CD4 depletion in HIV-infected haemophilia patients is associated with rapid clearance of immune complex-coated CD4+ lymphocytes
The predominant immunological finding in HIV+ haemophilia patients is a decrease of CD4+ lymphocytes during progression of the disease. Depletion of CD4+ lymphocytes is paralleled by an increase in the proportion of immune complex-coated CD4+ cells. We examined the hypothesis that the formation of i...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1999
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| In: |
Clinical & experimental immunology
Year: 1999, Volume: 115, Issue: 3, Pages: 477-484 |
| ISSN: | 1365-2249 |
| DOI: | 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1999.00848.x |
| Online Access: | Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2249.1999.00848.x Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-2249.1999.00848.x 
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| Author Notes: | V. Daniel, A. Melk, C. Süsal, R. Weimer, R. Zimmermann, A. Huth-Kühne & G. Opelz |
| Summary: | The predominant immunological finding in HIV+ haemophilia patients is a decrease of CD4+ lymphocytes during progression of the disease. Depletion of CD4+ lymphocytes is paralleled by an increase in the proportion of immune complex-coated CD4+ cells. We examined the hypothesis that the formation of immune complexes on CD4+ lymphocytes is followed by rapid clearance of immune complex-coated CD4+ lymphocytes from the circulation. In this study, the relationship of relative to absolute numbers of immune complex-loaded CD4+ blood lymphocytes and their association with viral load were studied. Two measurements of relative and absolute numbers of gp120-, IgG- and/or IgM-loaded CD4+ lymphocytes were analysed in HIV+ and HIV- haemophilia patients, with a median interval of approx. 3 years. Immune complexes on CD4+ lymphocytes were determined using double-fluorescence flow cytometry and whole blood samples. Viral load was assessed using NASBA and Nuclisens kits. Whereas the proportion of immune complex-coated CD4+ lymphocytes increased with progression of the disease, absolute numbers of immune complex-coated CD4+ lymphocytes in the blood were consistently low. Relative increases of immune complex-coated CD4+ blood lymphocytes were significantly associated with decreases of absolute numbers of circulating CD4+ lymphocytes. The gp120 load on CD4+ blood lymphocytes increased in parallel with the viral load in the blood. These results indicate that immune complex-coated CD4+ lymphocytes are rapidly cleared from the circulation, suggesting that CD4+ reactive autoantibodies and immune complexes are relevant factors in the pathogenesis of AIDS. Relative increases of immune complex-positive cells seem to be a consequence of both an increasing retroviral activity as well as a stronger loading with immune complexes of the reduced number of CD4+ cells remaining during the process of CD4 depletion. The two mechanisms seem to enhance each other and contribute to the progressive CD4 decrease during the course of the disease. |
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| Item Description: | Im Titel + hochgestellt Gesehen am 19.02.2021 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 1365-2249 |
| DOI: | 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1999.00848.x |