+ T-cell depletion correlates with reduced neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, erythrocytes, and platelets.
- CD8+ T lymphocytes increase compensatorily in response to CD4+ T-cell loss.
- B cells also decrease, but NK cells remain largely unaffected.

## Abstract

HIV infection profoundly impacts both the immune and hematologic systems. This retrospective study aimed to assess the effect of CD4+ T-cell depletion on peripheral immune and hematologic cell populations in 1293 people living with HIV (PLWH). Patients with CD4+ counts < 200 cells/µL exhibited significant reductions in neutrophils (4000 ± 1200 cells/µL), eosinophils (150 ± 50 cells/µL), basophils (30 ± 10 cells/µL), monocytes (300 ± 100 cells/µL), erythrocytes (4.3 ± 0.6 × 106/µL), and platelets (268 ± 78 × 103/µL). As evaluated in 93 PLWH cases, B cells showed a similar trend (150 ± 50 cells/µL), while the decrease of NK cells was not significant (200 ± 70 cells/µL),. In parallel, we observed a compensatory increase in CD8+ T lymphocytes (850 ± 300 cells/µL). These findings highlight the complex interplay between CD4+ T-cell depletion and both immune and hematologic cells in the context of HIV infection, which emphasizes the need for integrated monitoring to inform targeted interventions and optimize clinical outcomes.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12981-026-00856-7.