AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, December 20, 2004
Staff Medical Writers

"Nonsyncytium inducing, macrophage tropic HIV strains predominate in the course of active tuberculosis (TB). The present study assesses the expression of CCR5 in CD4+ T-lymphocytes from blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of TB patients, non-TB lung disease controls and healthy controls.

"Memory (CD45RO), recently activated (CD69), proliferating (Ki67) CCR5+ or CCR3+ CD4+ T-lymphocytes were determined by multiparametric flow cytometry analysis," investigators in Italy report.

"Results show that BAL CD4+ T-lymphocytes expressing CCR5 or CCR3 were significantly increased when compared to peripheral blood both in patients and in healthy controls.

"However," said M.B. Santucci and colleagues, "the data show that the proportions of peripheral blood CCR5+ CD4+ and CCR3+ CD4+ T-lymphocytes and BAL CCR5+ CD4+ T-lymphocytes, but not BAL CCR3+ CD4+ T-lymphocytes, were significantly increased in TB patients."

"Furthermore," the authors continued, "the observation that BAL CCR5+ CD4+ T-lymphocytes from TB patients expressed early activation markers, were not proliferating and showed down-regulation of CCR5 expression suggests recruitment and trapping at the site of disease."

"Altogether, these results suggest that the lower respiratory tract mucosa may provide cellular targets accessible for efficient transmission of macrophage tropic HIV-1 variants and that tuberculosis may enhance this phenomenon," concluded scientists.

Santucci and colleagues published their study in European Respiratory Journal (Expansion of CCR5+CD4+ T-lymphocytes in the course of active pulmonary tuberculosis. Eur Respir J. 2004 Oct;24(4):638-43).

For additional information, contact M. Fraziano, University Roma Tor Vergata, Department Biology, Via Ric Science, I-00133 Rome, Italy.

The publisher of the European Respiratory Journal can be contacted at: European Respiratory Society Journals Ltd., 146 West St., Ste. 2.4, Huttons Bldg, Sheffield S1 4ES, England.

The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of Pulmonary Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, Lower Respiratory Tract, and Immunology.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

Reference

Santucci MB, Bocchino M, Garg SK, et al., "Expansion of CCR5+ CD4+ T-lymphocytes in the course of active pulmonary tuberculosis", Eur Respir J. 2004 Oct;24(4):638-43.

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