title: Impaired in vitro growth of peripheral blood hematopoietic progenitor cells in HIV-infected patients: evidence of an inhibitory effect of autologous T lymphocytes.
abstract: The in vitro growth of both circulating granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) and erythroid (BFU-E) progenitor cells was assessed in 29 individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at different stages of infection. The effects of autologous T lymphocytes, adherent cells, and serum on the in vitro growth of hematopoietic progenitor cells were also investigated. Compared with normal controls, baseline growth was significantly reduced for both CFU-GM and BFU-E in HIV-infected patients, independent of the clinical stage of the disease. In HIV-infected subjects depletion of autologous T cells was associated with a significant increase of progenitor cell growth. Similar results were observed after selective depletion of CD8+ T cells, while readdition of T cells to T-depleted mononuclear cells reduced the number of CFU-GM. A dose-dependent colony inhibitory activity was found in conditioned medium of T cells from HIV-infected subjects. Neither autologous adherent cells nor serum from either HIV+ or HIV- subjects had any significant effect on the in vitro growth of CFU-GM. These results indicate that the in vitro growth of circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells is impaired even in the early stages of HIV infection, and that autologous T cells exert an inhibitory effect on the in vitro growth of progenitor cells, possibly via soluble mediator(s).
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balleari
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Timitilli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Puppo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gaffuri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Musselli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Indiveri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghio
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002455:Cell Division; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media; D015672:Erythroid Precursor Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000473:pathology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors; D003470:Culture Media; D011506:Proteins; C016313:colony inhibiting factor