title: Increased cell division but not thymic dysfunction rapidly affects the T-cell receptor excision circle content of the naive T cell population in HIV-1 infection.
abstract: Recent thymic emigrants can be identified by T cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) formed during T-cell receptor rearrangement. Decreasing numbers of TRECs have been observed with aging and in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infected individuals, suggesting thymic impairment. Here, we show that in healthy individuals, declining thymic output will affect the TREC content only when accompanied by naive T-cell division. The rapid decline in TRECs observed during HIV-1 infection and the increase following HAART are better explained not by thymic impairment, but by changes in peripheral T-cell division rates. Our data indicate that TREC content in healthy individuals is only indirectly related to thymic output, and in HIV-1 infection is mainly affected by immune activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Viro-Immunology, CLB, and the Laboratory for Experimental and Clinical Immunology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Plesmanlaan 125, 1066CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Hazenberg
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Cohen Stuart
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Verschuren
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Borleffs
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Rinke de Wit
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsegaye
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: van Dongen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hamann
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Miedema
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002455:Cell Division; D015329:Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell