Expression of chemokine receptors on CD4(+) T cells in peripheral blood from HIV-infected individuals in Uganda

CXCR4, a coreceptor for T cell (T)-tropic HIV-1, is preferentially expresse d on naive T cells, whereas CCR5, a coreceptor for macrophage (M)-tropic HI V-1, is preferentially expressed on previously activated memory T cells and the Th1 subset of CD4(+) T cells. CCR4 is preferentially expressed on the Th2 subset of CD4(+) T cells. A cross-sectional flow cytometry study was co nducted to evaluate the expression of CXCR4, CCR5, and CCR4 on the peripher al blood CD4(+) T cells from African HIV-1-infected and uninfected Ugandan adults. The plasma viral load in HIV-1-infected individuals was also examin ed. Upregulation of CCR4 and CCR5 expression but no decrease in CXCR4 expre ssion on CD4(+) T cells were obtained in peripheral blood from African adul ts with progression of the disease. Plasma HIV-1 viremia significantly and inversely correlated with the peripheral CD4(+) T cell count but did not co rrelate with the degree of CCR4 and CCR5 expression on the peripheral CD4() T cells in HIV-1-infected individuals. Our present data suggest an increa se in percentage of activated memory CD4(+) T cells in the advanced stage o f HIV-1 infection among African adults. There was no evidence of a Th1 to T h2 shift in terms of chemokine receptor expression profile with advancing d isease in the peripheral blood of these subjects.