APOPTOSIS OF CD4(-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 INFECTION - CORRELATION WITH CLINICAL PROGRESSION, VIRAL LOAD, AND LOSS OF HUMORAL IMMUNITY() AND CD19(+) CELLS DURING HUMAN)
A. Samuelsson et al., APOPTOSIS OF CD4(-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 INFECTION - CORRELATION WITH CLINICAL PROGRESSION, VIRAL LOAD, AND LOSS OF HUMORAL IMMUNITY() AND CD19(+) CELLS DURING HUMAN), Virology, 238(2), 1997, pp. 180-188
Enhanced rates of programmed cell death (apoptosis) have been detected
in T cells and B cells from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-
l)-infected individuals. To evaluate the possible relevance of this ev
ent to HIV pathogenesis and disease progression, apoptosis in CD4(+) T
lymphocytes and CD19(+) B lymphocytes, viral load, and neutralizing a
ntibody titers were assayed in HIV-l-infected slow progressors and pro
gressors. A correlation was found between progressive disease and apop
tosis of CD4(+) T cells. The extent of apoptosis in CD4(+) cells was s
imilar in slow progressors and seronegative control subjects. By contr
ast, we found elevated levels of B-cell apoptosis in all HIV-1-infecte
d individuals compared with seronegative control subjects, with a tend
ency toward increased levels of apoptosis with progressive disease. Ap
optosis in CD4(+) T cells and CD19(+) B cells correlated with viral RN
A levels in plasma. Furthermore, higher rates of B-cell apoptosis were
observed in individuals with poor neutralizing activity against a pan
el of six clinical HIV-1 isolates. From these results we conclude that
the extent of apoptosis in cultured CD4(+) cells and CD19(+) cells ap
pears to parallel the decline in CD4 cell counts in infected individua
ls. The finding of a relation between apoptosis in B cells and poor ne
utralizing capacity suggests that apoptosis may be related to loss of
immune function. A role for apoptosis in the pathogenesis of AIDS is a
lso supported by the strong correlation between viral load and rates o
f apoptosis in CD4(+) T cells. (C) 1997 Academic Press.