Telomeres and HIV disease.
Telomere measurement, envisioned as a novel approach to elucidate T-cell dynamics in HIV disease, failed to reveal any consistent pattern in CD4+ T cells. By contrast, significant telomere shortening, as well as other hallmarks suggestive of replicative senescence, was observed within the CD8+ T-cell subset. Telomere studies have thus provided unanticipated insight into a novel facet of memory CD8+ T lymphocyte dynamics that may explain the exhaustion of the protective antiviral immune response. Strategies aimed at manipulating replicative senescence, therefore, offer unique approaches to immune reconstitution.
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Department of Pathology, UCLA School of Medicine 90095-1732, USA.
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics*