Peripheral B cells with intracytoplasmic mu chains in HIV infection.
Besides the major alteration of T lymphocytes, B-cell anomalies have been reported in HIV infection, related to late stages of B-cell maturation, and considered to result from the dysregulation of T/B interactions. Because T cells are also involved in the control of lymphopoiesis and/or because of specific alterations of the B lineage, anomalies of B-cell maturation could occur in HIV-infected patients. We investigated the presence of immature pre-B lymphocytes, characterized by cytoplasmic mu chains, in 35 peripheral blood samples from healthy controls, 82 from HIV-positive/non-AIDS patients, and 45 from AIDS patients. Significant numbers of such cells were observed in 48% of HIV-seropositive patients and in 40% of the patients with AIDS disease. The presence of pre-B cells correlated with higher numbers of CD8+ and/or CD57+ cells and of peripheral lymphocytes. These data suggest that B-cell dysregulation in HIV infection may lead to the abnormal release of immature B cells in the peripheral blood. This observation may be interpreted as a sign of bone marrow activity.
Blime
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Laboratoire d'Immunologie Faculté de Médecine, Vandoeuvre Les Nancy, France.
Amiel
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Bene
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MC
May
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Canton
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Faure
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GC
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007138:Immunoglobulin delta-Chains / Q000032:analysis; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000032:analysis; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains / Q000032:analysis*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D007138:Immunoglobulin delta-Chains; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains