SIMILARITY OF EXPRESSION OF ACTIVATION MARKERS AND CD28 ON GAMMA-DELTA AND ALPHA-BETA-RECEPTOR T-CELLS IN HIV-INFECTION

During human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, phenotypic analys is of circulating gamma delta(+) T cells showed a downregulation of th e CD28 surface antigen, as recently demonstrated for CD4(+) and CD8(+) alpha beta(+) T cells. The downregulation of the CD28 molecule predom inated on CD8(+)gamma delta(+) T cells. Moreover, an increased express ion of CD38 and/or HLA-DR molecules was found on gamma delta T cells a s reported for alpha beta T cells indicating that all categories of ci rculating T lymphocytes share similar phenotypic abnormalities in HIV- infected patients. These unique changes in the different T-cell subset s might be induced by sustained activation of the immune system or by the rapid turnover of T cells and argue for a global dysregulation of T lymphocytes during HIV infection. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.