Persistent expansion, in a human immunodeficiency virus-infected person, of V beta-restricted CD4+CD8+ T lymphocytes that express cytotoxicity-associated molecules and are committed to produce interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha.
The present study describes the persistent expansion of a subpopulation of circulating double-positive CD4+CD8+ T cells in a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected person over 8 years. The percentage of double-positive cells was remarkably stable with time and was not related to HIV plasma virus load. CD4+CD8+ cells exhibited phenotypic characteristics of activated memory T lymphocytes. Analysis of V beta usage by the T cell receptors of these cells indicated restricted expression to the V beta 14 and V beta 17 families. Most CD4+CD8+ cells constitutively expressed cytotoxicity-associated molecules (C1.7 and perforin) and were selectively committed to produce interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, cytokines involved in cytotoxic function. The kinetics of changes in the relative proportion of single-positive CD4+ and double-positive CD4+CD8+ T cell subsets and a similar bias in V beta usage by these subsets suggest that CD4+CD8+ lymphocytes originate from peripheral expansion of mature CD4+ T cells.
Weiss
L
L
INSERM U430, Hôpital Broussais, Paris, France. laurence.weiss@brs.ap-hop-paris.fr
Roux
A
A
Garcia
S
S
Demouchy
C
C
Haeffner-Cavaillon
N
N
Kazatchkine
M D
MD
Gougeon
M L
ML
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma