title: Quantitative and qualitative abnormalities in HIV-1-specific T cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the characteristics of CD4 and CD8 T cells specific for HIV-1 and cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigens in untreated and treated HIV-1-infected patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antigen-specific T cell frequencies were determined by flow cytometric detection of antigen-induced intracellular cytokines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In untreated patients, HIV-1-specific CD4 T cell counts in peripheral blood were less than one tenth of CMV-specific CD4 T cell counts, while the number of specific CD8 T cells was approximately the same for both HIV-1 and CMV. In patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for less than 1.5 years, HIV-1-specific CD4 and CD8T cell counts were significantly lower than those in untreated patients. Perforin expression in HIV-1-specific CD8 T cells was significantly lower than that in CMV-specific CD8 T cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicate that HIV-1-specific T cells in HIV-1-infected patients have quantitative and qualitative abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Advanced Clinical Research Center, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomizawa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tachikawa-Kawana
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ajisawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral