title: Massive activation of immune cells with an intact T cell repertoire in acute human immunodeficiency virus syndrome.
abstract: In 8 patients with symptomatic, acute primary infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a dramatic and persistent decrease in CD4+ lymphocytes was seen, accompanied by a marked increase in activated/memory CD8+ T cells (CD38+, CD45R0+, HLA-DR+, with high amounts of cell adhesion molecules), which represented most circulating lymphocytes, but no gross alterations in V beta T cell repertoire. Extremely high plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines were observed. Three patients were followed for 2-3 years: The number of CD4+ cells, extremely low at first, increased significantly in a few months but decreased rapidly after a short stable period. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes bearing markers of immunologic activation/memory could play an important role in the earliest phases of the disease. It remains to be established how such a dramatic onset could determine the rapid progression of the infection that seems characteristic of patients with acute HIV syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Modena School of Medicine, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cossarizza
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ortolani
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mussini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Borghi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guaraldi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mongiardo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bellesia
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Franceschini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Rienzo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Franceschi
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000097:blood; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis; D012016:Reference Values; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta