AEGiS-14IAC: Flowcytometric analysis of the subsets of peripheral blood CD4 positive cells in chronic HIV-1 infection.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Flowcytometric analysis of the subsets of peripheral blood CD4 positive cells in chronic HIV-1 infection.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. A10068)

Fujii T, Takata N
Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan

BACKGROUND: In well-controlled patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection by highly active anti-retroviral treatment, their CD4 positive cell(CD4+) counts usually increased. However, some patients have no increase of their CD4+ even if their viral loads (VLs) decrease to the undetectable level and are suppressed more than several months. To clarify the difference, we investigated their phenotypic characters of CD4+ in peripheral blood using flowcytometry. And then, we try to analyze the clinical significance of phenotypic differences in CD4+.

METHODS: We analyzed peripheral blood CD4+ in 18 patients with chronic HIV-1 infection using flowcytometry. Two color analysis using monoclonal antibodies(MoAb) to the antigens was performed for two surface antigens, and one surface antigen and one intracellular antigen. The CD4, CD45, and CD62L MoAb combination was utilized for the assay of 3 color analysis. Major lymphocyte subsets were enumerated by use of anti-CD4,-CD8,-CD45,-Fas,-Fas ligand,-CD38,and CD62L MoAbs. CD3+/CD4+ subset in lymphocyte and VLs were measured every month. To observe phenotypic change of their CD4+, we investigate twice them except for CD3+/CD4+ subset at more than 6 months interval.

RESULTS: There was a significant negative correlation between CD4 positive rate and Fas+/CD4+ rate in lymphocytes. Furthermore, high Fas+/CD4+ rates(more than 15 %) tended to suggest the decrease of CD4 positive rates in the next examination. Although there was no relationship between Fas+/CD4+ rates and VL, all patients who had high VLs and low Fas+/CD4+ rates had drug resistant strains. The increase of CD4+ did not relate with any intracellular cytokines positive rates in CD4+ and VL.

CONCLUSIONS: Fas+/CD4+ rate had the possibility of the clinical marker suggesting the increase of CD4+. As another subsets of CD4+ did not change during the observation period, we have to continue investigating them for years in chronic HIV-1 infection.

Keywords: AEGIS, Antigens, CD4, CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, Viral Load, Antigens, CD45, Antigens, CD, Antigens, CD3, ADP-ribosyl Cyclase, HIV Seropositivity, L-Selectin, CD38 antigen, Human, analysis, immunology

020707
A10068