title: Fas (CD95) expression on CD4+ T cells from HIV-infected patients increases with disease progression.
abstract: Active T cell suicide (apoptosis) is supposed to be involved in the CD4+ T cell depletion in the course of HIV infection. We investigated the expression of the apoptosis-related antigen Fas on CD4+ T cells from 25 HIV-positive individuals (CDC I-III) and 8 HIV-negative controls by two-colour flowcytometry. In addition, we evaluated: total CD4 count, HIV p24 antigen concentration in serum after immune complex dissociation, and clinical course of infection in HIV-positive individuals. We found a significant increase in mean Fas expression on CD4+ T cells from HIV-positive individuals compared to HIV-negative individuals (85.84 +/- 14.92% vs. 64.28 +/- 7.59%, P < 0.001). Within the HIV-positive group the increase in Fas expression was correlated with the decline in CD4 count (r = -0.76, P < 0.001), p24 antigen concentration in serum, after immune complex dissociation (r = 0.67, P < 0.001), and CDC stage (r = 0.73, P < 0.001). The upregulation of Fas antigen on CD4 cells is associated with CD4 depletion and other virological and clinical marker of disease progression in HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Aries
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schaaf
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Dennin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dalhoff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D019014:fas Receptor