Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 infection of homosexual men is accompanied by a decrease in circulating B cells.
As part of the multidisciplinary effort to characterize the natural history of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, the cell-surface phenotypes of lymphocytes from a cohort of homosexual men were analyzed in detail and related to clinical and laboratory parameters associated with HIV-1 infection. The present study represents a cross-sectional analysis of coded specimens from 153 homosexual men, of whom 74 were seronegative and 79 seropositive for HIV-1. Fewer circulating B lymphocytes (CD19+) were found in HIV-1-seropositive subjects relative to a seronegative reference group. HIV seropositivity was not associated with decreased numbers of CD8+ T cells or activated T cells, which suggests that the number of circulating B cells specifically decreased. In addition to CD19, B cells were measured by CD20 and CD21 in a subset of subjects, and decreases in circulating CD20+ and CD21+ B cells were also apparent in HIV-1-seropositive subjects. The decrease in B-cell numbers was present at the earliest stages of HIV-1 infection (asymptomatic, clinically silent) and became more pronounced at more advanced stages of HIV-1 infection. The absolute B-cell numbers correlated with absolute CD4+ cell numbers (r = 0.59, p less than 0.001). These data suggest that HIV-1 infection is associated with progressive, selective decreases in the numbers of circulating CD4+ T cells and B cells.
Reddy
M M
MM
Department of Medicine, St. Luke's/Roosevelt Medical Center, New York, NY 10019.
Goetz
R R
RR
Gorman
J M
JM
Grieco
M H
MH
Chess
L
L
Lederman
S
S
D015703:Antigens, CD; D018941:Antigens, CD19; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011446:Prospective Studies
D015703:Antigens, CD; D018941:Antigens, CD19; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D015483:HIV Antibodies