title: Reversibility of the pathological changes in the follicular dendritic cell network with treatment of HIV-1 infection.
abstract: Over the course of HIV-1 infection, the lymphoid follicles where the humoral immune response is generated initially increase in size and number and then progressively involute. In advanced disease, the network of the processes of follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) that serve as antigen repositories and anatomical substrate for B and T cells and antigen to interact is destroyed, contributing to the breakdown of the immune system. Because destruction of FDCs is associated with deposition of HIV-1, and much of the virus can be cleared from the network with antiretroviral therapy, we investigated the reversibility of damage. We measured the immunohistochemically stainable FDC compartment by quantitative image analysis, and we documented changes in this compartment at different stages of disease. We show that treatment, initiated even at advanced stages of HIV-1 disease, can slowly reverse pathological changes in the FDC network.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Z Q
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schuler
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cavert
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Notermans
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gebhard
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Havlir
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Günthard
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Little
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Feinberg
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Polis
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Schrager
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Schacker
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Richman
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Corey
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Danner
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Haase
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents