T cell telomere length in HIV-1 infection: no evidence for increased CD4+ T cell turnover.
Progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been related to exhaustion of the regenerative capacity of the immune system resulting from high T cell turnover. Analysis of telomeric terminal restriction fragment (TRF) length, a marker for cellular replicative history, showed that CD8(+) T cell TRF length decreased but CD4(+) T cell TRF length was stable during the course of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection, which was not explained by differential telomerase activity. This observation provides evidence that turnover in the course of HIV-1 infection can be increased considerably in CD8(+) T cells, but not in CD4(+) T cells. These results are compatible with CD4(+) T cell decline in HIV-1 infection caused by interference with cell renewal.
Wolthers
K C
KC
Department of Clinical Viro-Immunology, Central Laboratory of the Netherlands Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. clbkvi@xs4all.nl
Bea
G
G
Wisman
A
A
Otto
S A
SA
de Roda Husman
A M
AM
Schaft
N
N
de Wolf
F
F
Goudsmit
J
J
Coutinho
R A
RA
van der Zee
A G
AG
Meyaard
L
L
Miedema
F
F
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016923:Cell Death; D002455:Cell Division; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D019098:Telomerase / Q000097:blood; D016615:Telomere / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D019098:Telomerase