title: Determination of T-lymphocyte subsets on site in rural Tanzania: results in HIV-1 infected and non-infected individuals.
abstract: With the FACSCount flow cytometer, counts of CD4, CD8 and CD3 lymphocytes and CD4/CD8 ratios were performed in a rural hospital in Tanzania. A total of 168 subjects (21 HIV-1 seropositive and 147 HIV-1 seronegative) were tested as part of a population-based serosurvey and AIDS education programme; 134 other subjects were hospitalized patients who had signs and symptoms suggestive of AIDS (69 HIV-1 seropositive and 65 HIV-seronegative). Mean values for the 147 HIV-1 seronegative subjects from the local population were 980 CD4 cells (95% CI 930, 1031), 598 CD8 cells (560, 635) and CD4/CD8 ratio 1.78 (1.68, 1.89). Seropositive subjects from the local population had significantly lower CD4 cell counts, higher CD8 counts and a lower CD4/CD8 ratio. CD4 cells were significantly lower and CD8 cells significantly higher in HIV-1 seropositive hospital patients compared to HIV-1 seronegative patients. However, 23 (35%) seronegative hospital patients had CD4 counts lower than 600. These results establish baseline values for the lymphocyte subsets in this population and indicate that this technique can be used in remote areas to monitor progress of HIV-infected individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Medical College of St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brubaker
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kumby
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Goedert
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Blattner
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hannet
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D015497:HIV-1; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D016827:CD8 Antigens