CD4+ lymphocyte depletion in HIV-infected patients is associated with gp120-immunoglobulin-complement attachment to CD4+ cells.
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.
Daniel
V
V
Department of Transplantation Immunology, University of Heidelberg, FRG.
Süsal
C
C
Prodeus
A P
AP
Weimer
R
R
Zimmermann
R
R
Huth-Kühne
A
A
Opelz
G
G
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
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D003165:Complement System Proteins