ANALYSIS OF GAMMA-DELTA-CELLS IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD OF CHILDREN WITH PERINATAL HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS (HIV) INFECTION( T)

The present study examined CD8 antigen expression and variable (V) gen e segment usage by T cell receptor (TCR)-gammadelta+ lymphocytes in pe ripheral blood of symptomatic children with perinatal HIV infection. T he relative number of gammadelta+, CD8+ T cells in most of the infecte d children was higher than that in uninfected children from HIV+ or HI V- mothers and correlated with the immunodeficiency status of the pati ents. Infected infants and children over 1 year old also showed an inc reased proportion of Vdelta1-Jdelta1+ T lymphocytes. CD8 expression on those cells was higher in infected than in uninfected infants and chi ldren. Sequence analysis of the delta gene rearrangement of the predom inant Vdelta1 family in peripheral blood of three HIV+ donors revealed extensive junctional diversity. These results suggest that the Vdelta skewing in the majority of HIV+ children reflects peripheral expansio n of Vdelta1-Jdelta1+ T lymphocytes early in life, which might be invo lved in the mechanisms of HIV-induced immunodeficiency.