title: CD8+ cell anti-HIV activity correlates with the clinical state of the infected individual.
abstract: The extent of antiviral activity exhibited in vitro by CD8+lymphocytes from individuals infected by HIV-1 correlates significantly with their clinical status. CD8+ lymphocytes from asymptomatic subjects were found to inhibit HIV-1 replication by 90% or greater at effector/target (E/T) ratios ranging from as low as 0.05 to 0.25. CD8+ cells from 17 of 19 (89%) of these subjects suppressed replication at an E/T ratio of 0.10 or less. CD8+ lymphocytes from symptomatic patients (non-AIDS) inhibited HIV-1 replication at E/T ratios ranging from 0.05 to 1.0, and CD8+ cells from 8 of 13 (62%) required ratios greater than 0.10. As a group, patients with AIDS exhibited the lowest degree of anti-HIV activity with their CD8+ lymphocytes. The effective range of E/T ratios from AIDS patients was 0.10-2.0, and 9 of 10 (90%) required E/T ratios greater than 0.25. This anti-HIV activity exhibited by CD8+ cells also correlated significantly with the subject's peripheral blood CD4+ cell count. The relative extent of CD8+ cell anti-HIV-1 activity was not found dependent on variations in the CD4+ target cells and viruses used. These findings suggest that the decreased CD8+ cell antiviral activity is related to progression to disease in HIV-infected individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco 94143-0128.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Mackewicz
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase