1 on maraviroc-containing therapy is associated with better responsiveness to HBV 2 vaccination. Abstract word count: 250 15 Number of inserts: 5 (3 tables and 2 figures) 16 Number of references: 42 17 ABSTRACT 26Introduction: We previously found that a maraviroc-containing combined 27 antiretroviral therapy (MVC-cART) was associated with a better response to the 28 Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) vaccine in HIV-infected subjects younger than 50 years old. 29 We aimed here to extend our previous analysis including immunological parameters 30 related to inflammation, T-cell and dendritic cell (DC) subsets phenotype and to explore 31 the impact of MVC-cART on these parameters. 32 Methods: We analyzed baseline samples of vaccinated subjects under 50 years old 33 (n=41). We characterized CD4 T-cells according to the distribution of their maturational 34 subsets and the expression of activation, senescence and prone-to-apoptosis markers; we 35 also quantified Treg-cells and main DC subsets. Linear regressions were performed to 36 determine the impact of these variables on the magnitude of vaccine response. Binary 37 logistic regressions were explored to analyze the impact of MVC-cART on 38 immunological parameters. Correlations with the time of MVC exposure were also 39 explored. 40 Results: MVC-cART remained independently associated with HBV-vaccine 41 responsiveness even after adjusting by immunological variables. The 42 %CD4 + CD25 hi FoxP3 + ki67 + and %pDCs were also independently associated. Moreover, 43 HIV-infected subjects on MVC-containing therapy prior to vaccination showed lower 44 inflammatory levels, activated CD4 T-cells and frequency of Treg cells and higher 45 frequency of recent thymic emigrants.46 Conclusion: Treg-cell levels negatively impacted the HBV-vaccine response, whereas 47 higher pDCs levels and a MVC-cART prior to vaccination were associated with better 48 responsiveness. These factors together with the improved phenotypic CD4 T-cell profile 49 and the lower inflammatory levels found in subjects with a MVC-cART prior HBV 50 vaccination could contribute to their enhanced vaccine response. 51 52 Human Inmunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected subjects are at high risk for Hepatitis B 53 Virus (HBV) infection and progression of severe, life-threatening hepatic 54 complications, as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma [1, 2]. To prevent the 55 associated morbimortality, worldwide current guidelines recommend vaccination 56 against HBV in all HIV-infected subjects susceptible to be coinfected by HBV, but the 57 response rates are lower than in HIV non-infected subjects [reviewed in 3]. 58 The best known predictors of vaccine efficacy are undetectable viral load and CD4 T-59 cell counts above 350 cells/mm 3 [3]. Thus, it is well assumed that a successful combined 60 antiretroviral therapy (cART) favors the vaccine response, however, the influence of the 61 type of antiretroviral treatment has been scarcely explored until now. In this line, it was 62 first described that maraviroc (MVC), a CCR5 antagoni...