title: CD4+ lymphocyte depletion in HIV-infected patients is associated with gp120-immunoglobulin-complement attachment to CD4+ cells.
abstract: The mechanism of CD4+ lymphocyte depletion, which is the main immunological feature in HIV-infected patients, is unclear. We investigated whether gp120-immunoglobulin-complement complexes on the surface of CD4+ cells might be involved in the elimination of CD4+ lymphocytes. The results obtained in 63 HIV-infected patients show that gp120 is attached to a variable degree to CD4+ cells. Importantly, the percentage of CD4+gp120+ lymphocytes is inversely associated with CD4+ lymphocyte counts in the peripheral blood (p = 0.0004). CD4+gp120+ blood lymphocytes bind IgM (p = 0.0027) and IgG antibodies (p = 0.0001) and complement (p = 0.0005). These results suggest that immune complex-mediated cell elimination is an important mechanism of CD4+ cell depletion in patients with AIDS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplantation Immunology, University of Heidelberg, FRG.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Süsal
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Prodeus
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weimer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huth-Kühne
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Opelz
mesh_terms: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D003165:Complement System Proteins