Ad. Husman et al., CC chemokine receptor 5 cell-surface expression in relation to CC chemokine receptor 5 genotype and the clinical course of HIV-1 infection, J IMMUNOL, 163(8), 1999, pp. 4597-4603
CCR5 cell-surface expression was studied in relation to CCR5 genotype and c
linical course of HIV-1 infection. HIV-1 infected CCR5(+/+) individuals had
higher percentages of CCR5-expressing CD4(+) T cells as compared with HIV-
l-infected CCR5(32/+). individuals. For both genotypic groups, the percenta
ges of CCR5-expressing cells were higher than for the uninfected counterpar
ts CCR5(+/+), HIV+ 28% and HIV- 15% (p < 0.0001); CCR5(32/+), HIVS. 21% and
HIV- 10% (p = 0.001), respectively). In HIV-l-infected individuals, high p
ercentages of CCRS-expressing cells were associated with low CD4(+) T cell
numbers (p = 0.001), high, viral RNA load in serum (p = 0.016), and low T c
ell function (p = 0.053). As compared with nonprogressors with similar CD4(
+) T cell numbers, individuals who did progress to AIDS had a higher percen
tage of CCR5-expressing CD4(+) T cells (32% vs 21% (p = 0.001). Longitudina
l analysis of CCRSf/' individuals revealed slight, although not statistical
ly significant, increases in CCRS-expressing CD4(+) T cells and CD4(+) T ce
ll subsets characterized by the expression of CD45 isoforms, during the cou
rse of HIV-1 infection. Preseroconversion, the percentage of CCR5-expressin
g CD4(+) T cells was higher in individuals who subsequently developed AIDS
(28%) than in those who did not show disease progression within a similar t
ime frame (20%;p = 0.059), Our data indicate that CCR5 expression increases
with progression of disease, possibly as a consequence of continuous immun
e activation associated with HIV-1 infection, In turn, CCR5 expression may
influence the clinical course of infection.