Connectivity and HIV-1 infection: role of CD4(+) T-cell counts and HIV-1 RNA copy number.
Following primary infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1, antibodies against specific HIV-1 epitopes are elicited. However, non-HIV-1 specific antibodies, including autoantibodies, also arise. In fact, it has been proposed that such autoantibodies have an important role in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection. Because an imbalance in connectivity has been associated with autoimmune processes, we investigated the connectivity status of HIV-1-infected individuals. Moreover, we tested the possible role of viral load and CD4(+) T-cell counts, in connectivity, because these parameters appear to be important in the prognosis of HIV-1 infection. Results show that indeed, there is an alteration in connectivity in these patients, both for immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgM, which is an immune alteration not previously identified in HIV-1 infection. In addition, our results show that viral load and CD4(+) T-cell counts are both equally important in defining the characteristic pattern of connectivity in HIV-1-infected individuals, and that neither is independently responsible for alterations in patient connectivity status.
Padierna-Olivos
L
L
Departamento de Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México D.F., México.
Moreno-Altamirano
M M
MM
Sánchez-Colón
S
S
Massó-Rojas
F
F
Sánchez-García
F J
FJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018448:Models, Immunological; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012367:RNA, Viral