title: Reduced immune activation and T cell apoptosis in human immunodeficiency virus type 2 compared with type 1: correlation of T cell apoptosis with beta2 microglobulin concentration and disease evolution.
abstract: This study analyzes the degree of immune activation and characterizes apoptosis in lymphocytes from healthy West African donors or patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 or -2. The lower decline of CD4 T cells in HIV-2- compared with HIV-1-infected donors is associated with lower levels of immune activation, evaluated by HLA-DR expression on lymphocytes and sera concentrations of IgG and beta2 microglobulin (beta2m). Ex vivo apoptosis was found in both infections in all lymphocyte subsets, including CD4 and CD8 T cells, as well as B cells, but was lower in HIV-2 than in HIV-1 infection. Interestingly, high correlations were found in HIV-2- and HIV-1-infected donors between the level of CD4 T cell apoptosis and beta2m concentration and progression of the disease. These observations support the hypothesis that long-term activation of the immune system, weaker in HIV-2 infection, significantly contributes to T cell deletion and disease evolution.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Dakar, Sénégal, West Africa.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Balde
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roussilhon
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aribot
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sarthou
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gougeon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012675:Senegal; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin